Why hasn’t Charles met his new baby grandson yet?
AS SPECULATION GROWS HE’LL BE CALLED ALBERT
Prince Charles still has not seen his newest grandson, four days after he was born.
He is currently in Scotland on holiday and will not see the baby until today at the earliest, the Mail can reveal.
There have long been rumours of tensions between Charles and William, particularly over how much he and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, get to see his grandchildren.
The couple were at Birkhall, their private Highland home, on Monday when Kate, 36, delivered the baby.
Charles was unable to fly down to London straight away as he was in France on Wednesday at a First World War centenary service. It is understood that the prince was flown to and from Scotland by private plane, paid for by the Australian Government, which organised the event.
Charles, who turns 70 this year, is said to be making arrangements to go to London but it is not clear why he did not travel yesterday. He has no official engagements in the next few days. But then no other senior royals have yet visited the latest addition to the family.
The Queen, who is at Windsor, was informed by phone about the birth. She may see her sixth great-grandchild at the weekend, when it is possible that William and Kate will take him to the castle to see her and Prince Philip, who is recovering from a hip replacement and unable to travel.
Early visitors to Kensington Palace included Kate’s parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, and siblings, Pippa and James, while Princess Eugenie has also dropped in. Mrs Middleton has been seen helping out with George’s school run and generally making herself useful.
Over the years Charles has reportedly complained privately that he does not see enough of his grandchildren, and particularly not as much as the Middletons do. George and Charlotte are frequent visitors to Bucklebury Manor, Kate’s family home, where they can play in the 18-acre grounds and collect eggs from the chickens.
According to sources, the Middletons are ‘ virtually retired’ from the day to day running of their business, Party Pieces, and able to help whenever needed. Charles, on the other hand, has commitments that include almost 600 public engagements a year, as well as a growing number of duties on behalf of the Queen, and has to ask his diary team to schedule in time with his grandchildren.
He dotes on George, four, and Charlotte, three next week, and in a statement on Tuesday spoke of his excitement at the birth of his new grandson.
Sources close to the prince have said previously that with his busy schedule it is natural that the Middletons play a much more hands-on role but one told the Mail: ‘The prince is much more of a doting grandfather than people give him credit for. But, let’s face it, he isn’t ever going to be hands-on when it comes to child care.’