Joy for Charles as he meets granddaughter for first time

THE Prince of Wales enjoyed a “very emotional” first meeting with his granddaughter, Lilibet, a senior royal aide revealed.

Both Prince Charles, 73, and the Duchess of Cornwall, 74, were said to have been “absolutely thrilled” to see the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their children earlier this month, when they travelled from California for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

It comes after Prince Harry described feeling let down by his father, revealing he stopped taking his calls at one stage.

The Sussexes used an interview with Oprah Winfrey to accuse an unnamed royal of being racist towards their twoyear-old son, Archie, before he was born, and the wider institution of failing to help Meghan when she had suicidal thoughts.

But a senior royal source said it had been “wonderful” to have the Sussexes back in the UK.

“The Prince hasn’t seen his grandson Archie for a bit of time so it was very, very special to have some time with him,” the source said.

“He hadn’t met Lili, his granddaughter, so to meet her was very emotional.”

Harry and Meghan appeared at the jubilee service of thanksgiving in St Paul’s Cathedral but sat far across the aisle from Charles and the Cambridges, and did not take part in any other public jubilee festivities.

Their children did not appear in public but a photograph from Lilibet’s first birthday party in Windsor that weekend was later released.

The latest accounts published by Clarence House reveal that the Prince’s bill for the activities of his two sons and their families had dropped by £1.2 million over two years, now that the Sussexes were not listed in the accounts.

The amount fell from £5.61 million in 2019-20 to £4.38 million in 2021-22.

A royal source declined to explain the figures in further detail, insisting it was “private expenditure”.