About George, Charlotte, Louis, Archie and Lilibet

In addition to being monarch, King Charles also holds another very important title: grandfather.

The King has five grandchildren with his two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibeth.

King Charles became a grandparent for the first time in July 2013, when Prince William and Kate Middleton welcomed their son, Prince George. The couple subsequently expanded their family with the birth of Princess Charlotte in May 2015 and Prince Louis in April 2018.

In May 2019, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle welcomed their first child, a son named Archie, making Prince Charles the grandfather of four grandchildren. In June 2021, their second child, a daughter named Lilibet, was born, bringing Prince Charles' total number of grandchildren to five. Prince Charles' wife, Queen Camilla, also has five grandchildren through her son and daughter.

After the birth of his first grandchild in 2013, Prince Charles, who was then known as the Prince of Wales, spoke about his new role in an interview. Telegraph“Being a grandparent is a different aspect of life,” he said. “It's about encouraging your kids and showing them things that interest them. My grandmother did that. She was a great person. It's so important to build a bond with your kids when they're young.”

His three grandchildren — Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis — were in attendance to celebrate the momentous moment at the King's coronation on May 6. Prince George played a key role in the coronation, serving as valet of honor and helping carry the bottom of his grandfather's robe as he entered and left Westminster Abbey.

From their sweetest moments together to their individual bonds with their grandfather, here's everything you need to know about King Charles' five grandchildren.

Prince George, age 11

Prince William and Kate welcomed their son, George Alexander Louis, on July 22, 2013, marking the beginning of a new generation of the royal family and making Prince Charles a grandparent for the first time.

Prince Charles has adapted naturally to his new role, and in 2015 a royal source told People magazine that he and Camilla were “thrilled to be grandparents.”

“Charles is a warm, caring boy but he comes alive when he's around little George, who he loves spending time with,” the source added. In fact, Charles has even turned part of the garden at Highgrove House into a play area for George and his sister, Charlotte.

Charles began to pass on his lifelong passion for nature to his grandson at an early age: when George was still a toddler, he spent time planting trees and picnicking with Charles in the gardens at Highgrove.

Commenting on his grandson's budding love of the outdoors, Prince Charles described George as “one of those personalities that just naturally, instinctively loves being outdoors,” telling Sky News in 2015. “I'll be interested to see if that continues. He loves being outdoors and that's encouraging,” he added.

Currently appearingCOP26: It's in your hands Charles, who will be making the documentary in 2021, also touched on how he's teaching George to care for the environment.

“I'm old enough to have grandchildren now,” he says, “and just like you, they're learning that climate change is causing massive storms, floods, droughts, fires and food shortages all around the world.”

A shared interest in nature isn't the only interest Prince George and Prince Charles have in common: Prince George is second in line to the throne after his father and is set to become king one day.

The young royal got a glimpse of his future when he attended King Charles' coronation. Along with three other boys, Prince George served as his grandfather's valet of honor. Prince George's attendance at King Charles' coronation made him the youngest future monarch to be officially involved in a coronation.

“Welcoming George into the Royal Family would send the right symbolism into the future and give him something to be remembered for forever,” royal author Hugo Vickers previously said. Times Prince George's role in the ceremony.

Princess Charlotte, age 9

Prince Charles became a grandparent again when Kate gave birth to Williams' second child, Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, on May 2, 2015. She is third in line to the throne and, thanks to the Succession to the Throne Act of 2013, is the first female royal whose right to the throne has not been shaken by the birth of her younger brother.

Prince Charles has had a tender bond with his granddaughter from the start, as her name is a female version of his nickname, and shortly after Princess Charlotte was born, Prince Charles shared his joy at the arrival of the new royal.

“I always wanted a granddaughter, someone to look after me when I'm old,” Prince Charles said publicly, and while he can't pick favorites, he did admit that Princess Charlotte is “a better mother than Prince George” when it comes to sleeping habits.

Princess Charlotte, now 8, has accompanied the family to several public appearances and, like her grandfather, is quickly picking up on royal etiquette. At Queen Elizabeth's funeral in September 2022, Princess Charlotte was seen telling her brother, Prince George, “You've got to bow” as they waited for the Queen's casket to pass by. Meanwhile, at the Queen's Flag Ceremony in June, Princess Charlotte was seen teaching her brother, Prince Louis, how to give the proper royal wave.

At her grandfather's coronation, Princess Charlotte looked all grown up in a matching ivory silk crepe dress and silver headpiece with her mother, Kate.

Princess Charlotte and her two siblings took part in King Charles' Coronation Procession, riding in the first carriage behind the Gold State Coach carrying the newly crowned King and Queen. After the parade, Princess Charlotte accompanied her grandfather and family onto the balcony of Buckingham Palace to wave to well-wishers and watch the planes fly by.

A few days before the big event, King Charles took to his official Twitter account to celebrate his granddaughter's eighth birthday.

Prince Louis, age 6

Prince Charles' third grandson, Louis Arthur Charles, was born to Prince William and Kate on April 23, 2018. He is fourth in line to the throne, after his father and two older siblings.

Like Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis' name likely holds special meaning to King Charles, as he is thought to be named in part after Earl Louis Mountbatten, Charles' great-uncle and mentor.

Prince Louis and Prince Charles have shared many sweet moments over the years. To mark Prince Charles' 70th birthday in November 2018, the royal family posed for a series of portraits, and in one of the outtakes from the day, a then-7-month-old Prince Louis could be seen reaching out to grab his grandfather's nose.

Charles later celebrated Louis' second birthday, sharing a touching black-and-white photo of the pair embracing each other on the official Clarence House Instagram page.

The pair shared an especially precious moment during Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee in June 2022. Dancing in his seat and making faces at his mother, Prince Louis, who has become known for his adorable behavior at various royal events over the years, was spending quality time with his grandfather. After taking turns sitting on his parents' laps, Prince Louis called out “Daddy” and made his way over to Prince Charles, who rocked the young royal on his lap and pointed out elements of the parade.

Prince Louis once again stole the spotlight at King Charles' coronation, with the young royal seen yawning loudly throughout the ceremony before briefly stepping out for the second half of the event.

He was also photographed making funny faces during the procession back to Buckingham Palace, before joining his family on the balcony to give a rousing welcome to well-wishers, another memorable moment.

Prince Archie, age 5

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle welcomed their first child, a son named Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, into the world on May 6, 2019, making Archie the King's fourth grandchild. Archie is sixth in line to the throne, after his uncle, older cousins, and his father.

When Archie was born, his parents were still working in the royal household, and like his cousins, he was baptized by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Rt Rev Justin Welby, and wore the same royal christening outfit worn by Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.

The grandfather kept up with royal tradition at the christening, pinning a pink flower to his suit for the occasion, something he had done at the christenings of his other two grandchildren. To mark the big day, the royal family posed for photos with baby Archie on Windsor Castle's famous green sofa, the same one used for Prince Harry's christening portrait in 1984.

Although Archie was born with the courtesy title of Earl of Dumbarton, he was not given a royal title until King Charles was crowned monarch. After the death of Queen Elizabeth, when Charles became king, Archie and his sister Lily were given the titles of prince and princess.

The family's official website was updated in March 2023 to reflect the title change from Lord Archie Mountbatten-Windsor to Prince Archie of Sussex.

“Their children's titles have been their birthright since their grandfather became monarch,” a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told People magazine at the time. “This issue has been resolved in coordination with Buckingham Palace for some time now.”

When Archie was eight months old, Prince Harry and Meghan announced their decision to step back from royal duties, and shortly thereafter, the couple moved to Meghan's native California.

In 2021, they famously spoke with Oprah Winfrey about their experiences in the royal family. During the interview, Meghan Markle spoke about “dark times” within the royal family. [Archie’s] This is what our skin might look like when we're born.”

During the interview, Prince Harry also spoke about his strained relationship with his father, Prince Charles. “It's really disappointing because he's been through something similar,” he said, referring to his late mother, Princess Diana. “He knows what pain is, and Archie is his grandson.”

Despite the tension, Prince Harry has said he wants Archie and Lily to have a relationship within the royal family. “I've said before that I want a family, not an institution, so of course I would be happiest for my children to have relationships with members of my family, and they have, and that brings me great joy,” he told People magazine in January 2023.

Archie got the chance to reunite with his grandfather during Queen Elizabeth's jubilee celebrations in June 2022. In between celebrations, Prince Charles spent some quality time with his youngest grandson.

“It was a fantastic visit and the prince was delighted to meet his grandson and granddaughter for the first time,” a royal source told People magazine. Prince Charles “hadn't seen his grandson for a while,” the source added, “so it was very special to spend time with him.”

Princess Lilibet, 3

King Charles' youngest grandchild, Lilibet “Lilibet” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, was born on June 4, 2021, in California, the daughter of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. She was named after Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth, whose family nicknamed her Lilibet, and is currently seventh in line to the throne.

Shortly after the birth, Prince Charles was speaking about sustainability at a car manufacturer's factory when he called the birth “very exciting news.”[ing] He said “becoming a grandfather for the fifth time” made him even more conscious of “preserving the health of the planet for future generations.”

Lili visited the UK for the first time in June 2022 to attend the Queen's Jubilee, and Prince Charles enjoyed an “emotional” meeting with his granddaughter for the first time.

“The Prince and the Duchess [of Cornwall] “They were really excited to meet them,” a royal source told People magazine.

“He had never met his granddaughter Lilibet so it was very emotional and wonderful for him to meet her for the first time,” the source added.

Like her brother Archie, Lili was given the title of princess when her grandfather became monarch, and in March 2023, her title on the official royal website was updated from “Miss Lilibeth Mountbatten-Windsor” to “Princess Lilibeth of Sussex.”