King Charles’s best grandfather moments with George, Charlotte, Louis, Archie and Lilibet in photos

Do you remember this day? Shortly after Prince William and Kate welcomed their first child, Prince George, they received family visitors including King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla. It was Charles who told the press they didn’t have to wait long – William and Kate would be making an appearance on the Lindo Wing steps soon.

The Queen gave an insight into Charles as a grandfather – and he sounds like the best! “He will get down on his knees and crawl about with them for hours, you know making funny noises and laughing,” said Camilla during an appearance on BBC documentary, Prince, Son and Heir: Charles at 70.

William described Charles as being a “brilliant” grandfather, although he wished he could spend more time with his grandchildren. On whether Charles has time to be a granddad, William said at the time: “It’s something I’m working more heavily on, put it that way. I think he does have time for it, but I would like him to have more time with the children.

“I think he’s… now he’s reached his 70th year it’s a perfect time to consolidate a little bit because as most families would do, you are worried about having them around and making sure their health’s okay. And he’s the fittest man I know but equally I want him to be fit until he’s 95. So, having more time with him at home would be lovely, and being able to you know, play with the grandchildren. Because when he’s there, he’s brilliant. But we need him there as much as possible.”

We’d love to know what George said to his parents and grandad at Trooping the Colour!

Mum Kate is always on hand to cheer on George, but so is Grandpa Wales.

When George became tearful at his sister Princess Charlotte’s christening, dad William was on hand to calm the youngster down. We love the expressions on Charles and Camilla’s faces in the background, and Michael and Carole Middleton’s too!

Here, Charles is pictured at Trooping the Colour, showing his grandson George the royal ropes. The Daily Mail’s royal author and correspondent, Robert Hardman, has previously revealed that the young Wales’ call Charles call Charles ‘Grandpa Wales’. The Queen used to call her grandfather, George V, ‘Grandpa England’. Adorable!

Robert writes: “He [Charles] increasingly consults the [then] Duke of Cambridge in all major family decisions; about his hopes that, while his sons have created new charity networks, one of his grandchildren – maybe George – will one day take on the stewardship of his own.”

This sweet moment was captured between Charles, the Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte on Christmas Day 2019. The Prince appeared to be checking on a nervous George and Charlotte after the young royals made their public debut on the walk to church.

Charles and Camilla pictured after Harry and Meghan’s joyous royal wedding, alongside pageboy George and bridesmaid Charlotte.

The young princess shared a sweet exchange with her grandpa as they watched the RAF flypast during Trooping the Colour 2024. It was a particularly moving occasion as it marked the first time the Princess of Wales had been seen publicly since her cancer diagnosis.  

During the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant, Prince Louis was seen sitting on his dad’s lap, before spending some time cuddled with his doting grandfather, who helped to keep the youngster entertained.

Charles beams at Prince Louis as he waves at his grandfather on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. The youngest Wales child delighted the crowds as he made his debut at Trooping the Colour in 2019, and was spotted waving excitedly at the fly-past by the Royal Air Force.

A week after Archie was born in May 2019, King Charles paid him a visit and went to see how his son Prince Harry and his daughter-in-law Meghan were coping as new parents. The meeting took place at the Sussexes’ former Windsor-based home, Frogmore Cottage, which is located in the private Home Park.

About being a grandfather, the King has previously said: “It’s a different part of your life. The great thing is to encourage them. Show them things to take their interest. My grandmother did that, she was wonderful.” He added: “It is very important to create a bond when they are very young.”

Charles met his youngest grandchild Lilibet for the first time in 2022 when Harry and Meghan brought their children to the UK for the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The trip coincided with Lilibet’s first birthday, and a senior source at the time described the meeting as “very emotional”.  The King reportedly keeps in touch with his US-based grandchildren via video calls and phone calls, with Archie and Lilibet singing Happy Birthday to their grandpa in a recorded video message when he turned 75 in 2023.