It seems like a lifetime ago, but remember when Prince William and Prince Harry were best friends? And Kate was the sister Harry never had? And Harry, who desperately wanted to be a father himself, proudly took on the mantle of the fun uncle for the Cambridge kids?
Life has evolved, and now Harry is a proud papa to Archie, 3, and Lili, who will soon turn a year old on June 4. But he’s still considered an adored uncle to Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, and The Daily Express reports that the Duke of Sussex misses the Cambridge children—Charlotte in particular—as Harry is “extremely fond” of her.
“Prince Harry misses Prince William and Duchess Kate’s children very much since he is settling in California,” says Christina Garibaldi, cohost of the podcast “Royally Us,” an offshoot of Us Weekly. “A source told us in the latest issue, they said they’re [the Cambridge children] extremely fond of him [Harry].”
And, just as Harry has a particular closeness with Charlotte, the admiration is seemingly mutual, as the princess “views Harry, very much, as one of her role models,” Garibaldi says. Harry and Charlotte share the special, albeit complicated, bond of being the “spare,” the second born child born after the heir to the throne.
“Charlotte will send everyone in the family thoughtful gifts and cards,” Garibaldi says. “At the very least, they’ll call as a family to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ and so on.” (Charlotte just turned seven earlier this month, the same week that Archie turned three, so one can imagine the family was in ample contact that week.)
Prior to his move to the U.S., Harry lived nearby the Cambridges’ Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace in London. Harry was often around and gifted his niece and nephews pretty lavishly—the book Finding Freedom confirms this, reports the Mirror, and the Mirror reports The Sun revealing that Harry bought Louis a first edition of A.A. Milne’s classic Winnie the Pooh for his christening. The cost? Around £8,000. And Louis isn’t the only spoiled one: Harry has reportedly gifted George an electric SUV and Charlotte a tricycle.
We can’t wait to see the Cambridge kids reunite with Uncle Harry in just a few weeks’ time. Wonder what gifts he’ll bring?
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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.
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