Archie and Lilibet's estranged granddad says he'd 'love to see my grandkids'

Archie and Lilibet haven’t been able to have much of a relationship with their extended family, much to the dismay of their grandparents.

Prince Archie was just a few months old when his parents, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, decided to step down from royal life in January 2020, and moved to the US. Princess Lilibet, meanwhile, has only met her paternal grandfather once during the late Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022.

But while His Majesty still has hope for a reunion with his beloved grandchildren, chances for their other grandpa, Thomas Markle, seem much lower.

In a recent interview with the Mail on Sunday published October 5, the Duchess of Sussex’s estranged father said he’s never stopped loving his daughter, despite their years-long rift.

“I’d love to see my grandkids,” he said. “I have never stopped loving my daughter. Nothing will ever change that.”

The 81-year-old has been living in Cebu, Philippines, since January with his son, Tom Jr., where the two moved in search of “more peace” after years of public tension surrounding Meghan’s relationship with the royal family.

Harry and Meghan, meanwhile, have been living in their Montecito mansion in Los Angeles, California.

Recently, the Duke of Sussex reunited with King Charles amid their own estranged relationship. During the meeting, Harry reportedly gave the monarch a photograph of Archie, 6, and Lilibet, 4.

Thomas inevitably caught wind of the news and felt left out.

“I wonder, do they have the Markle nose? When you are a grandparent, you think about things like that. I’d love a photograph. I would like to speak to Charles. Of all the people on the planet, he knows what it feels like to be estranged from a child and how tough it is,” he admitted.