Why Prince Harry Was Reportedly 'Very Sad' For His Children On Princess Charlotte's Birthday

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex has dropped quite a few hints that he may be ready to mend fences with the royal family over the past few years. His reported reaction to his niece's recent birthday seems like yet another sign. Harry's choice to leave royal life certainly impacted his relationship with William, Prince of Wales' children. And, apparently, he's beginning to worry about the impact this may be having on his own kids.

For her 11th birthday on May 2, Princess Charlotte appeared in a new photo, which the official Prince and Princess of Wales Instagram account shared with the caption, "Wishing Charlotte a very happy 11th birthday!" Charlotte looks particularly grown up in the photo, and she surely looks very different from when Harry likely last saw her in person before moving across the pond in 2020. Today, Charlotte's older brother, Prince George, is 12 years old, and her little brother, Prince Louis, is 8. While they're a bit younger, Harry's children are growing up, too. Prince Archie turned 7 on May 6, and Princess Lilibet is 4. At those ages, it's easy to imagine that the cousins might all be close if their parents were on better terms. This apparently isn't lost on Harry — especially when he saw Charlotte's new photo. A friend of the former royal told the Daily Mail, "Archie and Lili are having a lovely time in California, but Harry is very sad that they are missing out on life with the rest of their family."

Many criticize Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex's choice to leave the U.K. Yet, few can argue that Harry's unique upbringing in the public eye gave him his reasons to move. In 2021, Harry discussed this on "The Late Late Show with James Corden." "It was a really difficult environment," Harry said of royal life, adding, "We all know what the British press can be like, and it was destroying my mental health" (via Today). He further explained, "I was like 'This is toxic,' so I did what any husband, what any father would do. I was like, 'I need to get my family out of here.'"

He did, in fact, get his family out of there, and he seems happy with the choice. It does have some drawbacks, though. "Harry feels his children are missing out on the extensive family network that their cousins are enjoying," his friend explained to the Daily Mail, adding, "Harry wants his children to have the very best education. He has retained his closest friendship group of confidants from his days at school. ... He wants that for his own children." There are certainly elements of Harry's own childhood that he didn't want to burden his children with. But there are things he had — like a big family and royal connections — that his kids are missing out on. And it's clearly weighing on him.