King Charles is 'keener than ever' to heal the rift with Prince Harry ...

Happier times? King Charles alongside Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the christening of Prince Archie in Windsor Castle five years ago

King Charles and Prince Harry’s relationship has been fractious in recent years, but the monarch is said to be ‘keener than ever’ to make sure the frosty father-son feud doesn’t impact his relationship with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have raised their children, who are five and three, in California, after moving away from royal duties in 2020. The Prince has been somewhat estranged from his father following accusations that the royal family mistreated Meghan during the couple’s years in the UK.

It means Charles has only met his grandchildren in person on a few occasions, and insiders have told The Mirror that he is ‘absolutely committed to being present’ in their lives. They said, ‘He values family above everything and whatever the course of his ­relationship with his son he would never be content with just seeing his grandchildren on the odd video call.’

The King is said to have sent a ‘heartfelt’ gift to Princess Lilibet in celebration of her third birthday last week

That is the reason, says royal biographer Ingrid Seward, that the King will ‘never break ties with Harry'. 'He does not want a FaceTime relationship with his son's children,' says Seward, author of My Mother and I: The Inside Story of the King and Our Late Queen. ‘He wants to know them and be involved with their lives while they are still young enough to be able to learn from his wisdom.’

Now, sources say that the King is looking to ‘make up for lost time’ as Archie and Lilibet grow up as private citizens in the United States. While no royals were present at Lilibet’s third birthday party, held at the Sussexes’ £14 million Montecito mansion last week, it is understood that King Charles sent his granddaughter a ‘heartfelt gift and card’.

Prince Harry spoke out about his relationship with King Charles in the wake of his father’s cancer diagnosis. The father and son only met for 20 minutes when the Duke of Sussex flew across the Atlantic to be with the King following the announcement, but later told American broadcaster ABC: ‘I love my family. The fact that I was able to get on a plane and go and see him and spend any time with him – I’m grateful for that.’

Hard working King Charles III attends the Royal Windsor Horse Show in May, one of the many events he is taking on as he continues to undergo his cancer treatment

Despite continuing to undergo treatment, the King has been incredibly busy upon his return to public-facing duties over the past weeks. Between visiting the RHS Chelsea Flower Shower and travelling to Normandy to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, it’s no wonder that Queen Camilla joked her workaholic husband ‘won’t slow down and won’t do what he’s told’ at the Queen’s Reading Room Festival in Hampton Court last week.

Next on his list, it seems, is healing a rift that still stretches far over the Atlantic.