A recent report has emerged that the Prince of Wales has only met his Californian grandson Archie in person a grand total of two times, and the rest of the family can only count on one hand the number of times they’ve actually seen him.

If this is true, it is both incredibly disappointing and sad, as Archie is apparently only interacting with only one member of his extended family, his grandmother Doria.

According to the source, who spoke with The Daily Mail, “The truth is the Prince of Wales has barely seen his grandson twice since he was born.

“In fact every member of Harry’s family can easily count on one hand the number of times they saw Archie after he was born and before the family left the UK. It’s a very sad situation.”

Apparently, the couple rarely left their Windsor house, Frogmore Cottage, after his birth and rarely sought out the company of other family members who have experience with young children and could no doubt offer some solid parenting advice. The Cambridge children have only met their cousin one time. 

Of course, the Hollywood duo, who are far more interested in fame and fortune than family and duty, were able to travel to Ibiza and then to the South of France, as guests of Elton John.

The couple then fled to Canada and refused to bring back Archie for any visits after that. In a rather cowardly move, Meghan left the U.K. immediately after they dropped the Megxit bombshell on the royal family.

It remains unclear why the couple could never spend time with any other family members in the months immediately after his birth, though the source wants to stress that “this is not anyone’s fault.”

However, most new parents spend time relying on family members for support and encouragement during those first months of a child’s life. That the Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles and the Cambridges were denied the opportunity to spend time with the newest family member is sad, and likely the sole responsibility of the two holed up in their Montecito mansion.

To argue otherwise, makes no sense.

No family is perfect, but it’s the most important relationship that human beings have in their entire lives. Meghan and Harry’s purposeful distancing from his entire family is troubling and raises strong questions about what kind of relationship the two have as it cannot be healthy. 

Sure, Prince Charles cheated on Princess Diana, as she cheated on him, but from all accounts the Prince of Wales is a dedicated and compassionate father and grandfather. There is seemingly no reason why the couple should bar him from seeing Archie.

So why has Archie been denied access to his loving extended family?

Most likely, it’s about Meghan’s obsessive need for control over Archie’s image, her marriage, Harry and his relationship with his family. 

Why release a photo of “Archie” on his second birthday where his back is to the camera, in black and white once again? The public has absolutely no idea if that child is Archie or a child actor called in to play a pseudo “royal” long enough for that perfect Instagram shot. It’s also possible that the entire thing was photoshopped.

It seems ridiculous to spend such time supposedly concealing his identity and maintaining his “privacy,” especially as he was seen in recently released paparazzi shots. He’s not the future king of England, nor does he have any future role in the monarchy. The threat to his safety should be minimal. There may be a threat or two, but it’s highly unlikely any criminals or terrorists would be that interested in targeting a child that is only seventh in line for the throne. 

It’s Harry and Meghan’s supposed large bank accounts and multi-million-dollar mansion that’s more likely going to attract a criminal element, not his royal status, which is now so far removed that it’s irrelevant.

At this point, why would the monarchy even care or act in the event of a possible Archie kidnapping? They don’t know anything about him. They may not even be able to tell if it’s actually the supposed blessed child or not since they haven’t seen him in person in over a year. 

But the Royal Family still has hope of seeing little Archie again, preferably without his mother in tow. That’s why the family shared the only pictures they likely have of him and wished him a Happy Birthday on their social media accounts. It’s a subtle way of letting Archie know that his extended family still loves him, despite what his parents are doing.

Royal family or not, it’s sad to see any family so estranged for seemingly no reason.

Picture from Town and Country.