King Charles has provided a rare insight into his role as a grandparent as he spoke to well-known TV presenter, Declan Donnelly, ahead of presenting the King’s Trust awards ceremony alongside Ant McPartlin. As goodwill ambassadors for the King’s Trust, Ant and Dec have worked with the King a number of times before.
The King asked after Dec’s children as the TV star recounted: “My son is coming up to three; he’s a crazy one. The King said: ‘Is he one of these who jumps and dives bombs in the pool and sinks at the bottom?’ Yeah, that’s him. He’s obviously got experience with that with some of the grandkids, I would have thought.”
He spoke further of his interaction with King Charles, saying: “He’s great. He’s got a twinkle in his eye, he’s got a fantastic sense of humour and he’s genuinely interested in people.”
The King’s Trust helps young people from disadvantaged communities and those facing the greatest adversity by supporting them to build the confidence and skills to live, learn and earn.
The TV presenter added: “He started the trust in 1976, so to see the fruits of that, almost 50 years on, must be incredibly rewarding for him. And it’s done what he set out to do all those years ago.”
With five grandchildren, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, Prince Louis, seven, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four, King Charles has plenty of experience in grandparenting.
However, the monarch has had limited interactions with Archie and Lilibet since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, relocated to the United States and quit royal duties in 2020.
Of all the titles King Charles holds, it is reportedly Grandpa Wales that he is most proud of. The King and Prince Louis’ close relationship was captured on camera during the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Speaking to MailOnline, expert lipreader Juliet Sullivan revealed William leaned across Camilla to ask Charles: “Grandpa, can Louis sit on your knee?” to which he replied “of course.”
The then four-year-old prince sat on Charles’s lap, who rocked him from side to side, making for some adorable family photos.