King Charles may be the King, the Head of the Commonwealth and the Head of the Church of England, but he is also a loving family man. While the public may be used to seeing him waving from the Buckingham Palace balcony or carrying out a number of formal engagements, his family are accustomed to seeing him behind closed doors and away from the royal stage.
Although he is known for his strong work ethic, the monarch, 76, does enjoy some time away from the desk, especially when it comes to seeing his family. The King is also believed to thoroughly enjoy seeing his grandchildren, including his step grandchildren on Queen Camilla’s side of the family.
Talking about the connection the King has with her grandchildren, Camilla, 77, once revealed a secret talent Charles has that makes him a “great” grandparent.
Speaking at a literacy event for children in 2017, Camilla – who was the Duchess of Cornwall at the time – said: “Sometimes, when we are with my husband (King Charles) in Scotland, he reads them Harry Potter.
“And he does all the voices, because he is a brilliant mimic. I’m not very good. I try to do the voices, but acting isn’t my forte.
“But he sits down and they all sit with him. I always think they are going to be wriggling around in the bed, but they sit spellbound.
“He’s extremely good with children. They love it.”
Camilla also said how Charles will spend time playing games with her grandchildren when they visit. She said: “He will get down on his knees and crawl about with them for hours, you know making funny noises and laughing, and my grandchildren adore him, absolutely adore him.”
King Charles is also very close with his eldest son Prince William’s three children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Speaking in the documentary Prince, Son and Heir: Charles at 70, William said that the King – who was the Prince of Wales at the time the comments were made – is a “brilliant” grandfather but often very busy.
William said in 2018: “Having more time with him at home would be lovely, and being able to you know, play with the grandchildren because when he’s there, he’s brilliant. But we need him there as much as possible.”
