We're now approaching the two-month mark of King Charles III taking over the throne, following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and in that time, many of the nation have started to view the Royal Family member a bit differently – which is to say, in an even more formal capacity than ever before. However, despite being the reigning monarch, it sounds as though Charles is also very much a family man... and in particular, a doting grandfather.
Royal fans have been reminiscing on some of the comments made by the King after his eldest son, Prince William, welcomed a daughter, Princess Charlotte, with the Princess of Wales (Catherine Middleton) back in 2015.
It's said that shortly after the princess made her entrance into the world, King Charles let slip during a visit to Poundbury, a model town development near Dorchester in Dorset, that he thinks Charlotte is 'beautiful' and added that he was 'hoping for a grand-daughter, someone to look after me when I am very old!'
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(Side note: although this is very sweet and obviously not meant by the King in a negative way, it is worth flagging that Prince George was also alive at this time... so, surely he could also be on-hand to take care of his grandpa if needed?)
King Charles' wife, Camilla, Queen Consort, has reflected on her husband's role as a grandfather in the past too, most notably during the televised BBC documentary for Charles' 70th birthday, Prince, Son and Heir: Charles at 70.
'He will get down on his knees and crawl about with them for hours, you know making funny noises and laughing,' the Queen Consort told viewers.
She added that King Charles is also a big fan of reading to his grandchildren, and the children of Camilla's two children, Tom Parker-Bowles and Laura Lopes. 'My grandchildren adore him, absolutely adore him,' she shared. 'He reads Harry Potter and he can do all the different voices and I think children really appreciate that.'
It has also been suggested in the past that Charlotte's name could even be a tribute to her grandfather, Charles, as it's known to be the feminine form of the same name. The names 'Charles' and 'Charlotte' both mean 'free man'.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
