His Majesty King Charles III adores his London home, Clarence House, inherited from his late grandmother, and it is filled with sentimental items like his beloved clocks. Speaking on The Repair Shop previously about his love of grandfather clocks, he said: "I'm afraid it is something I learnt from my grandmother. She had great fun putting a few together and trying to get them to chime at the same time in the dining room, which made it very enjoyable because everybody had to stop talking. All the clocks and cuckoos would go off, then you'd hear a voice saying, 'What time is it?'"
On Tuesday, his wife, Queen Camilla opened the doors of the property to host a charity afternoon tea for Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA), the only charity in the UK dedicated to raising awareness of economic abuse and transforming responses to it, and her engagement gave us a chance to see inside the walls...
Camilla hosted guests in the garden room, and pictures taken on the day revealed that His Majesty has an extra special photograph on display – proving his really close bond with one family member in particular.
© Getty ImagesOn a dark wooden desk to the side of the seating area, an image of Charles cradling his grandchild, Prince George on his Christening Day could be seen. Prince William and Princess Kate's firstborn son was seen in his beautiful Honiton lace gown for the official photographs, and Charles was seen beaming at the camera.
George's christening was held in 2013 at St James's Palace with a 45-minute service, and it was a very memorable moment because it was the first time that four generations of the royal family have been photographed together since 1894.
King Charles' grandchildren
Charles has five grandchildren, Prince George, and his siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis and also Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. His Majesty choosing to display one grandchild in a prominent position is a clear sign of their close bond, given that George is the firstborn grandchild and the future heir to the throne.
Another photo on display shows the late Queen Elizabeth II – a perfect tribute to Charles' late mother – while a third black-and-white snap, obscured by a lamp, could well be a young Charles himself. Alongside the images, there are piles of books on the desk, showing that it's a practical space that gets used as well as being a place for display items.
King Charles' relationship with grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet
© ABC / Meghan MarkleThe monarch has not seen Harry's children Archie and Lilibet in person since 2022, when they were in the UK. He has met Archie a few times, but Lilibet only once during the Platinum Jubilee, and it is unclear if the family are in touch virtually at the moment. When Harry became a father, Charles said he "couldn't be more delighted" about the new arrival, but in recent years the relationship between Charles and Harry has become strained.
There was hope that Charles' potential 2026 visit to the US could spawn a reunion, but royal expert Robert Jobson, who wrote a piece for us about it, seems sceptical. "There will be no detour. While some close to the palace quietly suggest the Sussexes could travel east for a discreet meeting in Washington, their presence would dominate headlines, eclipsing the state visit, so for that reason, it remains improbable."
