King Charles Is ‘Desperate’ to See His Grandkids Despite ‘Strained’ Relationship With Prince Harry

King Charles III fears his chances of forming a meaningful relationship with grandchildren Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, have been dashed amid mounting tensions with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, a source tells Closer.

“Just a few weeks ago, there were all these high hopes about his growing bond with Archie and Lili,” says the source. “It’s still something His Majesty would love to focus on, but there’s just no way it won’t be incredibly difficult now that things are so strained with Harry.”

As Closer previously reported, Harry, 41, has made it very clear that he and Meghan, 45, will not be controlled by the palace after Charles, 77, issued a letter of guidance on Monday, September 7, reminding U.K. officials that the couple remain non-working members of the royal family and prompting Uganda to pull out of the Invictus Games.

“The really sad reality of everything deteriorating between Harry and Charles is that it’s bound to put the brakes on any sort of relationship between him and the Sussex children,” admits the source.

It was never going to be easy, of course.

“Even under the best circumstances, it’s tough to arrange for visits because the king can’t simply jump in the car whenever he feels like seeing his grandchildren,” notes the source. “Everything requires security and advance planning.”

But now, “when you add all this tension with Harry into the equation, it becomes almost impossible,” reveals the source, “because the last thing Charles is going to want to do is send any sort of message that he’s bending to his son’s demands.”

That being said, “he is trying to find some sort of compromise,” adds the source. “He’s desperate to spend time with his grandchildren.”