Prince Harry Pushing for His Kids to Spend Time With King Charles Amid Thomas Markle’s Photo Scandal

Prince Harry wants King Charles III to play a bigger role in his children’s lives amid disturbing allegations against Meghan Markle‘s father, Thomas Markle Sr., a source tells Closer.

Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, were reunited with their royal grandfather, 77, for the first time in four years in July, but the source says the pair have yet to visit him since relocating from California to England this August.

“Archie and Lili absolutely loved spending time with their grandfather this summer and they were told they would be seeing him again,” notes the source. “Now, here they are, back in the U.K., and nothing.”

According to the source, Harry, 42, refuses to give up on the trio having a relationship despite the apparent cold-shoulder treatment.

“It’s very hard for Harry to understand how his father could continually be ‘too busy’ to see him and the children, so he’s convinced there are some other forces at work,” adds the source. “He’s desperate to get his father on the phone directly so he can find out what’s going on.”

As the Spare author tries to rebuild bonds, Meghan, 45, is distancing herself from her own dad after The U.S. Sun reported Thomas Sr., 82, was being investigated over a trove of alleged explicit images of children.

Meghan’s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., brought the accusations to the publication, claiming he discovered the stash of photos at his father’s home in the city of Cebu in the Philippines.

“This is not true,” Thomas Sr. told In Touch in a statement.

Despite his denial, Meghan released her own statement, as reported by The Guardian, claiming she’d been made aware of the “sickening” allegations all the way back in 2018 — and they were the reason for her much-publicized estrangement from the former TV lighting director.

The Suits alum declared: “Any distance from my father, and my choice to not allow him to have contact with our children, was for one reason: to protect them.”

Per Closer‘s source, Harry is also “trying to do the right thing by his children” by asking the king to step up as a grandparent.

“Harry’s doing his best to be patient with Charles,” says the source. “He just doesn’t want to let this drag on any longer.”