There’s a role Prince William can “relish' with his Middleton nieces and nephews - but will possibly miss out on with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
The Prince and Princess of Wales became an uncle and aunt for the sixth time last month when Kate’s brother James Middleton and his wife Alizée welcomed their first baby together. Inigo’s birth was announced by his proud parents on Instagram and according to the BBC’s former royal correspondent of 14 years, Jennie Bond, Prince William will particularly “relish” being an uncle.
The royal expert expressed her belief to OK! that the Prince of Wales could value his bond with both Pippa Middleton and James Middleton’s children all the more because of how much he’s missed out on being very involved in Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet’s lives.
"Especially as it seems that William is unlikely ever to play a role in the lives of Harry’s children, he can relish being Uncle to Pippa and James’s brood,” she alleged. "It’s quite something to think they are growing up very firmly out of the limelight, but they are the nieces and nephews of a future King. I’m sure William sees them as much as possible, but his life is incredibly busy”.
In contrast it’s sadly not known if Prince William has met his niece Princess Lilibet in person yet. The only time she’s been to the UK was when Prince Harry and Meghan returned for the late Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee weekend. They marked Princess Lilibet’s 1st birthday during the trip with a party at Frogmore Cottage.
However, that day the Waleses were on a visit to Cardiff and since then neither Princess Lilibet or Prince Archie have been back.
In light of this, Jennie’s suggestion that Prince William will “relish” being an uncle to the Middleton kids makes sense as he’s able to see them more often and play a bigger part in their lives as he lives close to them all at Adelaide Cottage in Berkshire.
Prince William has four Middleton nieces and nephews - Pippa’s children Arthur, Grace and Rose Matthews and James’ newborn son Inigo. The Middleton family have remained a close-knit unit and according to Jennie, they are in some ways a “proxy family” for Prince.
She alleged, “The Middletons have been William’s proxy family for more than 20 years. In the crazy royal world he has been born into, Catherine’s family has been his rock, his solid foundation, his role model of a “normal” balanced domestic life.”
This could possibly inspire how Prince William wants to be as an uncle, meaning he’ll relish being able to have a “balanced” and “solid” relationship with his Middleton nieces and nephews which exists completely outside of the royal spotlight. Jennie also put forward the idea that Kate will “value and encourage” the “friendship and support” that the kids can give to Prince George, Charlotte and Louis too, helping them to maintain the closeness that the older Middleton family members have.
It’s not known when the Wales family could next reunite with the Sussexes and although it’s possible they could spend Christmas together at Sandringham, it’s perhaps unlikely. Prince Harry and Meghan have only celebrated in Norfolk once since being together and they might well have other plans at home in California this festive season.
