If Prince Charles wasn't so busy with his royal roles as the future king, he would love to spend more of his time with his grandchildren -- Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. However, a royal expert said that he's not exactly the easiest grandfather to deal with and this has caused some tension with his in-laws, the Middletons.
Royal editor Richard Kay said in the documentary, When the Middletons Met the Monarchy, that there has been some tension between Charles and Kate's parents, Michael and Carole Middleton. Since they get to spend more time with the Cambridge children, it may look like the Middletons are the "favored grandparents" than Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.
Royal author Tom Quinn said that Charles was "shocked" when William and Kate picked Anmer Hall in Norfolk as their country home, which is a far from Charles' Highgrove House. Apparently, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's decision left Charles in a bad position as he realized that they are not the "go-to" grandparents.
There came a point when Charles became jealous of the Middletons for having more time to bond with William and Kate's children when he believes that their upbringing should be more royal and traditional as the heirs to the throne. William, however, made it clear to his father that his kids have another family, and Kate's parents are as important to him as they are to George, Charlotte and Louis.
Quinn also said that William wants his children to be raised in an environment similar to Kate's upper-middle-class background as the royal family's ways are "too formal and stuck" in the traditional system.
It bears noting, however, that Anmer Hall wasn't William and Kate's personal choice. The estate was a wedding gift from Queen Elizabeth and it was closer to William's previous work with the East Anglian Air Ambulance in Norfolk.
William and Kate lived at this country home during the early years of George and Charlotte's life and it remains their isolation house in this pandemic because it has a spacious backyard for the kids to play.
Meanwhile, The Sun reported that Charles has had more chances to visit the Cambridges in Anmer Hall during the lockdowns upon Kate's invitation. The 72-year-old grandfather has been spending a lot of outdoor time walking with the Cambridge children, as well as William and Kate. They've been enjoying activities like identifying wild birds. At the same time, Charles has been using this chance to discuss the family business with his son, who will take over the Duchy of Cornwall when Charles is king.
