Prince Charles and Prince Louis at the Platinum Jubilee.Photo: Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty
Prince Charles' sweet bond with his grandsonPrince Louiswas on full display duringQueen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations earlier this month.
At one point,Prince Louistook turns sitting on the laps of Kate andPrince Williambefore heading over to his grandfather.Prince Charles, 73, bounced Louis on his lap and pointed out elements of the parade.
“How utterly charming that was,” a palace insider tells PEOPLE. “When you consider that he has been said to be a remote parent, to see him do that was charming.”
The source adds that although it is often said that Kate’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, are the grandparents the children are close to (and they certainly spent a lot of time with them), “it was lovely to see his other grandfather enjoying time with him too.”
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The Queen, 96, limited herself to just a few appearances over the four days of Platinum Jubilee festivities due to her ongoingmobility issuesand “discomfort,” meaning her heir and sonPrince Charlestook the lead at multiple events. From taking the salute on horseback at Trooping the Colour to leading the tributes at the Platinum Party at the Palace, Charles was in the spotlight.
“[The Queen] sees this as a great opportunity for the transition to be visible,” royal historian Robert Laceytells PEOPLE.
Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis joined Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles on the Buckingham Palace balcony on June 5.Samir Hussein/WireImage
Adds Sally Bedell Smith, author ofElizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch: “She is in the saddle, but this gets people accustomed to [Charles’s] future role as King. There was a feeling of celebrating the past and anticipating the new era.”
source: people.com
