Charlotte’s ‘rarely seen’ bond with Edward! Kate and William’s daughter, 11, ‘clearly adores’ Duke of Edinburgh as pair watch Commonwealth Games together (while Louis snags sweet from his great-uncle)
If Prince Louis is a favourite of the Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Charlotte ‘clearly adores’ the Duke of Edinburgh as their close bond was on full display at the Commonwealth Games this weekend.
On Saturday, the Prince and Princess of Wales attended the penultimate day of the so-called ‘Friendly Games’ in Scotland with their three children, including future heir Prince George, 13.
The Waleses were later joined by Prince Edward and Sophie to watch the cycling at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, as photos showed the King’s younger brother, 62, deep in conversation with Charlotte, 11.
William and Kate’s daughter perched her face on her hand as she listened intently to her great-uncle.
During the event, Edward kept turning back to talk to Charlotte while seemingly explaining different aspects of the competition or giving her information about the Games.
At one point, he also handed Charlotte’s younger brother what appeared to be a sweet, as Louis, who was sat next to his older brother Prince George, happily accepted the snack during a packed day of engagements in Glasgow.
Observers noted Charlotte’s ‘attentive’ expression – and meanwhile, ‘fun aunt’ Sophie gave the young royal a warm hug after embracing the Princess in a heartfelt family moment, before turning her attention to Louis.
Sophie and Louis waved and smiled at each other, after a royal expert noted that the Duke and Duchess are setting the ‘perfect example’ for him and Princess Charlotte on how to be a successful ‘spare’.
Princess Charlotte pictured listening intently to her great-uncle Prince Edward at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Saturday
The Waleses were later joined by Prince Edward and Sophie to watch the cycling at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, as photos showed the King’s younger brother, 62, deep in conversation with Charlotte, 11
The Duke of Edinburgh handed Prince Louis what appeared to be a sweet as the family watched the cycling at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome together
Sophie and Edward, who received their new titles in March 2023, have ramped up their engagements in the wake of King Charles’s cancer diagnosis, with the BBC’s former royal correspondent Jennie Bond noting ‘they are very much up to the task’.
‘They are also serving as excellent role models to their great-nephews and niece – showing that you can be a “spare” or even a “spare to the spare” and make a real success of working as a valued member of the Royal Family.’
Prince Harry famously named his January 2023 memoir Spare and released a series of bombshells on the Royal Family.
Speaking to The Telegraph shortly after the book was published, Prince Harry revealed that he had voiced his concern about the future of other ‘spares’ in the family.
The Duke of Sussex said he hopes his efforts to highlight his own pain will pay dividends for the next generation.
He explained: ”Though William and I have talked about it once or twice, and he has made it very clear to me that his kids are not my responsibility, I still feel a responsibility.
‘Out of those three children, at least one will end up like me, the spare. And that hurts, that worries me.’
Ms Bond also previously suggested Kate and William have leaned on the Duke and Duchess during challenging times for the Royal Family, including ‘Megxit’ and the death of the late Queen on September 8, 2022.
Princess Charlotte and her older brother, Prince George, were engrossed by the cycling as the joined the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh for a family day out at the Commonwealth Games
During the event, Edward kept turning back to talk to Charlotte, sat next to her father Prince William, while seemingly explaining different aspects of the competition or giving her information about the Games
Charlotte kept her eyes on the cycling as she hugged the Duchess of Edinburgh
However, Kate stood up and warmly embraced Sophie
In 2023, the royal commentator noted: ‘Sometimes it seems strange to realise that these are two different generations of royals as they seem much closer.’
Ms Bond said the couples have formed a ‘tight bond’, adding: ‘Sophie, in particular, is a wonderfully empathetic woman. The late Queen regarded her as another daughter.’
The former PR executive acts as a ‘brilliant bridge’ between generations, as Sophie has frequently been pictured on the Buckingham Palace balcony sharing tender moments with Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince Louis.
The royal expert also noted that Prince Edward and Sophie, who were granted their new titles in March 2023, are ‘setting the perfect example’ for Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis on how to be a successful ‘spare’.
While Harry and William, who have reportedly not spoken since the Queen’s funeral in 2022, remain estranged, it appears both the future King and his wife have formed a close friendship with Edward and Sophie.
While Kate and the Duchess have come a long way from their tentative mentor/mentee relationship, Prince William also gets on famously well with his uncle’s wife.
One of the defining images of Sophie and Kate’s friendship was taken during the Remembrance Sunday service in 2024 in one of the Princess’s first appearances since completing treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer.
The pair were standing together on the balcony of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, when Kate seemingly hinted to her husband’s aunt that she was feeling overwhelmed.
After reassuring the Princess, the Duchess of Edinburgh placed a supportive, ‘maternal’ hand on the future Queen’s back as they walked back inside the building.
Over the years, Sophie’s fun friendship with Kate and William’s children has become widely known – with the Duchess appearing to have a soft spot for little Louis.
At the King’s Birthday Parade last year, Sophie and the prince – whose cheeky antics have made him the star of the Buckingham Palace balcony – were pictured pulling funny faces at each other after the Red Arrows flypast.
Other images of them together in the Major General’s office at Buckingham Palace showed them deep in conversation, with the Duchess giving the youngest Wales child her full attention.
Sophie is known for her down-to-earth nature and was viewed by the Queen as The Firm’s safest pair of hands.
She was welcomed into the Royal Family after tying the knot to Edward back in 1999, and the couple have since welcomed two children, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex.
