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Prince William and Kate Middleton are to meet the new royal baby Archie Harrison later today, according to reports, although Prince Charles, the baby’s paternal grandfather and first in line to the throne, is expected to come face to face with the seventh in line later in the week.
After waiting over a week to be introduced to the newborn, William and Kate are set to finally visit Frogmore Cottage on Tuesday afternoon, NBC News is reporting.
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William and Kate’s delay in visiting their new nephew has revived talk of a froideur at the heart of the palace.
The Daily Beast understands that a visit had always been scheduled to take place this week; however, a spokesperson for Harry and Meghan declined to confirm on the record whether a visit was due to happen today.
NBC News seemed confident in its reporting (despite a stumble over the name of the new baby, who is not, as all royal fans know, called, Archer).
There has been some surprise over the length of time it has taken for Kate and William in particular to visit Frogmore Cottage, given the obvious opportunity such a visit would present to tamp down rumors of bad blood between the brothers.
Instead, the apparent lack of a speedy invite to four of the most senior members of the royal family (or their failure to speedily accept one) risked being interpreted as a deliberate snub.
Harry is himself on a public engagement today at a children’s hospital in Oxfordshire, and spoke warmly to the parents of the young patients about his first days of fatherhood.
Mother-of-two Ida Scullard told The Daily Mail: “Harry asked me if she [my baby daughter] was over the stormy period as babies are supposed be grumpy for the first 10 weeks, and she is.
“He said he’s getting used to the baby and how Archie has fitted into family life. He said he just feels part of the family and he can’t imagine life without his son.”
Harry told another patient how Archie had kept him up the previous night.
The duke is also due to visit a Disability Sports and Leisure Centre, opened by his mother Diana, Princess of Wales in 1989.
William and Kate both also have public engagements today, meaning their offices were lightly staffed, and The Daily Beast is awaiting a response from their spokespeople.
