Prince Charles Speaks Publicly About New Granddaughter Lilibet Amid Prince Harry Estrangement

Prince Charles is delighted to have a new grandchild! The 72-year-old royal attended his first public event since the news that his son, Prince Harry, and daughter-in-law, Meghan Markle, had welcomed their second child, daughter Lilibet "Lili" Diana.

Visiting the BMW MINI factory in Oxford, England, on Tuesday, the Prince of Wales spoke about the newborn baby girl publicly for the first time.

"The development of technology like electric vehicles is vital for maintaining the health of our world for future generations, something I am only too aware of today, having recently become a grandfather for the fifth time," the noted conservationist told royal reporters.

He went on to add, "Such happy news really does remind one of the necessity of continued innovation in this area -- especially around sustainable battery technology -- in view of the legacy we bequeath to our grandchildren."

Charles and his wife, Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall, also shared their congratulations to the couple on the Clarence House social media account, shortly after the baby's arrival.

"Congratulations to Harry, Meghan and Archie on the arrival of baby Lilibet Diana," they wrote. "Wishing them all well at this special time."

Despite the kind words, the relationship between Charles and his youngest son has been strained for some time now. Harry and Meghan announced their decision to step down as senior members of the royal family in January 2020. In their March 2021 tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, Harry said that Charles stopped taking his calls for a time amid the negotiations over the couple's exit. Though Charles and Harry reunited in person at the funeral for Charles' father, Prince Philip, the relationship between Harry and the royal family remains strained.

"[It's] everyone's hope is that this little baby is going to be rift healer," royal expert Katie Nicholl previously told ET.

For more, watch the clip below:

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