King Charles may not seem like the world’s best granddad, but he’s surprisingly doting when it comes to his five grandchildren — Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Prince Archie, and Princess Lilibet. Balancing his royal duties and family time isn’t exactly easy, but Charles reportedly makes an effort to stay present. That said, his bond with Archie and Lilibet is practically non-existent, unsurprisingly due to Prince Harry’s ongoing feud with the royal family.

Charles takes his grandparent duties seriously — a mindset passed down from his own grandmother. When Prince George was born, Wales Online noted how he gushed to a ladies circle, “It’s a different part of your life. … The great thing is to encourage them, show them things to take their interest. My grandmother did that, she was wonderful. … It is very important to create a bond when they are very young.” Charles seems to have taken that advice to heart. According to the Daily Mail, he really does make an effort to form these connections. “Charles wants to spend more time with his grandchildren. There’s so much love there,” a source told the outlet. “Before, they were miles away from the Waleses but geographically they are now much closer so he can spend more time with them, and he’s very glad.”

The Wales kids — George, Charlotte, and Louis — definitely benefit from living a stone’s throw from their grandpa. But Archie and Lilibet are halfway across the world, making visits tricky. Add Harry’s grudge match with the royals, and Charles doesn’t stand much of a chance with his California-based grandkids. And word on the street is he’s pretty heartbroken about this setup.

Unlike Prince William and Kate Middleton’s kids, who King Charles can likely visit on a whim, the monarch is reportedly heartbroken over his limited connection with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. He’s only met them a few times, and royal expert Jennie Bond says the distance is a major sore spot for him. “It must remain a great sadness to the King to be so distant from his two US-based grandchildren — he hardly knows them and there’s no prospect of that changing any time soon,” Bond explained to The Mirror. “The early years in a child’s life are so magical — and once they’re gone, they’re gone. I hope the King doesn’t dwell on his loss too much, but it must hurt. Maybe, behind the scenes, Harry and Meghan have sent pictures to the King… We can but hope!”

But don’t mistake Charles for someone who’s simply resigned to the situation. According to his former butler, Grant Harrold, Charles is likely making an effort to bridge the gap, at least virtually. “I’m willing to bet that there definitely will be some sort of [Zoom] communication on Christmas Day,” he shared with The Sun, and Charles likely does the same thing on other special occasions. “I’m not talking so much about Harry and Meghan directly, but I have no doubt the King will want to see his grandkids [Lilibet and Archie] on Christmas Day … The King will send gifts [too].”

While Charles may be doing his best to stay involved from across the pond, only time will tell if he’ll ever get to build a stronger bond with Archie and Lilibet — or if he’ll remain the grandparent they only know from FaceTime.