Prince HarryandMeghan Markletravelled from California to the U.K. forQueen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations — but they did not appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony during Trooping the Colour.
Although extended members of the royal family usually gather on the palace balcony to watch a flypast, this year’s famous photo op was limited to only senior working members of the royal family and some of their children. Among them: Princess Anne, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall,Prince Charles,Queen Elizabeth(of course!) andPrince William,Kate Middletonand their three children. (The Cambridge children —Prince George, 8,Princess Charlotte, 7, andPrince Louis, 4) also madetheir carriage debut.)
The Queen, 96,announced the change in traditionlast month.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.Chris Jackson/Getty
“After careful consideration, the Queen has decided that this year’s traditional Trooping the Colour balcony appearance on Thursday 2nd of June will be limited to Her Majesty and those members of the Royal Family who are currently undertaking official public duties on behalf of the Queen,” a Buckingham Palace spokesman said.
From left: Princess Anne, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth, Kate Middleton, Princess Charlotte and Prince George and Prince William on the balcony for Trooping the Colour on June 2.DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images
Prince Harry, 37, and Meghan, 40, who arrived in the U.K. alongside their two children — Archie and Lilibet — were excluded from the lineup because they are no longer senior working members of the royal family. Theyannounced their decision to “step back” from their royal rolesin 2020 and relocated to California, Meghan’s home state.
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Instead, they joined extended members of the royal family in viewing the Horse Guards Parade from the Major General’s Office, which overlooks the parade grounds. Meghan was spotted playfully chatting with some of the children and chatting with the Duke of Kent alongside Harry.
Harry’s unclePrince Andrew, who is no longer a working royal following his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was also not included on the balcony for Trooping the Colour, which marks the Queen’s official birthday each year.
Meghan made herTrooping the Colour debut in 2018, just weeks following her royal wedding toPrince Harry. The couple alsoparticipated in the carriage ride and balcony appearancein 2019, shortly after they welcomed their son Archie.
Meghan Markle, Prince Harry and Kate Middleton at Trooping the Colour 2019.Samir Hussein/WireImage
“It was great, it was really nice to see her. To see her in an element of privacy was nice,” Harry said.
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Although the Queen’s 96th birthday was on April 21, Trooping the Colour always takes place in the early summer of the second weekend in June. The reason is a practical matter more than anything: the weather is nicer! The tradition is believed to have started during the reign of King George II in 1748. George II was born in October, but the annual Trooping of the Colour became a celebration of the monarch as well as the armed forces.
Thursday’s birthday parade kicked off a long weekend of commemorations for the Queen’s 70 years on the throne.
Prince Harryand Meghan are also expected to appear at the Service of Thanksgiving on Friday at St. Paul’s Cathedral.
source: people.com
