2 days ago
King's bombshell balcony snub at birthday celebrations
The Buckingham Palace balcony will appear notably emptier than in years past on Saturday, with only 12 members of the royal family expected to attend King Charles' official birthday celebrations.
As final preparations are underway for the Trooping the Colour ceremony, attention has once again turned to the iconic Buckingham Palace balcony.
Featuring more than a thousand soldiers, horses, and musicians, the grand and tradition-rich parade is performed every year on the Horse Guards Parade in London by regiments of the Household Division.
Each year, one of the five Foot Guards regiments is chosen to 'troop' its regimental colour, a symbolic flag representing its history, before the monarch.
This year, the Coldstream Guards will 'troop their colour' for Charles.
The celebration concludes with a spectacular RAF fly-past, watched by members of the royal family from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
This weekend, Charles and Queen Camilla will step out onto the balcony alongside the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and the adorably mischievous Prince Louis. Prince Louis pulls a face as he watches the RAF flypast during the Trooping the Colour parade in 2022. Credit: Chris Jackson / Getty Images
They will be joined by a select few senior royals, including Princess Anne and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, as well as Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh.
The Duke of Kent and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester will also appear in the famed balcony shots.
Perhaps more striking is who will not be present.
Missing from the balcony this year are Edward and Sophie's children, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex, who appear to be continuing their quiet withdrawal from public royal duties after their notable absence from the recent VE Day 80th anniversary events.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will again be absent, maintaining their withdrawal from royal events since stepping back in 2019.
Similarly, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, and Zara Tindall will not appear on the balcony, as they are no longer classified as working royals under King Charles' reign.
Appearing on the Buckingham Palace balcony is a revered tradition, a moment steeped in history that stretches all the way back to the reign of Queen Victoria.
The late Queen Elizabeth cherished including extended royal family members on the Buckingham Palace balcony, so much so that nearly 40 royals appeared during Trooping the Colour in 2019. LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 09: Princess Anne, Princess Royal, Princess Beatrice, Lady Louise Windsor, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, Savannah Phillips, Prince George of Cambridge and Isla Phillips watch the flypast on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping The Colour on June 9, 2018 in London, England. The annual ceremony involving over 1400 guardsmen and cavalry, is believed to have first been performed during the reign of King Charles II. The parade marks the official birthday of the Sovereign, even though the Queen's actual birthday is on April 21st. (Photo by) Credit: Chris Jackson / Getty Images
That year, even Prince Andrew secured a place on the balcony despite the mounting controversies surrounding his connection to Jeffrey Epstein — a scandal that would soon force him to step back from public duties and lose his military affiliations.
In stark contrast, Charles is streamlining the royal presence, significantly reducing the number of family members on display at public occasions to reflect the monarchy's evolving direction.
