Elizabeth II's Jubilee: Harry, Meghan and Andrew will be absent from the Buckingham balcony

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, as well as Prince Andrew, will be denied an appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony at a June 2 ceremony marking the start of festivities for the 70th anniversary of Elizabeth II's reign, the Palace announced Friday.

 

After careful consideration, the Queen has decided that the traditional appearance on the balcony for the Trooping the Colour on Thursday, June 2, will this year be limited to Her Majesty and members of the Royal Family who are making official public engagements on behalf of the Queen, said a palace spokesperson.

 

Four days of festivities, joyfully awaited by the British, are planned from June 2 to 5 for the platinum jubilee marking the 70 years of reign of Queen Elizabeth II, 96 years, unmatched in the United Kingdom.

 

They will begin with Trooping the Colour, the parade that officially celebrates the sovereign's birthday each year.

 

Speculation was rife about whether Prince Harry and Meghan, an American ex-actress with whom he lives in California after their decision to retire from the British monarchy in 2020, would be present in the balcony, as well as that of Prince Andrew, son of the Queen, who has been deprived of any official role because of his links to the Epstein case.

 

A total of 18 members of the royal family, including Crown Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, as well as his son William, his wife Kate and their three children, are expected to be in the balcony for this grand military parade, which had been cancelled two years in a row in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.

 

A source within the palace quoted by the PA agency did not rule out that Harry, Meghan and Andrew could take part in other events planned as part of the festivities.