Advertisement

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle excluded from Jubilee balcony appearance

FILE - Queen Elizabeth ll, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to view a flypast to mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force (RAF) on July 10, 2018 in London, England. Anwar Hussein / Getty Images

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are not be among the royal family members invited to stand on the balcony at Buckingham Palace during Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee next month.

Plans for the celebration were announced Friday, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have not been asked to stand alongside the monarch for the traditional flypast at the conclusion the June 2 trooping of the colour ceremony.

The Queen’s embattled son, Prince Andrew, has also been left off the invite list, reports the BBC.

The three have not made the cut because only working royals carrying out the family’s official duties will be included, a royal spokesperson confirmed to CNN.

Story continues below advertisement

Harry and Meghan ceased to be working members of the family in 2020 when they announced they would no longer take part in royal duties and moved their family to the United States.

Prince Andrew was stripped of his ‘His Royal Highness’ title and royal duties and patronages in January in the wake of a civil lawsuit connected to his relationship with disgraced late U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

However, a spokesperson for Harry and Meghan confirmed to the BBC that Harry and Meghan will make the trip to the U.K. to join in the festivities, bringing their two children, Archie and Lilibet, with them.

Story continues below advertisement

The couple were said to be “excited and honoured to attend the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.”

According to CNN, those who have been invited to stand on the balcony include the Queen’s other three children, Charles, Edward, and Anne, as well as Prince William and Kate Middleton and their children, along with a number of other royal relatives.

The Queen, who turned 96 last month, has been struggling with mobility issues in recent months and has pulled out of a number of royal events.

Story continues below advertisement

Most recently, she missed the annual Easter Sunday service, and has increasingly delegated her public appearances to other senior royals, including her son, Prince Charles.

She has also announced that she will not be attending her traditional summer garden parties at Holyroodhouse in Scotland this year, although the parties will still continue without her.

The palace confirmed to several outlets Friday that Her Royal Highness plans to take part in the Jubilee celebrations, although it’s not yet confirmed which events she will attend.

The events, marking her 70-year reign, will take place over a four-day holiday from June 2 to 5.

Story continues below advertisement

Sponsored content

AdChoices