Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not be attending today’s grand celebrations for King Charles’s birthday as Britain gets ready to enjoy the monarch’s second Trooping the Colour. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were snubbed for a second year in a row after they were not invited to the traditional annual event, according to People magazine.
This is the second year that the couple, who currently reside in Montecito, California, along with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, are missing the King’s birthday celebrations. Harry and Meghan last attended Trooping the Colour in 2022 which coincided with the late Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, however, they did not join the rest of the Royal Family on on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
The couple first attended the annual celebrations in 2018 and also showed up for the 2019 event. In 2020 and 2021, the ceremony was scaled down without any large gatherings taking place due to the pandemic. It comes as the duke’s relationship with the royals has been labelled “frostier than ever” after he failed to meet with King Charles during his recent trip back to the UK in May for an anniversary event for the Invictus Games.
Today, the King is expected to be joined by other working members of the Royal Family on the balcony once the parade is over to spectate the RAF flypast, just like last year. Even though is it unclear whether the Princess of Wales will make an appearance today, there are royals who are most likely to attend. Last year, that included Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.
Members of the public who are without tickets and are wishing to spectate the celebrations today are advised to stand on The Mall or on the edge of St James’s Park overlooking Horse Guards Parade from 9.00am.
The nearest tube and train stations are: Charing Cross – About 6 minutes walk. Bakerloo, & Northern line. Mainline train links. Embankment – 10 minutes walk Bakerloo, Northern, District & Circle line. For those wanting to stay at home and avoid the crowds, Trooping the Colour will be broadcast live on the BBC in the UK.
