Buckingham Palace revealed a major update regarding Queen Elizabeth’s Trooping the Colour ceremony, the second official celebration of the sovereign’s birthday.
“After careful consideration, the Queen has decided that this year’s traditional Trooping the Color balcony attendance will be limited to Her Majesty and members of the Royal Family who are currently performing official public duties on behalf of the Queen on Thursday 2nd June. have been,” Palace said in a statement shared with HuffPost on Friday.
The announcement means Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not be present on the balcony, and neither will the disgraced Prince Andrew, as all three are not members of the royal family.
Chris Jackson via Getty Images
There are, of course, significant differences in the conditions under which the two groups are not members of the royal family, as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their intention to return as senior royals in January 2020.
The Duke of York stepped down from royal duties in 2019 after giving a devastating interview to BBC Newsnight on allegations of sexual assault over his relationship with sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The Duke has long denied the allegations and most recently reached an out-of-court settlement with his accuser, Virgina Giuffre.
Following the palace’s announcement on Friday, the Sussexes made it clear they would attend a platinum jubilee celebration to honor the Queen’s 70 years on the throne.
A spokesperson for the couple said in a statement shared with HuffPost on Friday: “Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are excited and honored to attend The Queen’s platinum jubilee celebrations with their children this June “
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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