At the Trooping the Colour event today, a distinguished group of senior working members of the Royal Family gathered on the Palace balcony, while some notable absentees were observed from their usual place to witness the RAF flypast.
King Charles stood prominently with Queen Camilla, accompanied by Prince William, Princess Kate, and their three children, George, Charlotte, and Louis. Also in attendance were Princess Anne, Prince Edward, Sophie the Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duchess of Gloucester, Vice-Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, and the Duke of Kent.
However, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie were absent from the balcony, as they are non-working royals. The sisters have recently faced scrutiny over their rental of apartments in royal London residences, as highlighted in a report by the National Audit Office.
Additionally, Zara and Mike Tindall, along with James, the Earl of Wessex, and Lady Louise Windsor, were not present. Lady Louise Windsor last appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony for Trooping the Colour in 2024.
Notably, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor were also missing from the celebrations. Andrew, who lost his titles last year and faced legal issues in February, did not participate in Trooping the Colour in 2019, the same year the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were last seen at the event before stepping back from royal duties.
In a departure from tradition, the Queen chose to invite only working members of the royal family to the balcony for the first time, excluding Harry, Meghan, and Andrew from the lineup. Buckingham Palace stated that this decision was made after careful consideration.
Despite this, an exception was made for Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Princess Anne’s husband, who is not a working royal but often accompanies her to official engagements.
The shift in balcony attendees marked a significant change from previous years when the entire Royal Family would gather on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the RAF flypast. This alteration coincided with the return of the grand Trooping the Colour event in 2022, coinciding with the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.