The Queen has decided that only working members of the Royal Family will join her on the balcony at Buckingham Palace for Trooping the Colour – meaning Prince Andrew, Prince Harry and Meghan will not be alongside her for the Platinum Jubilee moment.
The confirmation from Buckingham Palace ends speculation about whether the public will see the Sussexes, who stepped away from royal duties in 2020, or the Duke of York, who was stripped of his royal patronages and military titles due to the sex abuse allegations against him, during the celebrations.
The balcony moment is normally a big family occasion and forms the centrepiece of Trooping the Colour, the military parade to mark the Queen’s official birthday.
This year it will take place on 2 June and mark the official start to a weekend of Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Queen Elizabeth is the first British monarch to reign for 70 years.
A palace source did say that the Sussexes are “much-loved members of the family” and had been invited to other Jubilee events, as have the Yorks, including Prince Andrew.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said they were “excited and honoured” to be attending the celebrations with both their children.
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It will be the first time the Queen meets her great-granddaughter Lilibet, who is named after her.
In the past, there have been “slimmed-down” balcony moments, including at the end of the Diamond Jubilee weekend, where the Queen was only joined by Prince Charles, Camilla. the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, but it is unusual for the monarch to put a restriction in place for Trooping the Colour.
The palace said other members of the Royal Family are likely to be involved in other events planned, but who will appear and where will be announced nearer the time.
It still is not clear when the Queen will be seen throughout the weekend.
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She is understood to be looking forward to the celebrations but the palace has said her presence will only be confirmed nearer the time or on the day.
Plans are being put in place to make it easier for her to go to certain moments – for example, she will use a different entrance at St Paul’s Cathedral if she attends the National Service of Thanksgiving on Friday 3 June.
In recent months she has had difficulty walking and had to pull out of a number of events where she would have had to walk long distances or stand for a long time.
With only a month to go until the four-day bank holiday, Buckingham Palace also revealed more details about what the public can expect to see and how we can join in with this unique celebration.
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One show-stopping moment on Sunday 4 June will involve the Gold State Coach, which will be the “iconic figurehead” and “crown jewel” of the Platinum Pageant.
The coach is used to transport the monarch on the occasion of their coronation and Jubilees, and it has not been seen on the streets of London for 20 years. Original film footage filmed on the Queen’s Coronation day in 1953 will be used to “recreate the magic” of that occasion.
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The pageant, which will travel through the streets of London and finish in front of Buckingham Palace, will be the grand finale of the weekend and will follow beacons being lit across the country on Thursday night and a huge concert in front of Buckingham Palace on Saturday night.
