Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Reportedly NOT Invited To King Charles' First Trooping The Colour
By Favour Adegoke on June 16, 2023 at 5:30 PM EDT
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will reportedly not be attending King Charles II's first Trooping the Colour celebration. The parade will feature performances from the British Army troops and a special flypast by the Royal Air Force.
According to a Royal expert, Harry and Meghan's absence was a deliberate move by the Royal Family. The Prince was recently in the U.K. for his court case against Mirror Newspapers and stayed at Frogmore Cottage.
Keep on reading to learn more.
Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Weren't Invited To The Trooping The Colour
According to People magazine, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, are confirmed to not be attending the upcoming Trooping the Colour parade. The couple will likely spend that day with their two kids, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, at their Montecito, California home.
Trooping the Colour is an annual public parade that celebrates the birthday of the current British monarch. The title is new, as the event was previously known as the Queen's Birthday Parade during the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II. It's a tradition that dates as far back as the 1600s, and there's always excitement for the celebration.
The birthday parade will feature marching and performances by the British Army, of which Harry is a decorated veteran for his two tours of Afghanistan and years of military service. The Royal Air Force will also perform a special flypast, which will suffice for their missed event at the coronation in May due to bad weather.
Royal Expert Claims It Was A Deliberate Statement Not To Invite Prince Harry & Meghan Markle
According to a Royal expert that spoke to the Daily Mail, Prince Harry and Meghan were deliberately excluded from the attendees for the birthday celebration. Richard Eden wrote, "When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex quit royal duties three years ago, Queen Elizabeth said they would 'always be much-loved members of my family."
He emphasized that this principle of inclusion was stressed by palace officials, but the reality is entirely different. Eden wrote, "It will be the first time in Harry's life that he has not been welcome at the monarch's official birthday celebrations."
Eden added that an insider at the palace has confirmed to him that it's a true "reflection of the state of relations at the moment." The relations between Harry and the rest of the Royal family have been on a steady decline since Queen Elizabeth's death and the release of his memoir, Spare.
The Royal Couple Attended Previous Celebrations Together
Harry and Meghan were present at the 2022 birthday celebrations of the late Queen Elizabeth, which was the last of her reign. The royal couple watched the festivities from a room above the ground, standing with other members of the family. The parade was part of a weekend of Platinum Jubilee celebrations for the late Queen to mark her seven decades of reign.
In 2018, Harry and Meghan were also at the Queen's Birthday parade, which was about a month after they had gotten married. The 2019 festivities were also a few weeks after the couple welcomed their son, Archie. The 2020 and 2021 birthday parades were held on a much smaller scale at Windsor Castle due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prince Harry And William Reportedly Didn't Meet During His Last Visit To U.K.
Harry was in the U.K. as recently as last week for an appearance in his court case against Mirror Group Newspapers. During his stay, he lodged at Frogmore Cottage, which is in Windsor and close to King Charles and Prince William. According to Daily Mail, it's unlikely that Harry actually saw or spent time with his father and brother despite his proximity to them.
The icy relationship between both brothers persisted long before Harry released his controversial Spare memoir. In the book itself, he detailed fights and arguments with William, especially over his treatment of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.
William, meanwhile, recently concluded rehearsals for the Trooping the Colour parade. After the final rehearsal, he praised the marching troops for their resilience in preparations, despite the terrible heat that caused exhaustion and fainting among them.