A video capturing Prince Harry’s “charming” debut on the Buckingham Palace balcony has resurfaced amidst news that only working royals will appear on the Palace balcony for King Charles III’s coronation.
In 1987, a two-year-old Prince Harry warmed hearts when he made his first-ever appearance on the balcony at Buckingham Palace during Trooping the Colour celebrations. Now, a TikTok video of the archival footage has gone viral with more than two million views since it was posted last week.
In the clip, which was posted by @lady_frances1997, the royal family can be seen making their annual appearance on the balcony, where they celebrate Trooping the Colour each June. The video shows members of the royal family – including the late Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh, the then-Prince of Wales and Princess Margaret – waving to the crowds from the balcony before returning inside the Palace.
At the foreground of the balcony is Princess Diana, dressed in a white suit jacket with a matching skirt and white hat, alongside a toddler Harry, whose face can barely be seen above the balcony. The mother of two then picks up her youngest son and asks him to wave to the crowd. The two-year-old, wearing a white collared shirt and baby blue shorts, gives a big wave to the audience which prompts loud cheers from the audience.
“Little prince charming,” the TikTok user captioned the viral clip. “Little prince Harry delighted the crowd as he waved to them.”
“Stealing the show,” another user pointed out in the comments.
“So sweet,” said someone else.
“And now he’s not allowed up there,” a third person wrote.
The Duke of Sussex would go on to steal the show at Trooping the Colour the following year, when a three-year-old Prince Harry stuck out his tongue.
More than 35 years later, the royal family will stand on the Buckingham Palace balcony once again to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on Saturday 6 May. In the past, the royal balcony appearances have featured the late Queen Elizabeth II surrounded by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. However, King Charles’ coronation ceremony is expected to be a “slimmed-down” service with a much smaller number of royals standing on the balcony.
Prior to the Duke of Sussex confirming his attendance at his father’s coronation, it was reported that only working members of the royal family will appear on the balcony on the day of the coronation. According to The Mirror, the King has chosen 15 of “his closest and most loyal family members” to appear on the balcony with him. The Prince and Princess of Wales are expected to stand beside Charles and Camilla, alongside their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. In addition, the Princess Royal and her husband, Sir Tim Laurence, will likely appear alongside the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.
A source told the publication that “there is little room for sentiment” on the balcony, and several members of the royal family have not been invited to appear, including the Duke and Duchess of Sussex who stepped down as senior working royals in 2020.
“The King has been very clear who he wants to represent the monarchy,” the source said. “There is little room for sentiment, this is a state occasion, not a family occasion and it is right that only the working members of the family are there at the big public moment.”
On 12 April, it was announced that the Duke of Sussex will attend King Charles III’s coronation at Westminster Abbey on 6 May without his wife Meghan Markle, who will stay in California with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
“Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that the Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6 May,” the Palace said in a statement. “The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.”
The news comes after months of speculation over whether Prince Harry would attend the ceremony after the release of his tell-all memoir, Spare, in January. It was previously reported that Harry was seeking an “apology” from his father, Charles, and his brother, the Prince of Wales, before he made any commitment to the ceremony. Harry had also said in an interview that the “door is always open” for reconciliation.
