The balcony at Buckingham Palace will once again see the Queen and 17 other members of the Royal family appear after today's Trooping the Colour. Celebrations start with the Queen's official birthday parade, ending with an RAF fly-past watched by the Royals on the balcony where they have been gathering since 1851 to celebrate weddings, birthdays and to commemorate important wartime events.
Queen Victoria first started the tradition during in 1851 and this year there is plenty of discussion around who will and who won't appear for the platinum jubilee celebrations: "There's been a lot of chat about who is going to be there and who is not," Pauline Maclaran of the Centre for the Study of Modern Monarchy at Royal Holloway, University of London, told the BBC.
Appearing on the balcony is more than just tradition. Apart from it being a great photo opportunity and chance for the Royal family to greet the public albeit from afar, it is also an unspoken litmus test of your closeness to the Queen. There have been more than 40 people on the balcony on previous occasions, so limiting the numbers overall this time is a deliberate choice. You can follow live jubilee weekend updates here.
Read more: Where are the Platinum Jubilee beacons and when will they be lit?
The last Royal family appearance on the balcony was in 2019 when they gathered to watch the Royal Air Force fly past during Trooping the Colour, the annual celebration celebrating the queen's birthday. The packed balcony’s royal attendees at the time included Prince Andrew, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan. But they will not be there this time, given what has happened in the three years since: "If they allowed Prince Andrew, you can imagine the response,” said Prof Maclaran.
Which Royals will be missing from the balcony?
Only "working royals" and their children will appear on the balcony. This automatically excludes Prince Andrew, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex from the list of balcony attendees. This is a "tactful" way of dealing with controversies surrounding the trio, said Prof Maclaran. Prince Andrew stepped down in the wake of the US sex assault civil court case; Prince Harry and Meghan withdrew from their royal roles and have moved to the US.
Which Royals made the grade and onto the balcony?
Seventeen members of the Royal Family will be joining the Queen on the balcony for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. The Queen will be standing at the front, surrounded by senior royals including Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall and Prince William and his wife Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge.
Here is the full list VIPs you can expect to see on the balcony.
- The Queen
- Charles, Prince of Wales
- Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
- Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
- Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
- Prince George of Cambridge
- Princess Charlotte of Cambridge
- Prince Louis of Cambridge
- Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
- Sophie, Countess of Wessex
- Lady Louise Windsor
- James, Viscount Severn
- Anne, Princess Royal
- Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence
- Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester,
- Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester
- Prince Edward, Duke of Kent
- Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy
