Heirs to the throne, future queens and minor royals who have dedicated decades of their lives to supporting the monarch joined the head of state for her special Jubilee balcony appearance.
The Queen limited those taking to the famous frontage of Buckingham Palace for the flypast to working members of her family after “careful consideration”, the Palace said.
It meant there was no place for the Sussexes, who caused a crisis by quitting as senior royals and accusing an unnamed royal of racism, nor her disgraced second son the Duke of York, who has stepped away from public life.
Eighteen royals including the Queen stepped out to watch the high-profile display by more than 70 aircraft.
The key players on the royal stage included future king the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, who was backed by the Queen in her Jubilee year to one day take the title of Queen.
There also was second in line the Duke of Cambridge, and the Duchess of Cambridge also a future Queen, and their three children Prince George – a future monarch – Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
The Queen’s other children – the Princess Royal, known for her hard-working, no-nonsense approach to royal duties, and the Earl of Wessex – took pride of place with their spouses Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence and the Countess of Wessex, along with the Wessexes’ children – Lady Louise Windsor and Viscount Severn.
- The Queen
- The Prince of Wales
- The Duchess of Cornwall
- The Duke of Cambridge
- The Duchess of Cambridge
- Prince George
- Princess Charlotte
- Prince Louis
- The Princess Royal
- Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence
- The Earl of Wessex
- The Countess of Wessex
- Lady Louise Windsor
- Viscount Severn
- The Duke of Kent
- The Duke of Gloucester
- The Duchess of Gloucester
- Princess Alexandra
The Queen also invited her cousins Princess Alexandra, the Duke of Kent and the Duke of Gloucester, with his wife the Duchess of Gloucester, to attend.
The dukes and their sister Alexandra are close to the monarch and have spent their lives working quietly and dependably behind the scenes carrying out royal engagements.
It was notable the Queen asked the Duke of Kent – known as Steady Eddie for his reliability and good grace – to be at her side to take the salute from Trooping soldiers during her earlier balcony appearance the same day.
This Jubilee line-up was a marked change from the Diamond Jubilee, with a return to the wider supporting cast of royals – more similar to the Golden Jubilee celebrations
In 2012, a slimmed-down version of The Firm stepped out to greet the mass crowds celebrating the Queen’s 60-year reign.
Just six royals waved to the well-wishers at the frontage of monarchy HQ – the Queen and only those at the very top of the succession list and their wives – Charles, Camilla, William, Kate and Harry.
The decision was said to be part of Charles’ vision of streamlining and modernising the institution.
Ten years earlier during the 2002 Golden Jubilee, 20 members of the royal family had packed the balcony of the Queen’s London home to watch a traditional flypast.
