Who Will and Won't Join The Queen on The Balcony at Trooping the Colour?

Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations are due to kick off in style with her birthday parade Trooping the Colour.

The monarch has been marking the 70th anniversary of the start of her reign, which began when her father George VI died in February 1952.

However, the main celebrations begin on June 2—a comfortable distance from that sombre date—with an annual royal set piece.

Trooping the Colour: Queen Elizabeth II's Annual Birthday Parade

Elizabeth's birthday parade has been scaled down or skipped in recent years due to COVID-19, but is back with a bang for her jubilee.

There will be a carriage procession and ceremony, but the most iconic moment will come when the royals appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony to be photographed together and watch a flypast.

The 96-year-old's appearance is expected, though episodic mobility problems mean it cannot be guaranteed for health reasons.

The queen has cancelled a series or recent events, but will be determined to be visible during such a high profile celebration of her reign.

Who Won't Be on the Buckingham Palace Balcony?

Beyond the monarch herself, attendance on the balcony is restricted to working royals, which means there will be no Prince Harry, no Meghan Markle and no Prince Andrew.

Harry and Meghan quit royal duties in 2020 for a new life in America while the Duke of York stepped back from public life in disgrace in November 2019.

The trio are instead expected to attend a Service of Thanksgiving for the Queen's Reign at St Paul's Cathedral, in London, on June 3, 2022.

Buckingham Palace said in a May 6 statement: "After careful consideration, The Queen has decided this year's traditional Trooping the Colour balcony appearance on Thursday 2nd June will be limited to Her Majesty and those Members of the Royal Family who are currently undertaking official public duties on behalf of The Queen."

Who Will Be on the Buckingham Palace Balcony

Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, will likely be given pride of place on the balcony in recognition of the Prince of Wales' role as Britain's next king.

Prince William and Kate Middleton will also be prominent throughout the ceremony as well as on the balcony.

The Duke of Cambridge was photographed on May 28 during the Colonel's Review—a key rehearsal for Trooping the Colour—in his capacity as colonel of the Irish Guards.

Prince Edward and Sophie Countess of Wessex will also be there together with their children, and so will Princess Anne and husband Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence.

Edward and Anne are both the queen's children, meaning Andrew will be the only one of her sons and daughters to miss out.

Elizabeth's cousins will also be on show, and they include the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra.