by Recalcitrant Prince Royal Harry and Duchess Meghan are reportedly yet to even confirm that they will attend the coronation of King Charles III next month, but even if they do they will not be welcomed on the famous balcony of the Palace of Buckingham during the day’s festivities.
Three senior Royals have been omitted from plans of who will be on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on Coronation Day, in which tradition sees the new monarch surrounded by close family waving to crowds outside the royal palace.
Prince Harry, the new king’s grandson and his American actress wife, Duchess Meghan, have both stepped back from the front line work of royal life to move to the US, with Harry losing royal nominations including colonels of British regiments as he decided to pursue a new life abroad. In doing so, the couple withdrew from the so-called Royal Task Force, the inner circle of members of the Royal Family who actually carry out the full-time work of the monarchy’s constitutional, charitable and social functions.
Thousands Line Mall to cheer on Queen Elizabeth II on Platinum Jubilee https://t.co/ULAAB0yNim
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Because only this group of working royals will be welcomed onto the balcony to take the wave on coronation day, Harry and Meghan have effectively excluded themselves from consideration for a very public place in history on the big day. , reported The temperature. Remarkably, the British tabloid The mirror reports that Harry and Meghan “demanded” to be included in the balcony group.
Prince Andrew, the king’s brother, is also absent from the balcony. He was kicked out of the Royal Family task force after making misguided reactions to claims he was involved with Jeffrey Epstein. Although the allegations against Prince Andrew have not been proven and he insists on his innocence, the king’s brother appears to be kept at bay by the royal family until things are sorted out.
The reasons behind the exclusions and invitations to the famous balcony, which for many around the world will be the culmination of an event of glitz and pageantry that will likely be one of the most-watched television events of all time, are functionally the same as Queen Elizabeth II’s Jubilee celebrations last year shortly before her death. Buckingham Palace said last year of the decision to exclude Harry and Meghan, and Prince Andrew from the balcony that:
After careful consideration, The Queen has decided that this year’s traditional Balcony Trooping the Color appearance on Thursday June 2 will be limited to Her Majesty and members of the Royal Family currently performing official public duties on behalf of the queen.
It’s not even clear yet whether Harry and Meghan will be coming to the coronation, with no public confirmation of the couple accepting their invitations having been made.
The coronation will take place on May 6, an event sparked by the death of longtime Queen Elizabeth last year. While King Charles III, under the principle of continuity and primogeniture, becomes monarch instantly upon his mother’s death, the coronation itself usually takes place up to a year later. As such, it is a symbolic occasion and the deadline allows time to complete the period of mourning after the death of the former monarch and to plan a day that is meant to be joyful and full of celebrations.
In keeping with tradition, the coronation will take place at Westminster Abbey, being the 40th coronation to take place in the ancient church since the 11th century. Oaths are taken, the monarch is anointed, and several symbolic items including spurs, an orb, a ring, and a scepter are presented before the king is crowned and rises from chair to throne.
