Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, leaves Westminster Abbey following King Charles III and Queen Camilla's coronation ceremony in London. While Harry was at Westminster Abbey, he did not make an appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony. AP
Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, leaves Westminster Abbey following King Charles III and Queen Camilla's coronation ceremony in London. While Harry was at Westminster Abbey, he did not make an appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony. AP
It’s the most famous balcony in the world. And today after the historic coronation ceremony of King Charles III and his wife Camilla, the spotlight was on it. The Buckingham Palace balcony is where the Royal Family gathered after the service. This will be one of the most talked-about photos in Britain for days to come.
The picture is not candid. It’s definitely staged. And while we know all about the ceremony and the guest list, who will make it to the balcony remained a mystery.
Of course, there was the newly crowned king and queen. The “obedient” son Prince Williams, his wife Kate and their three children made an appearance. The big question was: Will Harry be part of this photo-op? And what about Charles’ controversial sibling Prince Andrews?
We now have the answers. The two controversial princes have clearly been given the royal snub.
The balcony is an important feature in all big celebrations of the Royal Family – victories in wars, monarch’s birthdays, jubilee celebrations, weddings, and of course, the rare, coronation.
The balcony photograph after the coronation is going to speak more than a thousand words. And deliver a message.
Working royals only
On Saturday, after the family returned from the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey, the curtains were raised and several family members stepped out onto the balcony, waving to crowds gathered outside the palace gates. However, it was restricted to a core group of “working royals”, family members who carry out official duties on behalf of the King.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla made their first appearance after the crowning. They were accompanied by the Prince and Princess of Wales (William and Kate) and their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis; the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh (Prince Edward and his wife Sophie); the Princess Royal (Anne), and other working royals Duke and Duchess of Gloucester (Prince Richard and his wife Birgitte) and the Duke of Kent (Prince Edward, Queen Elizabeth’s cousin). They were also joined by some of Camilla’s grandchildren.
Our coverage of King Charles’ coronation
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How King Charles’ coronation will reflect his love of nature
‘Not My King’: How Britain is going after anti-monarchists ahead of Charles’ coronation
The Ex Factor: Why Queen Camilla’s ‘naughty’ first husband has received a coronation invite
Explained: Why Charles’ coronation is taking place nine months after he was proclaimed king
How Harry was snubbed
Since it was “working royals” alone Harry did not make the balcony. In 2020, Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced that they are stepping back from their duties as senior royals and moving to California.
A highly placed source told Page Six that there is “no way” Harry will be invited to join the family on the balcony.
While Harry had reportedly not seen his father since arriving in the UK for the coronation, he was seen smiling at the ceremony in Westminster Abbey.
Harry, however, has been invited to lunch at the Buckingham Palace but the British media has reported that he is likely to skip that.
Harry did not have any formal role in the ceremony, according to Britain’s Press Association news agency. He was not part of the procession behind King Charles and Camilla from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace after the service.
That’s not all. Harry was not permitted to wear his military uniform at the coronation despite having served in the army for 10 years, according to reports in the British media. The decision followed royal protocol, which typically bars non-working members of the royal family from wearing military uniforms to official state occasions.
Harry was initially not permitted to wear the uniform during the funeral proceedings for Queen Elizabeth II. However, he was later allowed to while standing vigil at the late monarch’s coffin at King Charles’ request.
But since then, ties between Harry and his family have further deteriorated. The Sussexs in a Netflix special further criticised the family and the prince later went on publish this tell-all memoir Spare.
This is the first time Harry met his father, brother and other members of the royal family since the release of his book, even as Meghan opted to sit the event out. The couple’s two children, Archie and Lilibet, are in California with their mother. Harry too is expected to return promptly to the US after the ceremony.
Prince Andrew gets cold treatment
Prince Andrew too was not allowed on the famous balcony. The controversial younger brother of King Charles was also banished from the most recent balcony moment for Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, reports the BBC.
Like Harry, Andrew too was excluded from any formal role at the coronation.
Prince Andrew has been stripped of all his royal duties and military affiliations last January as he was embroiled in a sex abuse lawsuit. His close friendship with now-deceased convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and convicted sex trafficker Ghislane Maxwell has left the Royal Family red-faced.
The prince was accused of sexually assaulting a then-underage Virginia Giuffre and eventually paid her a sum estimated to be in millions of dollars for an out-of-court settlement. While there are increasing calls to strip him of his formal title, Andrew remains the Duke of York.
The shrinking family
The big fat Royal Family has been shrinking. There was a time when more than 40 people appeared on the balcony for previous celebrations. Over the years, the numbers have been limited.
For the Platinum Jubilee in 2022, there were 18 people on the balcony, including the late Queen. There were only six royals who made an appearance for the Diamond Jubilee in 2022.
At a time when the popularity of the British monarchy is on the decline, there may have been no better opportunity than the photo-op to send out a message that the Royal Family is united. But too much has been said in public. For now, the royal rift remains.
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