At the end of the “Trooping the Color” parade, Queen Elizabeth II and her family showed up to their people. However, not all family members were present.
It is the crowning glory of “Trooping the Colour”: At the end of the annual military parade in honor of Queen Elizabeth II, the royal family gathers on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch the Royal Air Force planes flying overhead .
This year, the event was under particular scrutiny – as it took place as part of the celebrations for the Queen’s 70th jubilee. There was speculation in advance as to whether the renegade royals Prince Harry and his wife Duchess Meghan, along with their children Archie and Lilibet, were welcome on the balcony.
However, the Queen put an abrupt end to these discussions with the clear announcement: Only “working royals” are welcome there, i.e. the part of the family that also takes on representative tasks. With that, Harry and Meghan were unloaded, as was Prince Andrew. The Queen’s second son had already largely withdrawn from the public eye due to his involvement in a sex scandal.
These royals stood on the balcony
Even without them, the balcony was well filled. But who was actually there? The lineup on the balcony is anything but random – the closer you get to the center, the more important the royals become.
Pictured on the far left of the photograph are Richard, the Duke of Gloucester, a cousin of the Queen, with his wife Brigitte, Duchess of Gloucester. Next to it, in dark green, Princess Alexandra, a cousin of the Queen and one of the bridesmaids at her wedding to Prince Philip in 1947.
To her right, in the red uniform, is her brother Edward, Duke of Kent. The couple on his right are Sir Timothy Laurence and his wife Princess Anne, daughter of Elizabeth II. Next to them are Duchess Camilla and Prince Charles, the Queen’s eldest son and heir apparent.
The Queen stands in the middle
At the center of society is of course Queen Elizabeth II. Right next to her is the future of the monarchy: Duchess Catherine and her husband Prince William, before them their three children Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte and Prince George.
The lady in the pink dress is Sophie, Countess of Wessex, wife of Prince Edward, who is on the far right. The two frame their children, James, Viscount Severn and Lady Louise Windsor.
Those who were not allowed to be on the balcony had to watch the air show from one of the windows in Buckingham Palace. This also included Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice.
