Harry and Meghan Excluded from Trooping the Colour for Third Year
Let’s get straight to it. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will once again be absent from King Charles’s Trooping the Colour parade on June 15, marking the third consecutive year they’ve been left off the guest list. This decision underscores the sustained distance between the Sussexes and the core royal family, following their controversial move to California in 2020. Official Palace communications make no mention of their names among the attendees, confirming the quiet snub (People, Express Online).
Since stepping back from senior royal duties, Harry and Meghan have charted their own course with Netflix deals and philanthropic ventures. Yet despite public overtures—such as Meghan’s heartfelt tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth on her birthday—there’s no reconciliation in sight for this signature military celebration. Inside royal circles, sources describe the omission as “business as usual” rather than a personal slight, pointing to agreed boundaries that limit Sussex participation in ceremonial events (Daily Mail, Mirror).
Trooping the Colour, a centuries-old tradition heralding the sovereign’s official birthday, unfolds on Horse Guards Parade before thousands of spectators and hundreds of guards, cavalry and military bands. The spectacle’s star attractions include the King and his close working royals, who ride in carriages or on horseback, followed by a flypast from the Royal Air Force. This year’s guest list reportedly features senior royals like the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Anne—with no mention of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in any capacity (The Telegraph).
Despite the high-profile snub, Harry and Meghan have kept their spirits high across the Atlantic. Buckingham Palace insiders insist the decision is rooted in protocol and prior accords rather than lingering animosity—although the optics suggest a permanent frontier between the siblings. King Charles has yet to comment publicly on his brother’s absence, while Harry and Meghan’s representatives have declined interview requests, sticking to their planned engagements in the U.S.
All signs point to another royal event where the Sussexes sit this one out. Whether this pattern signals a long-term estrangement or simply a deliberate low-profile strategy remains open to interpretation. And that’s the situation. Judge for yourself.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and People Magazine, Express Online, Daily Mail, The Mirror, The Telegraph
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
