Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Unprecedented Decision Shakes Royal Tradition

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle. Tim Rooke/Shutterstock

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were absent from King Charles III's first Trooping the Colour parade, which took place on Saturday, June 17. King Charles, accompanied by his wife Queen Camilla, his eldest son Prince William, and his siblings Princess Anne and Prince Edward, celebrated his inaugural birthday procession. The king, along with the Prince of Wales and Anne, arrived at the event on horseback. They later joined the other senior working royals, including William and Princess Kate's three children, on the Buckingham Palace balcony to witness the military flypast.

Harry, 38, and Meghan, 41, were notably absent from the balcony appearance, as they have relinquished their roles as senior working royals since their decision to step down in 2020. This prediction was echoed by royal expert Gareth Russell on Tuesday, June 13, as he anticipated their absence from the celebration due to their resignation from regal duties. In January 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their intention to transition away from their senior royal positions and subsequently relocated to the United States in July of the same year.

"I believe there is no need for them to be extended an invitation," stated the author of Do Let's Have Another Drink! in an exclusive interview with We earlier this month. "It's not meant as an insult towards them, but rather considering the long journey from California just for the purpose of Trooping the Colour. ... I believe it was always unlikely for the Sussexes to be included in this particular event."

Despite their change in royal status, Harry and Meghan made an appearance at Queen Elizabeth II's final Trooping the Colour in June 2022, which coincided with the late monarch's Platinum Jubilee. (The queen passed away in September 2022 at the age of 96 after a remarkable 70-year reign.)

The Archewell cofounders observed the Horse Guards Parade from the Major General’s Office, a vantage point that provides a view of the parade grounds. Accompanied by their two children, Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 2, the family of four were unable to join other members of the royal family in watching the parade from the balcony. This decision was made by Queen Elizabeth, who stated that only those "undertaking official public duties" on her behalf would be allowed to participate in the balcony appearance.

Since leaving the U.K., the couple has made only a few visits back, including attending the funeral of the Spare author's grandmother. Harry has traveled alone to his home country for his father's historic coronation in April and to give testimony in his ongoing phone hacking trial against Mirror Group Newspapers, which began a few weeks later. Despite his frequent visits, the trips have been brief and reportedly did not include a visit with his father or his brother William.

Harry’s strained relationship with his family intensified after the publication of his memoir, Spare, in 2023. Within the pages of this revealing account, Harry openly shared numerous confrontations he had with both William and His Majesty. Specifically, Harry recounted an incident where William allegedly instigated a physical altercation in response to Harry referring to Meghan as "difficult" and "rude."

Despite Harry's public acknowledgment of the family feud, the BetterUp CIO has consistently expressed his longing for reconciliation. During an interview with Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes in January, Harry emphasized that the responsibility for initiating a resolution lies with his family.