Queen Elizabeth II Will Not Allow the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Andrew on Balcony at Platinum Jubilee
The balcony of Buckingham Palace will be a little less crowded for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebration. A new report reveals several royal family members will not be in attendance for the public festivities. Queen Elizabeth II has decided who will and will not be in attendance. Members who will not appear with the queen are Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and Prince Andrew.
Queen Elizabeth II has opted to narrow the family members who will appear with her for her Platinum Jubilee
The queen’s decision feels like a deliberate snub to Harry and Meghan. The public announcement comes on Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor’s third birthday, mere hours after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wished their nephew a happy birthday via Instagram. Archie is the eldest child of Harry and Meghan. Still, Harry and Meghan are not the only members of the royal family who have been left out in the cold. Prince Andrew’s absence sends a clear message that the queen will include only working royals in the event.
The Palace issued a statement attesting to that fact. In the statement obtained by TMZ, the Palace said, “After careful consideration, the Queen has decided this year’s traditional trooping the colour balcony appearance on Thursday, 2 June, will be limited to Her Majesty, and those members of the royal family who are currently undertaking official public duties on behalf of the Queen.”
Prince Andrew stepped back from royal life in 2019 after his connection to Jeffrey Epstein was revealed. He has remained largely under the radar since. In January 2022, Queen Elizabeth II took a hard stance following the filing of a lawsuit against the troubled prince. The queen stripped Andrew of his military titles and patronages. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex famously exited royal life in January 2020.
Who are the working royals?
The queen’s statement regarding her platinum jubilee clarifies that only working royals will be in attendance on the balcony for the event, but who, exactly, are the working royals? A working royal is a member of the royal family who undertakes official duties and makes official appearances on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II.
At present, six royal family members work full-time on behalf of the queen. They are Prince Charles, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Edward, Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, and Princess Anne. Several other family members carry out duties less frequently. They will all appear at Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebration.
Why is Prince Andrew no longer a working royal?
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex decided to retreat from royal life independently in 2020. They now live stateside and act as private citizens. Prince Andrew’s removal from royal duties was far less voluntary.
Andrew was first implicated in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking ring in 2015. In court documents, the prince was named as one of several men who engaged in sexual activity with minors at various properties owned by Epstein. Victim, Virginia Giuffre, said she was sexually assaulted by Prince Andrew when she was 17.
Prince Andrew denied the allegations. In 2019, after Epstein was found dead inside a prison cell in New York, Andrew appeared on BBC for an interview. The prince stepped back from royal life immediately.
Prince Andrew remained out of the spotlight until 2021, when Giuffre filed a civil lawsuit against the prince. According to Reuters, Prince Andrew attempted to have the case thrown out. His attempt was unsuccessful. Shortly after, the queen stripped him of his military roles and patronages. The prince will fight the lawsuit as a private citizen.
