The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s children are yet to make this royal debut
he Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s children, Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three, are growing up in California, and despite travelling to the UK for the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022, the youngsters have missed out on a significant royal moment.
Every year the royal family gathers on the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch the flypast after participating in Trooping the Colour – known as the King’s birthday parade.
However, Prince Harry and Meghan appearing alongside the royal family for the event in 2018 and 2019, as well as the RAF centenary in 2018, Archie and Lilibet are yet to have their moment on the famous balcony.
While extended members of the royal family have all gathered together to watch the military spectacle, in recent years this has been slimmed down to include only working members of the royal family.
Therefore, despite being spotted at the window watching proceedings on the day in 2022, Harry and Meghan did not appear on the balcony as they had stepped back from public duties in 2020.
Meghan had welcomed her son Archie just a month earlier at Trooping the Colour 2019
And Archie was just a month old for Trooping the Colour 2019, meaning he was too young to make an appearance. Typically, royal children are at least a year old when they make their balcony debut.
Harry, Meghan and Archie moved to the US in March 2020 after the decision to leave royal life. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Trooping the Colour was scaled back and took place at Windsor Castle in 2020 and 2021.
Meghan’s first balcony appearance at Trooping the Colour 2018
While Harry has made fleeting visits to the UK in recent years, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet have not accompanied him.
The Daily Telegraph’s royal editor, Hannah Furness, previously spoke to HELLO!’s A Right Royal Podcast about why Meghan and their children won’t be visiting the UK anytime soon.
Family celebrations
Earlier this month, Harry and Meghan reportedly threw a party at their Montecito mansion to celebrate Lilibet’s third birthday on 4 June.
According to People, the bash included the Sussexes’ close friends, family and some of Lili’s friends.
In 2022, the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee coincided with Lilibet’s first birthday, with Harry and Meghan hosting a tea party for their daughter at their former UK abode, Frogmore Cottage in Windsor.
Archie helped his little sister blow out the candles on a pink-tiered cake, which you can see in the clip below…
