It’s confirmed—Prince Harry, 39, and Meghan Markle, 42, have once again been left out of King Charles’ Trooping the Colour festivities.
According to a report from People on Tuesday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not receive invitations to this year’s official celebration of the British monarch’s birthday, scheduled for June 15 in London. This marks the second consecutive year the couple has been excluded from the event, with last year being the first Trooping the Colour under King Charles’ reign.
Since relocating to California and stepping down from their royal duties in 2020, Harry and Meghan’s participation in royal events has been notably sporadic. They made their last appearance at Trooping the Colour as working royals in 2019, following their 2018 attendance after their wedding at Windsor Castle.
In 2022, the couple traveled to the UK for a special edition of Trooping the Colour, which coincided with Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee. However, unlike previous years, they did not appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony and instead observed the event from a separate location alongside other nonworking royals.
Earlier this May, Prince Harry briefly returned to London to mark the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games. Despite his visit, representatives confirmed that he was unable to meet with his father, King Charles, due to the King’s “full” schedule. They last had a meeting in February, reportedly lasting only 45 minutes, following the revelation of the King’s cancer diagnosis.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also stirred controversy with their recent private trip to Nigeria, which some royal watchers described as resembling a traditional royal tour. The UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office clarified that the government had no role in “arranging or facilitating” the visit.
Tom Quinn, a royal author and expert, expressed to the Mirror that the trip “confirmed the worst fears” of the royal family, particularly inciting the ire of both Prince William and King Charles. Quinn indicated that the nature of the visit, which included receptions and visits to various charities and communities, appeared to mimic the trappings of an official royal tour.
Quinn further commented on the couple’s demeanor during the trip, suggesting that “Meghan and Harry’s speeches and their whole attitude has been designed to give the impression that they are still fully paid-up royals,” a notion that, according to him, has not been well-received by William and King Charles.