London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Aug 04, 2026

Platinum Jubilee: Harry and Andrew will not appear on Buckingham Palace balcony

Platinum Jubilee: Harry and Andrew will not appear on Buckingham Palace balcony

Prince Harry and Prince Andrew will not appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony as part of opening celebrations for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

The monarch will be joined on 2 June only by "members of the Royal Family who are currently undertaking official public duties", Buckingham Palace said.

Despite not appearing on the balcony, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan will travel to the UK for the Jubilee.

The Queen, 96, plans to attend some Jubilee events, the palace said.

But her attendance won't be confirmed until nearer the time, or even on the day, after mobility problems led her to cancel a number of appearances in recent months.

Harry and Meghan will not be on the balcony this time, but are travelling to the Jubilee


A spokesperson for the Duke and the Duchess of Sussex said they would be coming to the UK for the Jubilee with their two children, Archie and Lilibet.

The couple were said to be "excited and honoured to attend the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations".

The Platinum Jubilee events, marking the Queen's 70-year reign, will take place over a four-day bank holiday on 2 to 5 June.

There had been speculation about who would take part in the iconic royal balcony scene at the start of the Jubilee weekend, watching a flypast and waving to the crowds at Trooping the Colour.

But Buckingham Palace said the Queen had decided that appearances on the balcony would be limited to "working royals", who carry out official royal duties, and their children - effectively ruling out Prince Andrew, Prince Harry and Meghan.

Prince Andrew stepped down from royal duties in the wake of the now-settled civil sex assault case brought against him in the United States.

The Queen's decision reflects the principle that there will not be "half-in, half-out" royals - and will mean a changed line-up for such balcony appearances for the Royal Family.

On the balcony, along with the Queen, will be the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children.

There will be music and entertainment at the BBC Platinum Party at the Palace


The group will also include the Earl and Countess of Wessex and their children, and Anne, the Princess Royal, and her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence, plus the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra.

While Prince Harry and Prince Andrew, and his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie, will not be part of the balcony scene, they could attend other Jubilee events, such as the Jubilee Lunch or the thanksgiving service.

The Queen, who has mobility problems, has had to pull out of a number of recent events - and there have been questions about how much she will be able to participate in Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

The latest update leaves the question open - with the Queen planning to take part in some of the events, but with nothing being confirmed until much closer to the time.

This includes the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral - and if the Queen attends she will not take part in a ceremonial procession to get there.

The Gold State Coach, used in the Queen's coronation, will be part of the Jubilee Pageant


Along with viewing Trooping the Colour, the Queen also plans to attend the Epsom Derby, which takes place on 4 June, during the long Jubilee bank holiday weekend.

The Platinum Jubilee Pageant will see the re-appearance of the Gold State Coach, not seen on the streets of London for more than 20 years.

This was the 18th Century horse-drawn carriage used to carry the Queen to her coronation in 1953.


The Queen's Platinum Jubilee 2022 - timetable of key events


Thursday 2 June - Queen's birthday parade and Trooping the Colour takes place - as Platinum Jubilee Beacons across in 2,000 towns and cities light up

Friday 3 June - National Service of Thanksgiving is held at St Pauls. Ringing of Great Paul, the restored biggest church bell in the country

Saturday 4 June - The Derby at Epsom Downs Racecourse - and BBC Platinum Party at the Palace

Sunday 5 June - Big Jubilee Lunch and street parties. Platinum Jubilee Pageant, a procession and performance in central London, involving 10,000 people and the Gold State Coach

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Reform UK Wants the Royal Navy to Return Channel Boats to France
US and Japan Step In to Support the Yen in Rare Joint Intervention
The AI Pricing Problem: Companies Cannot Predict Their Own Bills
Europe’s Heat and Drought Are Now Disrupting Power, Shipping and Tourism
Apple’s OpenAI Lawsuit Becomes a Public Fight Over AI Hardware
UK Man Jailed After Keeping His Mother’s Body in a Freezer and Claiming £78,000
A SpaceX Rocket Is About to Crash Into the Moon — and Scientists Hope to Watch
World War II munitions discovered after wildfires in southern France
BP profits reach four-year high amid Middle East conflict
Europe’s Drying Rivers Trigger Power Cuts, Factory Shutdowns and Wildfire Emergencies
UK Driver Sentenced to Four Years for Staged Electric Vehicle Brake Failure Fraud
Conservative Party and Reform UK Face Scrutiny During Clacton By-Election Campaign
Ministry of Justice Reviews Early Release Rules After Public Anger Over Police Killer Cases
NHS Radiographers Report Rising Racist Abuse From Patients Across UK Hospitals
UK Banking Regulators Face Pressure After Customer Loses Fourteen Thousand Pounds in AI Voice Scam
Research Challenges Treasury Control Over UK Public Spending and Calls for Greater Local Decision-Making
Home Office Begins Four-Week Weapons Surrender Campaign Across Major English Cities
Southern England Records Driest July in Nearly Two Centuries as Drought Concerns Grow
Apple Challenges UK Government Request for Access to Encrypted User Data in Legal Fight
BP Reports Sharp Profit Increase as Middle East Conflict Drives Global Oil Prices Higher
Nigel Farage Expresses Openness to Potential Alliance with Restore Britain
AstraZeneca Merger Talks Reflect Intensifying Pharmaceutical Consolidation
University Merger May Set Template for Higher Education Reform
Apple's Legal Challenge Highlights Growing Tension Over Encryption and Surveillance
Prime Minister Andy Burnham's Agenda Signals Shift Toward Greater Regional Devolution
Mental Health Trust Faces Criticism Over Planned £25 Million Budget Cuts
Scientists and Cultural Leaders Call for Funding to Save Jodrell Bank Observatory
UK Manufacturing Output Reaches Highest Level in Nearly Two Years
University of Greenwich and University of Kent Complete Landmark Merger
Nigel Farage Unveils Naval Border Proposal Amid Questions Over £5 Million Donation
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Pledges Tougher Action on Small Boat Crossings
Apple Challenges UK Government Over Encrypted Data Access Demands
AstraZeneca Shares Fall After Reports of $400 Billion Bristol Myers Squibb Merger Talks
Triple Lock Lifts UK State Pension but Leaves a Wider Retirement Gap
Danube Drought Forces Hungary’s Paks Nuclear Plant Into Full Shutdown
Ceuta Death Toll Rises as Spain and Europe Clash Over Border Response
Cuba’s Grid Fails Again as Fuel Crisis Deepens
Nazca Lines Flight Crash Kills Thirteen as Peru Suspends Aerodiana
Modern Slavery Decisions Broaden the Al Fayed Inquiry’s Frame
FIFA’s Retreat Leaves a Larger Question Over Who Guards the Game
Two Firefighting Crew Members Die in Helicopter Collision West of Athens
Public Sector Automation Through Artificial Intelligence
Regional Investment Beyond London
Protection of Strategic Technology Assets
UK Competition Regulator Blocks Major Foreign Takeover of British Quantum Computing Firm
UK Government Commits Two Billion Pounds to Modernise Northern Rail Network
UK Parliament Approves Planning Reforms to Accelerate Housing Construction on Green Belt Land
Scotland Approves Major Floating Offshore Wind Expansion in the North Sea
United Kingdom and European Union Sign Defence and Critical Minerals Cooperation Agreement
NHS Invests Five Hundred Million Pounds in Artificial Intelligence Diagnostics to Reduce Waiting Lists
×