Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ‘Won’t Join Charles on the Balcony of Buckingham Palace’ After Coronation

buckingham palace balcony — (Image credit: Getty Images)

It has long been known to royal followers that when Prince Charles ascends to the throne, his wish is to have a slimmed-down monarchy. And, it seems, that slimmed-down approach will carry over to his coronation as well, including the possible exclusion of one of his sons on the famous Buckingham Palace balcony.

According to the Mirror, royal sources say that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle won’t join Charles and Camilla on the balcony after his coronation ceremony, and that it’s likely that only Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their children George, Charlotte, and Louis will be beside the new King as he greets the public.

“It will be a slimmed-down monarchy on display throughout,” the source said. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see just Charles and Camilla, Kate and William and their children on the Buckingham Palace balcony afterwards.”

For events like Trooping the Colour where the family gathers around the Queen to celebrate, the balcony is typically packed with all of Her Majesty’s children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. In addition to a much smaller group on the balcony, it seems Charles’ wish is to have a much smaller crowd at the actual coronation ceremony itself, as well – the number of guests will be limited to 2,000 (as opposed to the 8,251 at the Queen’s), and fewer members of the royal family will be in attendance at the actual ceremony, as well.

The ceremony will be “shorter, sooner, smaller, less expensive, and more representative of different community groups and faiths,” a source told the Mail on Sunday.

One can hope Harry and Meghan will, at minimum, be in attendance at the ceremony. Right?

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.