As the United Kingdom prepares for this year’s Trooping the Colour celebration on Saturday, June 14, one detail is hard to ignore: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are once again expected to be absent from the event—continuing a trend that many royal watchers see as deeply symbolic.

What is Trooping the Colour?

Held each June, Trooping the Colour is a grand military parade marking the official birthday of the British monarch. With over 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses, and 400 musicians, the ceremony is a display of tradition and royal pageantry. Perhaps the most iconic moment is when the royal family gathers on the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch the Royal Air Force flypast.

But not everyone gets to stand on that balcony—and in recent years, the royal guest list has become a clear reflection of King Charles III’s evolving vision for the monarchy.

A Notable Absence: Harry and Meghan Missing Again

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, now living in California and no longer working royals, have not appeared at Trooping the Colour since 2022, when they briefly returned for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. Even then, they were not included in the balcony appearance, a decision that raised eyebrows at the time.

The couple’s absence from Trooping the Colour 2023 marked a turning point. According to royal commentator Richard Eden, this was more than just a scheduling conflict. “It’s very significant,” Eden remarked in an episode of Palace Confidential, pointing out that when Harry and Meghan stepped back in 2020, royal officials had emphasized they would still be welcome at key ceremonial occasions.

Yet now, for a third consecutive year, they appear to be excluded entirely.