Trooping the Colour is just hours away, and all eyes are on Buckingham Palace as King Charles prepares to appear alongside the Royal Family for one of the most important events of the year. While several senior royals are expected to take their place on the iconic balcony, some familiar faces are once again set to be missing from the historic moment. And as speculation grows, royal watchers are asking the same question: who is still at the heart of the monarchy — and who has been left out? The biggest talking point may not be who appears beside the King, but who doesn’t. One notable absence is already sparking fresh debate ahead of the parade. tt

rooping the Colour is nearly here, gathering the royal family for King Charles’ birthday parade.

On Saturday, June 13, several members of the British royal family are expected to attend the Household Division of the British Army’s celebration of the sovereign’s official birthday. King Charles, 77, will take the salute as Colonel-in-Chief of the seven regiments of the Household Division at the parade in London.

When it comes to which royals will be invited to participate in the 2026 event, this year’s guest list will likely follow the same guidelines as recent years. Although extended members of the royal family used to pack the Buckingham Palace balcony at the event, the parade and flypast appearance has been kept to only working members of the royal family and some of their closest relatives since 2022.

Britain's Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, Britain's Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, Britain's Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, Britain's Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, Britain's Queen Camilla, Britain's Prince Louis of Wales, Britain's King Charles III, Britain's Prince George of Wales, Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Princess Charlotte of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and Britain's Princess Anne, Princess Royal, pose on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after attending the King's Birthday Parade "Trooping the Colour"
Royals on the Buckingham Palace balcony at Trooping the Colour on June 14, 2025.BENJAMIN CREMEL/AFP via Getty 

At the annual event in June 2025, King Charles and Queen Camilla were joined by Prince William, Kate Middleton and the Prince and Princess of Wales’ three children: Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8.

Princess Anne, Prince Edward, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, Prince Richard, the Duke of Gloucester and Birgitte, the Duchess of Gloucester — all working royals — rounded out the ranks. Princess Anne’s husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, who is not technically a full-time working royal, also supported her and her family by attending the special day, as he traditionally does.

The same group appeared at Trooping in June 2024, plus Edward and Sophie’s daughter, Lady Louise Windsor, 22. Lady Louise does not hold a working royal role and is a full-time student like her brother, James, Earl of Wessex, 18.

The Duke of Gloucester, The Duchess of Gloucester, Prince George of Wales, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Louis of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales, King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, Lady Louise, Princess Anne, Princess Royal, Timothy Laurence and Prince Edward, Duke of Kent appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping the Colour on June 15, 2024
Royals on the Buckingham Palace balcony at Trooping the Colour on June 15, 2024.Neil Mockford/GC Images 

Trooping the Colour’s grand finale sees royals gather on the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch the aerial flypast.

The slimmer contingents that appear on the palace balcony look in recent years much different than late Queen Elizabeth’s reign, as the extended family would pack the palace balcony. However, the Queen made a change in 2022, the year of her Platinum Jubilee, by tightening up the balcony lineup to include only senior working members of the royal family and some of their children.

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Louis of Cambridge, Prince George of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge during Trooping The Colour
Royals on the Buckingham Palace balcony for Trooping the Colour 2019.Chris Jackson/Getty Images 

This meant that Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, then-Prince Andrew (whose royal titles have since been stripped) and other non-working members of the royal family did not join her for the traditional appearance on the palace balcony.

Instead, some of those family members — like Princess Anne’s granddaughters — watched some of the action from the Major General’s Office, which overlooks the parade grounds.

Princess Beatrice of York stands with Britain's Prince George of Cambridge (L), Britain's Princess Charlotte of Cambridge (2R) and Britain's Prince Louis of Cambridge (2L) watch overlooking Horse Guards as the troops march past during the Queen's Birthday Parade, the Trooping the Colour, as part of Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee celebrations, in London on June 2, 2022.
Prince George, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, Mia Tindall and Princess Beatrice watch overlooking Horse Guards as the troops march past during the Queen’s Birthday Parade, the Trooping the Colour, on June 2, 2022.MATT DUNHAM/POOL/AFP via Getty 

Princess Beatrice, Prince Harry and Meghan were among those spotted in the windows, where Princess Kate and her children also watched some of the spectacle before joining the Queen on the balcony.

Princess Eugenie, the younger daughter of the former Prince Andrew, also watched Trooping from more informal points in June 2022, posting photos where she, husband Jack Brooksbank and their son August, now 5, viewed it from the street and a rooftop.

Princess Eugenie Shares Photos from Trooping the Colour on Instagram
Princess Eugenie, August Brooksbank and Jack Brooksbank watch the Trooping the Colour flypast in June 2022.Princess Eugenie/Instagram

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The 2022 Trooping the Colour officially kicked off Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee Weekend, celebrating her record 70-year reign. It doubled as the return to the first large-scale parade festivities following the pandemic, which seriously scaled back the event in 2021 and 2020.

Trooping the Colour has continued with grandeur ever since, and the 2026 edition will take place tomorrow.

Over 1,400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians are expected to come together to create a great display of military precision, horsemanship and fanfare in King Charles’ royal honor.