(CNN) – Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, will travel to the UK with their children for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. next month, but the couple, along with Prince Andrew, are not invited to join the monarch on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
This Friday, the plans for the long-awaited Jubilee weekend of Queen Elizabeth II were announced. Harry and Meghan confirmed moments later that they will be attending the festivities, giving the queen a first chance to meet her granddaughter Lilibet.
“Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are excited and honored to attend the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations this June with their children,” a spokesperson for the couple told The Associated Press. CNN.
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Hours before, CNN attended a meeting with the media at the palace on Friday to learn all the details of the Jubilee. Royal fans around the world are eagerly awaiting the celebrations, but until now we haven’t had a full picture of how they would unfold.
Harry, Meghan and Prince Andrew will not be on the balcony
Several members of the royal family will make an appearance on the famous balcony of Buckingham Palace during the parade Trooping the Colourwhich kicks off the celebration, on the morning of Thursday, June 2.
But only royals carrying out official duties will be included, a royal spokesman told The Associated Press. CNN.
That means Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex will not be in attendance. The couple parted ways with the royal family in 2020 and no longer participate in royal duties.
This also rules out Prince Andrew, who was stripped of his royal duties and his royal highness title in the wake of his sexual assault civil lawsuit. Prince Andrew settled out of court earlier this year, but his long-standing relationship with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein has tarnished his reputation and his participation in the weekend raised uncomfortable questions for organisers.
The queen will be accompanied by her other three children, Carlos, Eduardo and Anasaid the spokesman. Prince William and Catherine are also expected with her children, along with other relatives of the queen.
This does not mean that Harry, Meghan or Andrés will not participate in the celebrations. Traditionally, the general family is invited to religious services, such as the one to be held on Friday at St. Paul’s Cathedral.
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The queen’s attendance is not confirmed
Her Majesty is “looking forward” to the weekend and plans to take part in the celebrations, but “His presence will not be confirmed until the moment or the same day approaches”a royal source told CNN.
The 96-year-old monarch has had mobility problems in recent weeks and has been forced to miss several public appearances, like this month’s Buckingham Palace garden parties.
In the Jubilee, he will remain cautious and has not confirmed whether he will be present at the various festivities.
It is possible that it will be her family that represents her again, as she has done in her last commitments. Not seeing the monarch may disappoint some of the fans who attend, but it is a reality that the nonagenarian queen has reduced her schedule.
A party in the palace
We already knew that a concert was planned outside Buckingham Palace, following the Jubilee tradition of presenting major music stars on an impressive stage close to the building.
But now we know what that scenario will be like…and it’s going to be awesome.
The BBC spread a first impression of the scenario and also announced that 22,000 people will be able to attend. That includes 5,000 tickets reserved for essential workers.
Ten years ago, the queen watched from a royal box and made an appearance on stage as stars such as Paul McCartney, Elton John y Stevie Wonder They sang for the monarch.
We still don’t know who will perform this time, but we’ll keep you posted as soon as we do.
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An air parade, a ride on a golden float and a day of racing
There are many more things planned for this four-day weekend. It has been confirmed that there will be a Royal Air Force air parade as royals greet supporters on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, to cap off the ceremony. Trooping the Colour.
Then on Saturday, Epsom Racecourse will host the 243rd running of its famous horse race, the Derby. The queen, who is fond of horse breeding, has been a regular spectator of the event and has presented the famous trophy in the past.
On Sunday, streets across the UK will host their own Jubilee luncheons. According to the Palace, 60,000 people have registered so far.
And back in London, the weekend will culminate with the Platinum Jubilee parade on Sunday. The Golden State Coach, which has been used in major royal events since it was built in 1762, will reappear.
The queen rode in the carriage during her Jubilees in 1977 and 2002, but this time she won’t be inside: instead, images of the monarch during her coronation in 1952 will be reproduced in the windows.
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on the actual schedule
The queen will not attend her traditional summer parties in the gardens of Buckingham Palace this year, another series of events that she will miss due to mobility problems.
Three events will be held in the palace gardens on May 11, 18 and 25, with a fourth in late June at Holyroodhouse, Scotland, it was announced on Thursday. Due to the pandemic, it will be the first time the holidays have been held since 2019.
The queen, 96, will be represented at the festivities by other members of the family, although the Palace has not yet confirmed which royals will attend.
Elizabeth has been forced to miss several events this year, including an Easter service last month. Garden parties are an important part of the royal calendar, giving the monarch and her family the opportunity to meet thousands of community leaders and celebrate their work.
But they require long periods of standing and walking, and these are the kinds of events the queen has had to miss in recent months. She has also hinted that COVID left her “exhausted” after contracting the virus in February.
The queen could attend the opening of Parliament next week, a ceremonial act in which the monarch unveils the government’s legislative agenda.
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