Of all the Coronation proceedings, the royal balcony moment is an absolute fan-favourite for the public. After the Westminster Abbey ceremony, royal procession and Royal Salute, senior members of the royal family will take their places on the Buckingham Palace balcony where we’ll see them smiling and waving to the public. We’ll also see a royal flypast, a ceremonial flight by the Royal Air Force to mark this momentous occasion.
But the question on everyone’s minds was, will Prince Harry be on the balcony? He’s King Charles' second son, so people expected to see his smiling face alongside his immediate family – but others are questioning whether he even could appear given he has stepped back as a senior royal. Would tradition not allow him to be on the balcony?
Why isn’t Prince Harry allowed on the balcony at Buckingham Palace?
Well, essentially the answer is yes. Prior to the Duke of Sussex confirming his attendance at his father’s coronation, it was reported that only working members of the royal family will appear on the balcony on the day of the coronation.
According to The Mirror, the King has chosen 15 of ‘his closest and most loyal family members’ to appear on the balcony with him – which seems like a very pointed remark. That means no Harry on the balcony.
Which royal family members are on the balcony at Buckingham Palace?
That means royal family members on the balcony is strictly limited to the Prince and Princess of Wales (expected to stand beside Charles and Camilla), alongside their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. In addition, the Princess Royal and her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence, will likely appear alongside the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.
While some royal experts hoped that the emotion of the day might override royal protocol, and Charles would invite his son to join the family on the balcony, others say he was too committed to royal rules to allow such a change.
‘The King has been very clear who he wants to represent the monarchy,’ a source told The Independent. ‘There is little room for sentiment, this is a state occasion, not a family occasion and it is right that only the working members of the family are there at the big public moment.’
Alas, we won’t get to see a show of family reconciliation on the Buckingham Palace balcony after all.