Why are Archie and Lilibet forever ‘outsiders’ at Trooping the Colour?
The 2026 Trooping the Colour ceremony, the most anticipated event on the royal calendar marking the monarch’s official birthday, took place yesterday with characteristic grandeur and solemnity. While the eyes of the world were fixated on King Charles—the 77-year-old sovereign marking the fourth year of his reign—the public couldn’t help but notice the “gaps” on the Buckingham Palace balcony. Amidst the gathering of the extended Royal Family, the two youngest members of the next generation, Prince Archie (7) and Princess Lilibet (5), were once again noticeably absent.
From Final Appearances to the Milestone of Parting
Reflecting on history, the public once saw Prince Harry and Meghan Markle standing alongside royal relatives during the Trooping the Colour parades in 2018 and 2019. In particular, shortly after Prince Archie’s birth in 2019, fans witnessed cherished family moments at the historic event. However, that marked the final occasion the Duke and Duchess of Sussex appeared in full at the legendary celebration.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 events, creating a prolonged hiatus. By the time Trooping the Colour officially returned in 2022, the lives of Harry and Meghan had shifted entirely. They were no longer “working royals.” Although they returned to the UK in June 2022 for the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, their presence no longer carried the nature of official representatives, and their absence from the Buckingham Palace balcony was an inevitable consequence of their earlier decision to step back from senior duties.
Why Archie and Lilibet Have Become “Outsiders”
The absence of the Sussex children from this year’s parade is not a matter of chance, but the result of a stark reality: ever since Harry and Meghan stepped back from their royal obligations at the beginning of 2020, they and their children have never been invited to attend the event.
The difference in their living environments is also a factor that cannot be overlooked. While their cousins—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—frequently appear before the public and have become familiar faces at the parade, Archie and Lilibet inhabit a completely different reality. Princess Lilibet has never even attended the event, as she was born in the United States, at a time when her parents had already closed the chapter on their working roles for the British Royal Family.
The Distance Between Two Generations
The absence of Archie and Lilibet from the palace balcony this year once again underscores the clear division within the structure of the modern Royal Family. While the children of the Prince and Princess of Wales continue to maintain the traditional thread of connection through these highly symbolic rituals, the two children of Harry and Meghan seem to be gradually becoming “strangers” to the very events that once defined their royal lineage.
Their absence from the fourth Trooping the Colour of King Charles’s reign is not merely a minor detail in a major event; rather, it stands as testament to a new chapter—one where the boundary between royal duty and private life in the United States has created distances that are difficult to bridge, even during the family’s most significant holidays.
