Harry and Meghan remain out of sight at Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee
In the end, it was a no — at least for Thursday’s big event, the “Trooping the Color” military parade. Harry and Meghan weren’t on the balcony in the sunshine with the queen to watch the dazzling Royal Air Force flyover.
Nevertheless, keen-eyed observers spotted Meghan, wearing a wide-brimmed white hat, in a window above the parade route. Royal commentator and biographer Omid Scobie tweeted that Meghan and Harry had been photographed while speaking with the queen’s cousin the Duke of Kent and playfully chatting with some of the queen’s great-grandchildren.
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan were photographed at the Major General’s Office, Horse Guards Parade earlier. The couple were seen chatting with the Duke of Kent, and Meghan was spotted playing with Savannah Philips, Mia and Lena Tindall.
📷: Kelvin Bruce/Jim Bennett pic.twitter.com/MULet9QWpl
— Omid Scobie (@scobie) June 2, 2022
They are expected to be more visible Friday and to attend a thanksgiving service with the queen at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, as part of the ongoing celebrations.
Some in the crowd at Buckingham Palace on Thursday felt that balance hit the right note — the Sussexes were involved, but not front and center. “I agree that they shouldn’t be up on the balcony,” said Joanne Smith, 52, from north London. “Harry and Meghan don’t live here. They decided they don’t want to be part of the royal family. But he’s her grandson, so she wants him for some things.”
British media have reported that they may also succeed in pulling the queen away from her beloved horse racing Saturday, so that she can join a birthday party for their daughter, the queen’s great-granddaughter, Lilibet.
Also notably absent Thursday was Prince Andrew.
The queen’s third child (and said to be her favorite) was not among his siblings Charles and Anne as they took part on horseback in the pomp and pageantry Thursday morning with some 1,400 guards. Nor was he in the royal carriages, which included his younger brother Edward.
Andrew’s banishment from front-line royal life comes after he settled a sexual-abuse lawsuit this year, linked to his friendship with disgraced American financier and convicted abuser, Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew wasn’t expected to attend on Thursday. But he announced a last-minute excuse for Friday’s church service, as well. Buckingham Palace said…
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