It Reportedly Wasn’t the Queen Who Pushed for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Balcony Exclusion

Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Prince William, Kate Middleton

(Image credit: Anwar Hussein / WireImage for Getty Images)

published 21 May 2022

The statement from Buckingham Palace read “After careful consideration, The Queen has decided…” to limit those on the Buckingham Palace balcony at Trooping the Colour to only working royals. But, according to the Star, via OK!, though the official statement read it was Her Majesty’s decision, it was actually two other senior royals who put their foot down for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s balcony exclusion—Prince Charles and Prince William.

“They feel that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have caused nothing but chaos since moving to America with their endless tell-alls and interviews throwing shade at the royal family,” an insider told the outlet. “They think it would be hypocritical of Harry and Meghan acting all smiles and waving to the crowds from the balcony like they’re one big, happy family.”

Apparently, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge were particularly incensed by Harry’s comments to Today’s Hoda Kotb that, despite being geographically separated from his grandmother, he always makes sure she’s surrounded by “the right people”—a comment OK! reports Charles and William “took as a personal dig.”

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OK! reports that “on the other hand, the Queen was reportedly open to the idea of having the Sussexes by her side on the balcony.”

Marie Claire has reported recently that being on the balcony isn’t what matters to the Sussexes anyway, and OK! reports that “despite the balcony ban, Harry is still hopeful that the brood will have a great family reunion” though a source claimed Meghan “isn’t as optimistic, as she still holds a grudge against the royals”—so much so that “she might even pull out at the last minute.”

“William will worry that Harry and Meghan will pull a stunt to try to get the limelight,” author Tom Bower told the outlet. “Kate and William would be foolish not to be suspicious and would be unwise not to be cautious.”

Here’s hoping that the Platinum Jubilee will (finally) provide some much-needed healing for the House of Windsor.

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.