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Harry and Meghan won't make Jubilee balcony appearance - but will attend celebrations with Archie and Lilibet

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, pictured at the Invictus Games athletics events in April, will not appear on the balcony at the Queen's jubilee in June
Buckingham Palace has confirmed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not make an appearance on the balcony alongside the Queen and other working royals at the Platinum Jubilee in June. (PA)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle won't make a Trooping the Colour balcony appearance alongside the Queen and other key royals in June - but they will attend the weekend's Platinum Jubilee celebrations alongside their two children, Archie and Lilibet.

"After careful consideration, The Queen has decided this year’s traditional Trooping the Colour balcony appearance on Thursday 2nd June will be limited to Her Majesty and those Members of the Royal Family who are currently undertaking official public duties on behalf of The Queen," a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said.

This means those invited to join her on the balcony will be limited to The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children, The Earl and Countess of Wessex and their children, The Princess Royal and Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, The Duke of Kent, and Princess Alexandra.

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THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS - APRIL 17: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex watch the sitting volley ball competition on day 2 of the Invictus Games 2020 at Zuiderpark on April 17, 2022 in The Hague, Netherlands. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be attending the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

However, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be making an appearance at the special weekend. “Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are excited and honoured to attend The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations this June with their children," a spokesperson for the couple said.

All family members will be included at the service, according to Buckingham Palace, which suggests the couple may be in attendance at the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral on Friday 3 June.

Read more: Buckingham Palace launches Platinum Jubilee T-shirt by British artist

WINDSOR, UNITED KINGDOM - JUNE 12: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Queen Elizabeth II talks with Crown Equerry Colonel Toby Browne (L) and Lieutenant Colonel Michael Vernon (Comptroller of the Lord Chamberlain's Office) as she attends a military parade, held by the Household Division (during which The Queen's Colour of F Company Scots Guards will be trooped) in the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle, to mark her Official Birthday on June 12, 2021 in Windsor, England. For the second consecutive year The Queen's Birthday Parade, known as Trooping the Colour, hasn't been able to go ahead in it's traditional form at Buckingham Palace and Horse Guards Parade due to the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo - Pool/Getty Images)
The Queen will be joined be working members of the Royal Family only. (Getty Images)

The Queen's Birthday Parade (otherwise known as Trooping the Colour) is a key part of what will be a special four-day UK bank holiday weekend from Thursday 2nd June to Sunday 5th June, to celebrate the Queen's 70 years of service.

The Parade will be held on the 2nd, starting at 10am, and the colour will be trooped by the 1st Battalion, Irish Guards, and more than 1200 officers and solders from the Household Division will put on a display of military pageantry on Horse Guards Parade, together with hundreds of Army musicians and around 240 horses.

The annual event has now marked the official birthday of the Queen for more than 260 years.

During the Birthday Parade, A Royal Gun Salute will be fired.

Read more: Archie Mountbatten-Windsor's birthday marked by Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

(L-R) Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge holding Prince Louis, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Britain's Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence, Britain's Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Britain's Princess Beatrice of York, Britain's Princess Anne, Princess Royal,, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's Princess Eugenie of York, Britain's Lady Louise Windsor, Britain's Prince Andrew, Duke of York,, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex,, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, James, Viscount Severn and Isla Phillips stand with other members of the Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch a fly-past of aircraft by the Royal Air Force, in London on June 8, 2019. - The ceremony of Trooping the Colour is believed to have first been performed during the reign of King Charles II. Since 1748, the Trooping of the Colour has marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign. Over 1400 parading soldiers, almost 300 horses and 400 musicians take part in the event. (Photo by Daniel LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP)        (Photo credit should read DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images)
The Royal Family's appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace gives the public a chance to see a large number of the royals together - younger family members included. (Getty Images)

Onlookers will be able to view the display along The Mall as the troops parade to and from Horse Guards Parade on its journey between Buckingham Palace and the parade ground. There will also be the opportunity to watch the event on a large screen at St James’s Park and many more members of the public will be able to watch the spectacle live on television, across the world.

It is once the parade has ended and the Royal Procession has returned to Buckingham Palace, that the Royal Family's balcony appearance will happen as is tradition.

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - SEPTEMBER 25: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and their baby son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor at a meeting with Archbishop Desmond Tutu at the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation during their royal tour of South Africa on September 25, 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Toby Melville - Pool/Getty Images)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be attending Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June with Archie and Lilibet. (Getty Images)

Due to COVID-19, last year's Trooping the Colour was scaled down, with Windsor Castle only hosting the Queen and her cousin, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent. Prince William and Kate were notably missing – last appearing in 2019 along with their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

In 2020, the army also had a smaller-scale parade and celebration at Windsor Castle, with just the Queen present.

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CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - SEPTEMBER 25: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and their baby son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu at the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation during their royal tour of South Africa on September 25, 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Toby Melville - Pool/Getty Images)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu. (Pool/Getty Images)

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex joined the Royal Family on Buckingham Palace's balcony for Trooping the Colour in 2018 and then 2019, as their last appearance before stepping down as senior working members of the royal family and Covid-19 hit.

It was reported by the Mirror last month that Harry and Meghan told the Queen she will get to see her great-grandchildren "in the near future" in a brief visit to London to see her.

They share Archie, who has just turned three, and Lilibet, 11-months.

Watch: Four things you need to know about Trooping the Colour