Bianca Wooden
King Charles III is celebrating his birthday this weekend, but Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are not invited.
Videos by Rare
Saturday isn’t actually the king’s birthday, but it is the public observation referred to as Trooping the Colour. Dating back to the 17th century, this annual military parade was first co-opted into a birthday celebration for King George II in 1768. According to People, the event usually occurs in June.
Harry Will Not Attend His Father’s Birthday Parade
This will be the first Trooping the Colour held in the newly crowned King Charles’s honor. The special celebration will include an impressive military procession and a routine by the Royal Air Force. However, despite Harry’s status as a veteran of the British Army, neither he nor his wife have been invited to attend.
People tells us that Prince Harry was recently in the U.K. to testify in his lawsuit against a British newspaper conglomerate. During his stay at Frogmore Cottage, the Duke of Sussex reportedly did not spend any time with his father, King Charles, or his brother, Prince William. He did, however, accuse the royal family of withholding information from him when News Group Newspapers was under fire for hacking into phones.
Prior to their relocation, Harry and Meghan attended Trooping the Colour together twice in honor of Queen Elizabeth II. This year, they’re expected to remain in the U.S. while Prince William takes a leading role in preparing for the festivities.
Tensions between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the rest of the royal family have remained high since the publication of Harry’s memoir, Spare. BBC correspondent Jennie Bond believes that, if it wasn’t for Meghan, the prince would be “welcomed back into the royal fold in the fullness of time.”
Harry was there to celebrate his father’s coronation in May, but he was not invited to participate in the ceremony. He was seated away from his brother, and returned to his California home almost immediately after exiting the event.
