King Charles III’s first Trooping the Colour is on June 17, and according to People, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not be present for the event. According to the publication, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have not been invited to the annual military parade, which is a public celebration of the British monarch’s birthday. Reps for Buckingham Palace and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not immediately respond to POPSUGAR’s request for comment.
While Charles has always attended the parade with his family, this year marks the first time it’ll take place during his reign. For the past 70 years, Trooping the Colour was known as the Queen’s Birthday Parade because Queen Elizabeth II was on the throne. Participants typically include 1,400 officers, 200 horses, and 400 musicians, and there are two rehearsals in the run-up to the big day. The route runs from Buckingham Palace along The Mall to Horse Guards Parade and then back down The Mall to the palace.
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The last time Harry and Markle attended Trooping the Colour was in 2019, just a month after the couple welcomed their son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor. The event also doubled as Markle’s first public appearance since giving birth. They were joined by Harry’s late grandmother, as well as the rest of the royal family, including Prince William, Kate Middleton, and Queen Camilla.
