In her final year, Queen Elizabeth II limited the balcony appearance for the Platinum Jubilee to active royals only—excluding Prince Andrew, Harry, and Meghan.

A palace spokesperson stated this change was made “after careful consideration.”

Is there an order royals follow?

Even though some people might say the event is important for the family or the country, there’s no official meaning behind the way it’s presented.

From a constitutional or royal point of view, there’s no rule about where members of the royal family stand on the Buckingham Palace balcony. Still, putting the monarch in the middle does suggest it’s done on purpose.

There’s also no formal state protocol about this. It’s simply a choice made by the royal family based on how they want to present themselves.

Usually, the King or Queen stands in the center with their spouse, while the heirs and their families are placed nearby.

The only exception is during royal weddings, when the bride and groom take center stage.

Previous appearances followed Queen’s tradition

Compared to past Trooping the Colour events, balcony appearances follow tradition but can change. There’s no fixed list—usually, it includes the monarch, their spouse, and the heirs and their partners.

Earlier events featured many royals, including cousins and grandchildren. But in the Queen’s 2022 Jubilee, only working royals joined her, showing a clear shift toward a smaller, official group.

Queen Victoria kicked off the tradition

Queen Victoria began the royal balcony tradition in 1851 during the Great Exhibition. She appeared again in 1858 for her daughter’s wedding, starting a custom carried on by royal couples like Charles & Diana and William & Kate.

Harry and Meghan didn’t follow it in 2018, as their wedding took place at Windsor Castle, not near Buckingham Palace.