Harry And Meghan Are Bringing Two Major Guests To The Queen's Platinum Jubilee
Queen Elizabeth's four-day celebration of her 70 years serving as monarch, the Platinum Jubilee, is officially set to take place from June 2 to June 5. The preparations for this event have been long in the making, and the Platinum Jubilee is one of the most important public honors in her life and status as a monarch. Whether you are a royal-lover or a royal-hater, it is undeniably remarkable that Queen Elizabeth is the longest-reigning figure in the over 1,200-year-long history of the British monarchy.
That's all to say: It's a huge deal! And all of the United Kingdom is coming together to celebrate the queen. But, ever since the rift between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and the royal family, it has been a big question whether or not the couple will be in attendance of the Platinum Jubilee.
Recently, Harry and Meghan have been heavily criticized for their lack of attendance at many non-duty royal family events— including at Harry's grandfather Prince Philip's funeral in 2021 and memorial service in 2022. The former royals argue that their lack of security provided by the British government kept them from feeling safe to travel to the U.K. But, in a surprise turn of events, Harry and Meghan actually somehow snuck in to visit the queen back in April. Will the Platinum Jubilee be enough to bring the elusive family out and make a public appearance in the U.K.?
The whole Mountbatten-Windsor-Markle family is comin'
Although Prince Harry has previously stated that he still has security concerns, it looks like he, Meghan Markle, and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, will be at the Platinum Jubilee! On May 6, the palace released their plans for the bank holiday event, and they confirmed that Meghan and Harry had RSVP-ed, per CNN. Not only will they be there to celebrate Queen Elizabeth, this will also be the first time that the Queen will meet her newest granddaughter, 11-month-old Lilibet.
But this attendance comes with one slight hitch. Traditionally as a part of every jubilee's opening, the royal family stands on a balcony at Buckingham Palace overlooking the British public. According to the BBC, Harry and Meghan will not be included on the balcony for the upcoming Platinum Jubilee because this space is meant for only those who are currently undertaking royal duties. Since Harry and Meghan stripped themselves of their royal titles, neither they nor their children will be joining for the iconic photo-op.
The Platinum Jubilee is sure to be an opulent celebration of the queen, and the fact that Harry and Meghan are coming is a surprise in itself. So hopefully this balcony business doesn't have an effect on their attendance, because the queen has long been "desperate" to finally meet little Lilibet.