A new era! King Charles III’s official coronation has concluded with members of the royal family greeting the public from the Buckingham Palace balcony.
Charles, 74, was all smiles as he waved to the crowds of British citizens on Saturday, May 6. He was joined by his wife, Queen Camilla, eldest son Prince William and daughter-in-law Princess Kate. The Prince of Wales, 40, and the Princess of Wales, 41, — who made their balcony debut with their new titles — were accompanied by all three of their children: Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5. The royals were spotted alongside Princess Anne and Sir Tim Laurence, Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie, as well as Lady Louise Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex.
The balcony scene — which is the first time the family has been on their perch without the late Queen Elizabeth II — even saw Charlotte and Louis goof off while watching the military flypast.
Saturday’s final event only featured senior working royals — as well as the king and queen’s event pages. Both Prince Harry and Prince Andrew did not take part in it.
The pair — who have each stepped down from their regal roles — attended the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey, sporting morning suits instead of ceremonial military uniforms like Anne, 73. (The Duke of York, 63, stepped down in 2019 after being accused of sexual assault, which he denied, while Harry, 38, stepped back nearly one year later to live a more private life with wife Meghan Markle.)
CBS confirmed that the Duke of Sussex would also not attend the post-coronation lunch.
“Harry isn’t part of the procession or the balcony appearance,” royal expert Nick Bullen exclusively told Us in April. “Do you remember the very final balcony shot of [Queen Elizabeth] after the [Platinum] Jubilee [in June 2022]? It was [Elizabeth], Charles and Camilla, and William, Kate, and her three children. That’s the message to the world, and that message will be pushed out again [after the coronation].”
Harry had attended the service solo without the Duchess of Sussex, 41. Us previously confirmed that the Suits alum had opted to stay home in California with children Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 23 months, since the coronation fell on Archie’s 4th birthday. The Spare author, for his part, planned to leave England shortly after the ceremony concluded in order to make it home to celebrate his son’s special day.
“Meghan is planning something really low-key to celebrate Archie’s birthday,” a source exclusively told Us last month. “Since Harry won’t be able to attend, she just wants to do something intimate with family and a few very close friends. … It feels like the years have flown by. She loves being a mom and can’t wait to celebrate her little boy’s special day.”
Scroll below to see photos from the royals’ balcony appearance:
