Earlier this month, we reported that Queen Elizabeth had banned Meghan Markle and Prince Harry from standing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with her and the rest of the royal family during her Platinum Jubilee parade in June.
Now, Meghan and Harry are firing back by claiming that they never wanted to stand on the balcony in the first place.
'This is the best news to come out of the Jubilee, they would soak up the adoration from the crowds. Their egos would inflate even more.'
Ryan-Mark Parsons reacts to news that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not appear on Buckingham Palace's balcony. pic.twitter.com/7LP5cpwQcc
— GB News (@GBNEWS) May 6, 2022
Meghan And Harry’s Friend Speaks Out
Omid Scobie, a friend of the couple’s who also wrote a biography of them, claimed that standing on the balcony was never something that Meghan and Harry wanted to do.
“As is often the case, the reality is much less severe when you hear that Prince Harry had already spoken with his grandmother about the possibility of not attending Trooping the Colour long before last week’s announcements,” he said, according to Daily Mail.
He added that while Meghan and Harry were “very keen” to be part of the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations, “both sides thought it would be more appropriate not to have the Sussexes on the balcony.”
Backstory: Queen Bans Meghan And Harry From Buckingham Palace Balcony
Platinum Jubilee Celebrations
Though they supposedly don’t want to appear on the balcony, Scobie said that Meghan and Harry do want to take part in the National Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral. The royal family will likely try to put their hurt feelings aside, as they are said to be upset that Meghan and Harry have been publicly bashing them in recent years.
“At the end of the day it is about celebrating the historic achievement of a truly remarkable woman. No one would want to disrespect the Queen by continuing hostilities in public,” said one source.
“Despite what has happened in recent years and what may be yet to come given that Harry’s memoirs have yet to come out, family members will accept the Queen’s olive branch in the spirit it was extended,” the insider added. “The body language will be fascinating, mind you.”
Related: Meghan And Harry Too ‘Out Of Touch’ To Be Successful At Netflix, Sources Say
Royal Expert’s Warning
The Platinum Jubilee is set to celebrate the Queen’s record-breaking 70 years on the British throne. Royal experts have warned that Meghan and Harry’s presence may overshadow the festivities, however.
“They have been forced to accept a downgraded role – grouped with all the other VIPs – but are clearly desperate not to be excluded,” warned royal expert Tom Bower. “If the Palace is not remarkably careful, the Sussexes will milk the celebrations for their own benefit.”
“Hopefully, the Sussexes will be kept firmly in check to avoid their selfish interests dominating the celebration of the Queen’s awe-inspiring service to Britain,” he added.
It will certainly be interesting to see how this all goes next month, but we hope that the Platinum Jubilee ends up going off without a hitch!