Why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were 'snubbed' from Trooping the Colour invite list

16 June 2023, 11:30 | Updated: 16 June 2023, 13:26

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were reportedly not invited to King Charles's first royal birthday parade but why? And how do they really feel about it?

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly officially been snubbed from the invite list for King Charles's first Trooping the Colour parade this weekend.

An official royal event, which is also known as the king's birthday parade, would have been a regularly attended event for the Duke of Sussex and this year marks the first time he, reportedly, wasn't invited to.

Set to be attended by Prince William and Kate Middleton along with their children, plus Princess Anne, Prince Edward and all the other senior members of the royal family, Harry and Meghan's absence is another reminder of the distance and drama that's happened over recent years.

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Thanks to their stepping down from the royal family, a Netflix documentary and Spare, Harry's autobiography - tensions are now higher than ever between the families.

Were Prince Harry and Meghan Markle invited to Trooping the Colour?

According to many reports, the Duke and Duchess, along with their children Archie and Lilibet, were actually not invited to the King's first parade.

Both Buckingham Palace, and a rep for the couple, have declined to comment on the reports.

The reasons behind the decision are purely speculation but some experts have concluded it's because of strained relations and their less minor roles in the British royal family now.

How do Meghan Markle and Prince Harry feel about not going to Trooping the Colour?

The Duke and Duchess - who have just lost their Spotify podcast Archewells - have not commented on the event, however, royal experts have suggested they could be "elated" at not attending.

As reported in The Mirror, royal expert and author Tessa Dunlop said: "Trooping the Colour is a job for our working royals. The key word there is 'job'. Saturday will see them dressed up and on parade, doing what they do best, providing the military, which depends on its hierarchical structures, with an symbolic figurehead.

"Those are days are gone. Will he miss them? I doubt it."

Experts have also gone on to suggest that Prince Harry felt "chaffed" by his brother's role in the parade.

As an honorary colonel, Prince William is permitted to ride on horse back for the ceremony, however, Prince Harry, who served two tours in Afghanistan, is not. He has also been stripped of all his military titles since stepping down.

Harry did attend Trooping the Colour 2022 as part of Queen Elizabeth's Jubilee celebrations.