Queen appearing on Jubilee balcony ‘isn’t guaranteed’
As her mobility declines, insider warns...
THE Queen’s appearance on the balcony at Buckingham Palace to mark the finale of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations is ‘by no means guaranteed’, a well-placed source has told The Mail on Sunday.
It was hoped the Queen might appear on the iconic balcony beside other members of her family, but that now looks in doubt due to the 96-year-old’s restricted mobility. Aides are busy devising a ‘plan B’.
An insider said: ‘It could still happen but it is by no means guaranteed that we will see the Queen on the balcony during the Jubilee.’
Appearances on the famous balcony, which overlooks The Mall, has been a focal point for historic Royal occasions.
Royal newlyweds have appeared there to share a kiss for the crowds below and the Royal Family traditionally gathers on the balcony to wave after the annual Trooping the Colour parade.
Every jubilee year of the Queen’s reign has also featured a balcony moment, when various members of her family come together to watch an RAF flypast. But courtiers fear that the tradition may come to an end in June.
The warning comes just days after plans for the Jubilee People’s Pageant on Sunday, June 5 were released. It will culminate in a ‘national tribute’ led by the singer Ed Sheeran.
The first recorded balcony appearance came when Queen Victoria stepped out to greet the public during celebrations for the opening of the Great Exhibition in 1851. For the Golden Jubilee in 2002, Brian May, guitarist with the band Queen, performed the national anthem from the Palace roof. A decade later, the Diamond Jubilee featured a slimmed down Monarchy on the balcony comprising the Queen, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. Some members of the Royal Family were reportedly dismayed at being excluded.
A source said: ‘One aide had a call from the Duke of York demanding to be reinstated and another from the Wessexes, who were clearly smarting at being excluded.’
Now there are more difficult decisions, including whether to feature the balcony moment at all if the Queen is unable to be present.
Prince Andrew is highly unlikely to appear given his departure from public life after the settlement of a civil court case in America over allegations of sexual abuse, which he vehemently denies.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also stepped down from their Royal roles, which would seem to automatically exclude them from playing an official part in the Platinum Jubilee to celebrate the Queen’s 70 years on the throne, though Prince Harry has indicated that he may return to Britain with his family for the celebrations. The Queen is yet to meet her great-granddaughter, ten-month-old Lilibet.
During the recent Invictus Games in the Netherlands, Harry told a US television network: ‘I don’t know yet. There’s lots of things with security issues and everything else. So, this is what I’m trying to do, trying to make it possible that I can get my kids to meet her.’
But a non-appearance on the balcony by the Queen would solve one problem by putting an end to family squabbles over who ought to stand alongside her.
Andrew is said to be jostling for involvement in the jubilee and is expected to continue to attend family gatherings. But questions are being asked over what constitutes an official jubilee engagement.
Every jubilee year has ‘a balcony moment’