Queen Elizabeth II has taken a practical step in uniting her family by inviting her grandson Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to join the royal family for the celebration of the Platinum Jubilee next summer.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down from acting as senior royals last year and moved to the United States in pursuit of their private lives, since then, the relations between them and the rest of the royal house of Windsor has strained greatly.
Following the Queen’s invitation, Harry and Meghan who recently welcomed their second child Lilibet Diana are expected to attend the Queen’s official birthday parade, Trooping the Colour, which is part of the four-day festivities to mark the Monarch’s 70 years on the throne, The Daily Mail report said.
It’s not immediately clear whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be allowed to appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony beside the Queen and other senior royal members as they have done in the past for the traditional Royal Air Force flyover.
A royal source told the news outlet, “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been invited and I’m sure the Queen is very much looking forward to seeing them there.
“The balcony moment will be decided much nearer the time but there’s a limit to how many family members should be on it, and I would have thought that working Royals who contribute to the family would be higher on the list than the Sussexes.”
The outlet also noted that Prince Charles, who’s focused on cutting down the monarchy would, of course, support a reduced presence on the balcony, although supporters of Harry and Meghan would likely see it as a snub.
Prince Harry is expected to return to the UK next week to dedicate a statue of his mom Princess Diana alongside his brother Prince William. Their father Prince Charles is reportedly going to be holed up at his Scottish estate during the event.
