For the first time in 70 years, Queen Elizabeth II will not take the royal salute during the Trooping the Color parade, which is due to take place on Thursday, June 2nd. It’s assumed that this is due to the 96-year-old monarch’s ongoing mobility issues.
The Queen traditionally takes the salute to her personal troops, known as the Household Division on Horse Guards Parade, but this year, has delegated the task to son and heir to the throne Prince Charles, grandson Prince William, and daughter Princess Anne, who will all be riding on the parade in their roles as royal colonels of the Welsh Guards, the Irish Guards, and the Blues and Royals.
The annual parade is usually held to mark The Queen's birthday, but this year it will be an extra-special celebration, as the world will also be celebrating her Platinum Jubilee to mark her 70 years on the throne. This isn’t the first duty The Queen has delegated this year, as earlier this month, she missed the opening of parliament for the first time in 59 years, and asked Prince Charles to take over. She also missed the Easter Matins Service at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle back in April, and grandson Prince William, his wife Kate Middleton, and their two oldest children, eight-year-old Prince George and six-year-old Princess Charlotte took her place.
Although The Queen will not be taking salute, she is still expected to stand on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the Trooping of the Color, alongside some other senior members of the royal family, including Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William and Kate Middleton, along with their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, the Earl and Countess of Wessex with their children Louise and James, Princess Anne and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra.
The Palace previously announced that, although they have officially confirmed their attendance, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not be standing on the balcony as they are no longer senior members of the royal family. Reports also suggested that it was actually Prince Harry who made the decision not to appear on the balcony, reportedly telling his grandmother that he and Meghan "never wanted" to do so. Prince Andrew is also not expected to appear on the balcony, after being stripped of his military affiliations and royal patronages following the sexual assault lawsuit filed against him by Virginia Giuffre.
