Here Are the Rules and Regulations for Staying on the Balcony of Buckingham Palace with the Queen

The Trooping of the Colour sees members of the royal family gather on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, but the rules concerning who features in the public appearance aren't always known.

Every year, since Queen Victoria's reign, several royal family members stand together on Buckingham Palace's balcony for the Trooping of Colour, the celebration of Queen Elizabeth's birthday in the summer.

While all the royals stand closer to accompany the reigning royal onto the balcony, some conventions surrounding who is allowed to be part of the Windsors' rare public appearance may hinder a few family members.

ON THE LIST

Despite the preconceived notion that only VIPs are allowed onto the palace's balcony for the special occasion, there isn't actually a predetermined list of who may and may not get their time in the public eye.

However, a few members have to make an appearance, including the monarch and his or her spouse and the first and second in line for the throne and their spouses.

RINGS REQUIRED

One definite rule of the entrance to the balcony for the royals is that they have to be married for their spouses to make the cut. No love interests without rings will be allowed onto the palace's place of public viewing.

Once the royal's and their better half have made it official, they can stand at center stage on the balcony on their wedding day, which is the only time Queen Elizabeth isn't the center of attention.

PANDEMIC CANCELATIONS

There isn't much hope that Queen Elizabeth will see her 95th birthday marked by the usual Trooping of Colour parade this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions imposed.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were seen at the Commonwealth service last year, just before their time with the royal family ran out.

This will be the second year that the royal family skips their public appearance on the balcony in exchange for a more private event and smaller parade in the quadrangle of Windsor Castle.

SECOND BIRTHDAY

The Trooping of Colour is usually the second and official celebration of the monarch's birthday that always takes place on the second Saturday of June every year. It is also an official public holiday in the U.K.

The event sees an enormous military parade that includes 1400 parading soldiers, 200 horses, and 400 musicians. There is also the fly-past by the RAF and 41-gun salute in Green Park.

MONARCHY DIVIDED

In the last year, the royal family has seen conflict like never before, starting with Prince Andrew's exit from the royal family following his ordeal with the convicted sex offender, Jeff Epstein.

Prince Andrew's drama was followed by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's step back from their roles as senior members of the royal family, which led to questions surrounding their involvement in events such as the Trooping of Colour.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were still seen at the Commonwealth service last year, just before their time with the royal family ran out at the end of March 2020.

Prince Andrew, however, did not make an appearance at the annual service with Buckingham Palace offering the explanation that he was no longer a working member of the Windsor family.