King Charles and his Queen Consort Camilla will be crowned on May 6 at Westminster Abbey (Image: Getty)
The Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla is just days away, with the ceremony to be held at Westminster Abbey on May 6 ahead of an extra bank holiday weekend for the UK. Following the service the Royal Family will make their way back to Buckingham Palace in the Coronation Procession, which will also include Armed Forces from the UK, across the Commonwealth and the British Overseas Territories, as well as The Sovereign’s Bodyguard and Royal Watermen.
At around 2pm in the afternoon, the royals will assemble on the balcony to greet the waiting crowd and watch the RAF flypast over the palace.
In recent years, spaces on the balcony are reserved for working members of the Firm, meaning the King and Queen Consort can be selective about who will appear.
Charles is said to be clear that the Coronation is a state occasion and not a time for family sentiment, and the choice over who will be on the balcony has been made in accordance with his desire.
Here Express.co.uk takes a look at the plans for the balcony appearance and who we should and shouldn’t expect to see there.
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Who will appear on the Balcony?
The royals at on the balcony during the Platinum Jubilee Pageant (Image: Getty)
The newly crowned King Charles and Queen Camilla will appear on the balcony to wave to spectators who have come to wish them well for their Coronation.
Joining them will be the working members of the Firm, with heir to the throne Prince William and wife Kate, Princess of Wales appearing alongside their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Thought to be joining them, although not confirmed by the palace, are Princess Anne and her husband Sir Timothy Laurence, Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke of Kent, along with Princess Alexandra and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
Princess Alexandra and the Gloucesters are cousins of the Queen and have been faithful working royals throughout her reign.
It is unclear whether Edward and Sophie’s two children, James, the Earl of Wessex, and Lady Louise will join the royal contingent on the balcony.
They appeared on the balcony during the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June last year alongside their parents.
Will Prince Harry and Prince Andrew appear?
Princes Harry and Andrew on the balcony while they were still working royals (Image: Getty)
Despite both having stepped down from royal duties, Prince Harry and Prince Andrew have both been invited to the Coronation as they are closely related to the King.
However, neither will be making an appearance on the balcony as they are no longer working members of the Firm.
Since his Newsnight interview in 2019 Andrew has stepped back from public life and now only attends royal events in his capacity as a member of the family.
Prince Harry announced in 2020 that he and his wife Meghan Markle would be stepping down as senior members of the Royal Family and relocating to the US. He has seldom appeared at key engagements since, but did return for the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and her funeral just months later.
It is thought Harry will not stay long after the ceremony at the Abbey has concluded as he wishes to fly back to California to celebrate their son Prince Archie’s fourth birthday, also on May 6.
Who else will be missing from the balcony?
Prince Andrew will attend the Coronation as the King’s brother but will not be on the balcony (Image: Getty)
There are other members of the family who will not be present on the balcony for various different reasons.
Although she was invited to the Coronation Meghan Markle declined to accept, as she will instead remain in California with her children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are not thought to be appearing on the balcony, in spite of them being higher up in the line of succession than some of the older royals who will be. This is because the two sisters are not working royals.
Sarah Ferguson is another member of the York family who will not be either on the balcony or at the Coronation at all as she confirmed she has not been invited.
She explained she would be at home watching with the corgis and would celebrate privately later with the family. She will however attend the Coronation Concert on Sunday.
Princess Anne’s children are also set to miss out on a balcony appearance. This includes Mike and Zara Tindall and their three children, Lena, Mia and Lucas, as well as Peter Phillips.
Why there are fewer people on the balcony
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and their mother Sarah, Duchess of York, will not be on balcony (Image: Getty)
In comparison to the Queen’s Coronation in 1953 there will be relatively few people on the balcony for Charles and Camilla.
Queen Elizabeth packed out the balcony for hers, with well over 30 royals appearing to celebrate her special day.
But King Charles will have little over a dozen, as he has expressed his desire for a more slimmed-down monarchy in order to reflect the concerns of the nation, such as saving money during the cost of living crisis, and to show his mission to modernise the institution.
Recent scandals involving Prince Harry and Prince Andrew have damaged the monarchy’s reputation and demonstrated it no longer has the unconditional support of the public.
There will be even fewer royals present on the balcony for the next big event, Trooping the Colour, as the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester have announced their plans to step down as working royals.
Where to watch the Coronation processions
The processions will pass the Mall (Image: Getty)
When King Charles is crowned on Saturday, May 6, the King’s Procession will travel from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey at 10.20am for the Coronation service at 11am. After the service, the Coronation Procession will begin at 1pm as the Royal Family returns to the Palace.
Viewing areas to watch the processions have been set up on both sides of The Mall and Whitehall. These open at 6am on the day of the Coronation for the public to find a spot to watch the historic event unfold. There are also public screening sites where the event will be shown at Hyde Park, The Green Park, and St James’s Park.
Read more about the processions and see a map showing where you can catch a glimpse of the action HERE.
