The 2023 Trooping The Colour Balcony Shows The Future Of The Slimmed Down Monarchy

King Charles III's first Trooping the Colour as British monarch took place on June 17 and it's sure to be the biggest birthday celebration of the summer. Among all the beautiful outfits and extravagant air shows, many royal fans kept their eyes peeled to find out how Charles' Trooping the Colour would differ from Queen Elizabeth II's.

The historic coronation of King Charles marked a series of changes to the prestigious ceremony. From the involvement of the king's spouse, Queen Camilla, in the crowning, to a much shorter procession route, there were plenty of adjustments made to accommodate the king's preferences.

With the changes seen at the coronation, many were wondering if the new king might make a tweak to his birthday celebration compared to what the previous monarchy upheld. But instead of big changes, we spotted a continuation of a trend set in place by the late Queen Elizabeth. Perhaps for the sake of a tighter-knit monarchy or because of drama brewing in the background, both King Charles and Queen Elizabeth showcased a slimmed down version of the monarchy during Trooping the Colour. The smaller group of family members, as seen on the Buckingham Palace balcony, could very well indicate a more exclusive royal family.

There are certain rules royals have to follow at Trooping the Colour but none of those rules dictate how many are expected to appear on the famous Buckingham Palace balcony. During huge events such as these, the iconic location offers the best photo op to capture the monarch and royal family members waving at the people. However, if you were hoping to take video of all the royals, Trooping the Colour would have felt like a disappointment.

Taking notes from his mother's 2022 Trooping the Colour celebration, King Charles invited only 14 working royals and their guests onto the platform, according to Town & Country. His immediate family, including his brother Prince Edward and his sister Princess Anne, were in attendance. Still, the balcony seemed rather vacant, reflecting the future's slimmer monarchy. In years prior to 2022, the year Queen Elizabeth initiated the shift to fewer guests on the balcony, the spot was often packed with up to 40 extended family members.

As for those missing from the balcony at this year's Trooping the Colour, we're pretty sure no one will be shocked to learn that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle didn't receive an invite. Both are no longer working royals and the constant stream of drama surrounding the two most likely played into why they didn't even attend the parade — a first for Prince Harry, in fact.