No invitation, no problem! Prince Harry 'relieved' to miss King Charles III's birthday parade, says royal expert

This year's event is particularly significant because it is the first since his father succeeded the throne last September

In a surprising turn of events, it has been revealed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were not invited to King Charles III's Trooping the Colour birthday parade. The exclusion has left many wondering about the Duke of Sussex's reaction, and according to a royal expert, Harry is likely "relieved" to miss the event this year.

In a surprising turn of events, it has been revealed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were not invited to King Charles III's Trooping the Colour birthday parade.

Richard Eden of the Daily Mail was the first to report the news, stating, "I hear that Prince Harry and Meghan have not been invited to the king's birthday parade. It will be the first time in Harry's life that he has not been welcome at the monarch's official birthday celebrations. This year's event is particularly significant because it is the first since his father succeeded the throne last September."

Royal historian and author Tessa Dunlop shed some light on the situation, noting that although Harry and Meghan attended the event last year, they did not have prominent roles in the parade and other festivities. "Last year, [Harry] attended the Trooping of the Colour because his one-time commander-in-chief, the queen, was celebrating her Platinum Jubilee. But even then, he and Meghan were shadowy civilian figures, seen briefly in a window," she revealed.

Dunlop believes that Prince Harry is "relieved" not to attend the event this year, and one of the reasons behind it might be his relationship with his brother, Prince William. "Prince Harry is not coming to the king's inaugural Trooping of the Colour, when for the first time since 1986 Britain's monarch will be mounted taking the salute," Dunlop explained. "Harry is no longer a working royal. Trooping the Colour is a job for our working royals. The key word there is 'job.' Saturday will see them dressed up and on parade doing what they do best, providing the military, which depends on its hierarchical structures, with a symbolic figurehead."

Furthermore, Dunlop mentioned that Harry had always played second fiddle to William during previous Trooping the Colour events and that this dynamic seemed to bother him. "We now know that playing second fiddle to William chafed, and I suspect [Harry] is also relieved that, courtesy of his new civilian identity, he does not have to cross the Atlantic for yet another ceremonial pit-stop," she added.

With tensions within the family still unresolved, the expert concluded that Harry's priorities in Britain have shifted, particularly focusing on his ongoing legal cases. "Harry is a changed man—he has opted for America and freedom from an institution over the British royal family and their unique version of duty," Dunlop remarked.

As the Trooping the Colour celebration approaches, all eyes will be on the royal family and how this absence will impact the dynamics within. Prince Harry's newfound distance and focus on his life in America continue to raise questions about his future interactions with the British royal family.