With both King Charles and his daughter-in-law, the Princess of Wales, undergoing cancer treatment, this has been a difficult year for the royal family.
Rarely has there been more need for an uplifting royal occasion, the kind of event Trooping the Color could deliver in a fortnight.
The King’s Birthday Parade, as it is properly known, should be an opportunity to celebrate many of the things we value most about the monarchy: tradition, the connection with our Armed Forces and the sense of public service – as well as the colour, pomp and pageantry.
Last June we only saw the ‘working royalty’ and their families on the balcony.
Traditionally, Trooping has also been an opportunity to toast the extended Royal Family on the monarch’s official birthday.
Inviting junior royals to join her on the balcony of Buckingham Palace had been the late Queen Elizabeth’s way of thanking her relatives for their support.
Meanwhile, the public enjoyed a glimpse into what was, in part, a private family occasion.
I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who enjoyed seeing the younger royals and how they’ve changed over the past 12 months. They added a splash of color, youthful appeal and even glamour.
However, the last time it happened was in 2019.
Everything changed when the Covid pandemic hit in the spring of 2020. National lockdowns were imposed and Queen Elizabeth participated alone in drastically scaled-down ceremonies. Troops were temporarily moved from Horse Guards Parade to Windsor Castle.
At least it saved Her Majesty from having to face the thorny question of what to do with the Sussexes and their beloved but disgraced second son, the Duke of York.
When Trooping the Color returned in 2022, it was a double celebration, as the nation also celebrated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee – 70 years of her record-breaking reign.
The Sussexes, who stepped back from royal duties, seen with Kate and William at an event in 2018
The presence of Prince Andrew on the balcony with Charles would be a shame. Here he is center stage at the former king of Greece’s funeral in March.
Although all members of her family were invited to join the party, including Prince Harry and Meghan, as well as Prince Andrew, only “working royals” were invited to appear on the balcony.
This meant that the Queen avoided offending either the Sussexes, who had abandoned their royal duties, or Andrew, who had been stripped of them.
However, it also ended decades of tradition. The minor royals were now banished from view.
For me, there was something a little sad about the sparsely populated balcony that remained, and still remains, as King Charles decided to go ahead with this rather radical change after ascending the throne in 2022.
Once again, last June we only saw ‘working royalty’ and their families on the balcony. This included the King and Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales and her children, Princess Anne and her husband Sir Tim Laurence, as well as Prince Edward, Sophie and her two children. We also saw the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, who have filled the gap in recent months, the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra.
In my opinion, this year should mark a return to the old tradition.
The King should invite all members of the extended Royal Family to join him and Queen Camilla as they come out to recognize the crowds.
What is it about Zara and Mike Tindall, for example, that are so popular with the public? Or the Duke of Kent’s children, such as Lady Helen Taylor, or even the Duke’s glamorous granddaughters, Lady Amelia Windsor and her sister Lady Marina?
That is, everyone, except Prince Andrew, whose presence would be a shame. And the Sussexes, whose inclusion would be an insult to the Royal Family and their millions of followers.
A full balcony would cheer the nation. It would be a stimulus for the monarchy at a difficult time.
It would be a powerful display of unity and strength.