Archive footage showing one of Prince Harry’s earliest Buckingham Palace balcony appearances has become a viral hit on social media after resurfacing on the video-sharing platform, TikTok.
For well over a century, members of the royal family have appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace’s east façade facing the Mall to greet crowds of well-wishers and review troops.
Today, members of the royal family traditionally only make one balcony appearance in the year, for the Trooping the Colour parade celebrating the sovereign’s official birthday each June. Though the event used to see the entire extended royal family included on the balcony, the numbers have nowadays been reduced to just those who undertake official duties on behalf of the crown.
Prince Harry attended the Trooping the Colour celebrations throughout his childhood, often participating in the official carriage procession to and from the Horse Guards Parade ground before returning to Buckingham Palace for the balcony appearance and traditional flypast, staged by the Royal Air Force overhead.
A clip from the celebrations held in 1987—when Harry was just 2 years old—has gone viral after being uploaded to TikTok by user, lady_frances1997.
In the video, members of the royal family including Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, then-Prince Charles and Princess Margaret are seen giving a final wave to the crowds before returning into Buckingham Palace from the balcony.
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In the foreground of the clip, Princess Diana can be seen picking up her youngest son and asking him to give a little wave to the people below, which he does to an audible cheer from the public.
The video has been viewed over 2 million times since it was posted on April 20 and received in excess of 180,000 likes and 700 comments. Many fans have praised the prince for his cheeky appearance, and the video caption reads: “Little prince charming. little prince Harry delighted the crowd as he waved to them. 🥰❤️”
“Prince Harry has always been the people’s Prince,” wrote one commenter, with another adding: “Its Prince Phillip’s smile looking at them that’s sweet.”
The next major Buckingham Palace balcony appearance will be one made by King Charles III and Queen Camilla, accompanied by the royal family, after their coronation on May 6.
A press release issued from the palace detailing plans for the coronation weekend which will include the religious service at Westminster Abbey, a coronation concert at Windsor Castle and a national holiday, states that the balcony appearance will mark the end of the first day of festivities after the king and queen have been officially crowned.
Leading up to the coronation, speculation over whether Prince Harry would make the journey from his home in California to attend increased, following several bombshell allegations leveled by the prince against the royal family in his recently released Netflix docuseries and in his memoir, Spare.
Harry added to the speculation when he was asked about whether or not he would attend his father’s big day in an interview for British TV in January, by responding: “There’s a lot that can happen between now and then. But, you know, the door is always open. The ball is in their court.”
In April, it was confirmed that Harry would attend the celebration but would do so without his wife and children. A statement issued from Buckingham Palace read: “Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6th May. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.”
Though Harry will be in London for the service, he may not be included in the balcony lineup as he is no longer a working member of the royal family.
Following the prince’s decision to step down from his working role within the monarchy alongside Meghan Markle when they moved to the U.S. in 2020, the couple did not appear on the balcony for the 2022 Trooping the Colour parade despite being in Britain for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
