Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s absence from the 2025 Trooping the Colour ceremony was as noticeable as a royal without a crown. While the Prince and Princess of Wales paraded with their three children in matching outfits, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were conspicuously missing. While the royally estranged couple has maintained a distance, the palace has opted for a firm no-invite policy, turning the perennial will-they-will-they-not question into a definitive 'will-not', turning a royal cold shoulder that is hard to ignore.

When it comes to royal family drama, the guest list for Trooping the Colour is the ultimate tell-all. And for another year, the glaring absence of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has tongues wagging louder than the marching bands.

The roots of this exclusion trace back to the couple’s decision to step back from royal duties and relocate to California in 2020. Initially, palace officials had hoped that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would still be welcomed to key events like Trooping the Colour. However, since Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022, when they were relegated to a separate viewing area rather than the main balcony, their presence at royal ceremonies has diminished sharply, or rather, crafted to become so.

Behind the scenes, the divide is widening. King Charles reportedly keeps his distance over trust issues, while Prince William is said to have closed the door on any attempts at reconciliation. Royal insiders reveal that no palace staff are advocating for mending fences, and the family has lost confidence in the Prince and the Duchess' discretion in private matters. This lack of trust is a critical barrier, making any rapprochement increasingly unlikely despite the Prince's public expressions of forgiveness and desire to reconcile.

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Desperate times indeed call for desperate measures, but the Sussex couple does not seem to have taken any to tend to their relationships. At least, that is not what a certain financial tapping of the couple seems to be saying. 

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s post-royal payday is making headlines and the high-key expose tone to it is getting quite the eyebrow raise. Their deals of millions of dollar with streaming giants may be keeping their credits rolling but behind the glitz, questions swirl: can these media megadeals really keep up with their royal-sized spending? A particular show titled Harry and Meghan: Where Did the Money Go? is attempting to bring to front the post-royalty spending of the couple and their sources for it, and weather it accounts for any suspicions. 

While there difficulties continue to pile, or at least as they seem to, the fact of the couple's absence from royal ceremonies are now filled with the presence of rigid estrangement, remains stark. The couple’s absence serves as a stark reminder of the complexities and consequences of their break from royal life. Their absence from Trooping the Colour is emblematic of a broader estrangement, reflecting not just personal grievances but a strategic distancing by the royal family to protect its cohesion and public image.

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What do you think the couple's third absence from Trooping the Colour signifies? Let us know in the comments below!