Wednesday 1 June 2022 10:10 PM When Lilibet meets little Lilibet... the picture that might yet heal royal ... trends now
Not for the first time in the Queen’s long reign, all eyes will be on the Buckingham Palace balcony at lunchtime today as the Trooping the Colour ceremony makes way for the ear-splitting roar of an RAF flypast.
Over the years, this tableau has offered an engrossing glimpse of who’s in and who’s out, as once-familiar figures were shuffled to the margins of royal life.
This time, however, the spectacle is set to be rivalled by another event, with far more riding on the outcome.
For it will afford us the fascinating sight of Prince Harry and Meghan publicly reuniting with other members of the Royal Family for the first time since their frosty departure from Britain more than two years ago.
It should also offer a view of their children: Archie, three, and daughter Lilibet, one on Saturday, who is set to meet her great-grandmother for the first time. Although her grandson and his children are excluded from the pageantry of the Palace gathering, the Queen has insisted they receive the same courtesies being extended to wider members of the Royal Family.
They will join the Duchess of Cambridge and her three children, who are first cousins to Archie and Lilibet, with a grandstand view of Horse Guards Parade, where Trooping takes place.
Harry and Meghan, along with her mother Doria Ragland, introduce Archie to the Queen and Prince Philip in May 2019
The first picture of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's daughter (above) released in a Christmas card last year
The significance of this olive branch invitation cannot be exaggerated. For it offers the real chance of not just healing the breach between the Sussexes and the royals but also repairing the House of Windsor brand, which, in America at least, has been severely tarnished by the Harry and Meghan falling-out.
What’s more, it could ensure that the couple, who cannot be certain of the reaction they will receive from the public during the four days of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, are met with warmth rather than stony indifference.
Goodwill is far from guaranteed. The couple’s latest approval ratings cannot have escaped their attention: according to polling data from YouGov, the duke is viewed positively by only one Briton in three, while more than half see him in a negative light, giving him a net approval rating of minus 26. Meghan fared even worse, with her approval rating going from minus 39 in March to minus 42.
So if there is to be a rapprochement, it will take more than just a photo opportunity, however artfully arranged. With their accusations of racism, claims of cold indifference by both family members and staff, and the memory of the Oprah Winfrey interview still strong, trust in the duke and duchess remains in short supply.
But the Queen is determined that the Jubilee should be a time to set aside differences and unite both the country and her family — hence her offer of ringside seats for Harry and Meghan.
Harry and Meghan pictured during their controversial interview with Oprah Winfrey last year
Harry and Meghan pictured together at a volleyball event during the Invictus Games at Zuiderpark in April
The Sussexes are expected to stay at Frogmore Cottage, where they will hold a small party for Lilibet that may be attended by the Queen
Baby Lilibet’s role may be crucial. When the couple
