Today the British royal family will turn out for one of their biggest and most public events of the year – Trooping the Colour.

But the event, which is traditionally full of British pomp and glamour, may be more memorable this year for who is missing, rather than who is there.

It comes as the 76-year-old King prepares to break another royal tradition at this year’s parade, which marks his official birthday celebration.

Just 14 members of his famously “slimmed-down” monarchy are expected to appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony on Saturday to watch the Royal Air Force flyover at the conclusion of the parade.

It’s a far cry from the days of the late Queen Elizabeth, when dozens of royal family members packed on to the famous balcony. Famously, they were sometimes even joined by overseas royals – including Japan’s then Crown Prince Naruhito in 1985.

On Saturday, the King and Queen will be flanked by the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

The King’s only sister, the Princess Royal will be there, with her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence.

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are also expected, along with the Duke of Kent and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.

Reports in Britain this week suggested that Prince Edward and wife Sophie’s two children, Lady Louise Windsor and her brother James, Earl of Wessex, will be among the absentees.

Both have featured in past balcony appearances, but were missing from recent celebrations to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day.

Royals on the palace balcony for celebrations to mark 80 years since VE Day. Photo: AAP

Also missing will be the King’s estranged younger son, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan Markle. The now California-based Duke and Duchess of Sussex have not appeared on the balcony since they quit royal duties and left Britain.

Then came the Covid pandemic, which led to the parade’s cancellation for two years. In 2021, the late queen famously appeared on the balcony on her own, just months after the death of her husband.

In 2022, when the parade returned, the palace issued a statement.

”After careful consideration, the Queen has decided that this year’s traditional Trooping the Colour balcony appearance … will be limited to Her Majesty and those members of the royal family who are currently undertaking official public duties on behalf of the Queen,” it said.

The late queen’s last balcony appearance was for her platinum jubilee, just three months before her death. Photo: AAP

That year, in what would be her final appearance at an official birthday parade, the late Queen was one of just 18 royals on the balcony.

The scaling back also helped explain the absence of her second son, Prince Andrew. He quit public duties in 2019, amid the fallout from  his trainwreck BBC interview about his relationship with disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Andrew’s daughters, princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, and their families are also considered non-working royals and are also unlikely to be there.

King’s carriage concession

Meanwhile, Britain’s Times newspaper reports the King appears to have hung up his riding boots for good, with confirmation he will again ride in a carriage this year.

He rode a horse 2023, in his first parade as sovereign, before joining his wife in a carriage last year.

He is not expected to ride a horse at the Trooping the Colour again.

The shift comes as the 76-year-old continues to receive weekly treatment for his undisclosed form of cancer diagnosed in February 2024.

The Prince of Wales, Princess Anne and Prince Edward are expected to ride horses in the parade.

It will be the first time the Princess Royal has ridden in public since she was taken to hospital a year ago with injuries said to be consistent with being struck by a horse. Anne, an accomplished rider who competed in the 1976 Olympic Games, suffered concussion, memory loss and minor injuries after the incident at her Gloucestershire home in June 2024.