The view of the Buckingham Palace balcony left many distressed.
Trooping the Colour viewers were left emotional (Image: Getty)
Trooping the Colour viewers took to social media in distress as the BBC aired highlights from King Charles’s official birthday. As thousands gathered on the Mall to witness the ceremony, the Royal Family also put on a united front, waving to onlookers before making their annual appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony. The monarch was joined by Queen Camilla, Prince William, Princess Catherine and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Also marking the historic occasion were the Duke of Kent, Prince Edward, Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Anne and Sir Timothy Laurence, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, on the balcony for the traditional RAF flypast.
Although the Royal Family and crowds watched the spectacular flypast in awe, BBC viewers were distracted by the lonely image of Prince Edward, standing alone and apart from the other royals. On X/Twitter, one wrote: “Aww, sad to see the Duke of Kent all by himself on the side.” As another added: “Why was the wonderful Duke of Kent right down one end of the balcony by himself? Couldn’t someone go and stand with him, or have him move over near the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester? I was in tears. He looked so alone.”
The Duke of Sussex was stood away from the Royal Family (Image: Getty)
A third added: “The Duke of Kent is located at a considerable distance from the others on this balcony, poor man, he is really kept apart.”
As another questioned: “What’s up with Prince Edward (Kent) standing away from the family?”
“The Duke of Kent waaaay over on his own, is so sad,” said a fifth.
Another viewer penned: “It is so sad to see the Duke of Kent standing so far apart from the rest of the family, especially given the recent loss of his wife. Protocol shouldn’t outweigh the importance of family connection and support, especially during difficult times.”
Prince Edward is the oldest member of the Royal Family (Image: Getty)
Despite the slimmed-down view of the Palace balcony, the 90-year-old is a first cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth and is the oldest member of the Royal Family, who continues to carry out his working duties with a walking aid.
Although the Duke did not take part in the King’s Birthday Parade, during a portion of his time on the balcony, he stood proudly alongside Sir Tim Laurence, the Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
The Royal also sent fans wild after he was spotted holding up his mobile phone and taking videos of the crowd below.”
