The balcony at Buckingham Palace will once again see the Queen and 17 other members of the Royal family appear after today's Trooping the Colour. Celebrations start with the Queen's official birthday parade, ending with an RAF fly-past watched by the Royals on the balcony where they have been gathering since 1851 to celebrate weddings, birthdays and to commemorate important wartime events.
Queen Victoria first started the tradition during in 1851 and this year there is plenty of discussion around who will and who won't appear for the platinum jubilee celebrations: "There's been a lot of chat about who is going to be there and who is not," Pauline Maclaran of the Centre for the Study of Modern Monarchy at Royal Holloway, University of London, told the BBC.
Appearing on the balcony is more than just tradition. Apart from it being a great photo opportunity and chance for the Royal family to greet the public albeit from afar, it is also an unspoken litmus test of your closeness to the Queen. There have been more than 40 people on the balcony on previous occasions, so limiting the numbers overall this time is a deliberate choice. You can follow live jubilee weekend updates here.
