Last weekend, for the first time since 2019, we got to see the pre-pandemic and, well, many pre-pandemic moments on the balcony of Buckingham Palace: in the last Trooping the Colour before COVID-19 hit our world, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, were still active royals, as was Prince Andrew. Prince Philip was still alive, and the balcony of Buckingham Palace was filled with the Queen and her entire family.

But how ...... the balcony of Buckingham Palace was empty was not unnoticed when the family made their first appearance at Trooping the Colour, nor when the most senior of the senior royals joined Her Majesty the Queen on Sunday to conclude the four-day Platinum Jubilee.

"It looks a little skeletal," says royal expert Tina Brown, author of The Palace Papers: Inside the House, on The Guardian's "Today in Focus" podcast of Windsor-the Truth and the Turmoil" (opens in a new tab), royal family expert Tina Brown says." At the moment the monarchy is a little bit of a problem slim down because they were not supposed to lose Andrew or Harry."

Brown suggests that Harry may need to return to the monarchy in the future because Kate and William are already "under pressure."

"At the moment, I think the Cambridges are under too much pressure for Harry and Andrew. And I think at some point they will need Harry. Especially after the Queen's death, I think.

It has long been understood that Prince Charles would like a slimmer, more cost-effective royal family when he becomes king, and "Marie Claire" reported that Prince Charles might be open to having Harry and Meghan as part-time royals when he becomes king.