Love the British royal family’s balcony photo-ops? King Charles turned down the opportunity for a second one in 2025.

Not one but two balcony photo-ops from the British royal family in 2025? It’s not going to happen. A royal biographer says King Charles III vetoed the idea of a second royal balcony appearance. Why, ahead.

Trooping the Colour is when the British royal family stands on the Buckingham Palace balcony

Traditionally, British royals do a balcony photo-op once a year during Trooping the Colour, the monarch’s official birthday celebration. Held in June, King Charles and Queen Camilla gather with fellow senior royals on Buckingham Palace’s balcony—think: Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their three children, among others—as crowds (and press) fill the streets.

It’s a big moment of togetherness for the royal family and one of the few times they assemble for a photo op during the year save for major holidays such as Easter or Christmas. In years past, royal family balcony photo-ops have led to viral moments. On one occasion, the late Queen Elizabeth II shared a sweet moment with her great-grandson. More recently, the Princess of Wales stepped into the spotlight at Trooping the Colour following her 2024 cancer diagnosis.

King Charles doesn’t want to ‘overdo it’ with a VE Day anniversary balcony appearance

According to royal biographer Robert Hardman, a royal family balcony photo-op marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in May 2025 probably won’t happen. The reason, he told Marie Claire, is because King Charles doesn’t want to “overdo it.”

“I think The King has a view—he certainly felt they were very overexposed in 2022 and 2023 given you had the Platinum Jubilee, then The Queen’s death, then the coronation,” he said. “There was an awful lot of royal air time. He gets the fact that you don’t want to overdo it.”

Considering the VE Day anniversary is on May 8, 2025, followed closely by Trooping the Colour in June, it might be too much. “I think if you had all the family on the balcony in May for VE Day, then had them all back on the balcony again a month later for his birthday,” Hardman said, “it might fill a bit like overkill.”

“People have an appetite to see the family,” he added. “But it’s a limited appetite. So you don’t want to push it.”

Royals could make other VE Day appearances

Hardman continued, saying the public can “expect to see them at events, but not necessarily a balcony.” Back in 1995 during the 50th anniversary of VE Day, “there was a balcony appearance. But it was only The Queen, Princess Margaret, and the Queen Mother because they were on the balcony in 1945 and they were part of that wartime generation.”

“Given there are no [senior] royals left who were part of that wartime generation,” he explained, “this is a day for the veterans, not a day for the monarchy.”

But, that isn’t to say some royals will mark the occasion. William and Kate’s three children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, might attend some of the “big commemorations” in May. “That’s a sort of moment where you do get street parties and big international events, so we might see them.”