Royally Obsessed | news

Prince Charles Encouraged Queen Elizabeth to Make Surprise Balcony Appearance at Platinum Jubilee

It seems we can thank one specific person for Queen Elizabeth's surprise appearance on the last day of the Platinum Jubilee weekend: Prince Charles.

A little over a week ago, Her Royal Majesty celebrated 70 years on the throne with a weekend full of celebrations that included derby races, musical performances, rare royal spottings and more. However, while the queen appeared twice on the Buckingham Palace balcony for Trooping the Colour, she was absent for many events due to mobility issues.

Yet, on the final day of the Jubilee weekend, royal fans were surprised when the queen appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony in a bright green ensemble. According to an insider report given to The Daily Mail, Prince Charles encouraged his mother to come to the event with a last-minute phone call. “The queen only decided that she would go to London about three hours before the balcony appearance,” the source said. “She was not feeling brilliant, but the Prince of Wales had called her and told her she really ought to come if she could.”

Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

While the queen debated leaving her home in Windsor to head to London, it was her son's words that ultimately inspired her to come. “He told her there were so many people desperate to see her, and he convinced her to come,” the source added.

During her appearance, the queen waved to the crowds below. In certain photos, she seemed to get a little emotional, too. The monarch's teary response was confirmed by the Daily Mail source, who said, “The queen was totally overwhelmed by the number of people waiting to see her. She had tears in her eyes before she stepped out on the balcony.”

In a personally-signed letter that the queen shared that same day, she said, “I have been inspired by the kindness, joy and kinship that has been so evident in recent days, and I hope this renewed sense of togetherness will be felt for many years to come. I thank you most sincerely for your good wishes and for the part you have all played in these happy celebrations.”

We're just thankful for that final surprise appearance.

Stay up-to-date on every breaking royal family story by subscribing here.

Royal News Roundup The Queen’s Epic Weekend, Lilibet’s Birthday Portrait & More


Joel Calfee

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

Joel is the Associate Editor for News & Entertainment and has been reporting on all things pop culture for over 5 years. Before working at PureWow, he served as a Features...
read full bio

Why You Should Trust Us

PureWow's editors and writers have spent more than a decade shopping online, digging through sales and putting our home goods, beauty finds, wellness picks and more through the wringer—all to help you determine which are actually worth your hard-earned cash. From our PureWow100 series (where we rank items on a 100-point scale) to our painstakingly curated lists of fashion, beauty, cooking, home and family picks, you can trust that our recommendations have been thoroughly vetted for function, aesthetics and innovation. Whether you're looking for travel-size hair dryers you can take on-the-go or women’s walking shoes that won’t hurt your feet, we’ve got you covered.