Every year, one of the most anticipated moments in the royal calendar arrives not inside Buckingham Palace but on its famous balcony. During Trooping the Colour, thousands of people line The Mall hoping to catch a glimpse of King Charles and the senior members of the royal family as they wave to cheering crowds following the military parade and Royal Air Force flypast. Over the decades, that balcony has become the backdrop for some of the monarchy’s most recognizable images, from newly crowned sovereigns greeting the nation to unforgettable royal wedding kisses and family celebrations. To television viewers, it appears as though the royals are standing high above London, looking directly at the sea of supporters gathered below. Yet according to a royal insider, what actually happens during those balcony appearances is far different from what millions of people have always imagined.

From the ground, the royal family seems to have a perfect view stretching down The Mall. In reality, one enormous landmark prevents exactly that. The Queen Victoria Memorial, standing directly in front of Buckingham Palace, blocks much of the family’s view of the crowds gathered beyond it. While the cheering can certainly be heard, seeing the thousands of people waving flags is another matter entirely. That surprising limitation reportedly led to an unusual solution hidden in plain sight. According to an insider who spoke with Hello!, members of the royal family rely on discreet television monitors positioned on the balcony itself. These screens reportedly allow them to watch live images of both the crowds and their own appearance without anyone in the audience realizing the technology is even there.

The existence of those hidden screens has surprised many royal watchers because they are carefully concealed from public view. The insider explained that the monitors are placed in the corners of the balcony at slight angles so they remain easy for the family to see while staying virtually invisible to photographers below. Even more cleverly, the famous balcony balustrade is covered with rich red fabric during major events, allowing cables and equipment to remain hidden behind it. As a result, viewers watching broadcasts from around the world rarely notice anything unusual. Although millions of people have watched countless balcony appearances over the years, very few realized that modern technology quietly helps the royal family stay connected with the celebrations unfolding beyond the palace gates.

Those hidden monitors may also explain some moments that have puzzled viewers in the past. During balcony appearances, royal children are occasionally seen looking toward unusual directions, laughing, pointing, or reacting in ways that do not always match what appears to be happening in front of them. While no member of the royal family has publicly discussed using the screens, royal observers have long noticed subtle glances toward the corners of the balcony. For younger royals especially, the monitors may offer a clearer view of the crowds, aircraft, and television coverage than the partially obstructed view from the balcony itself. It also creates the amusing possibility that children such as Prince Louis have occasionally caught sight of themselves on live television while standing only a few feet away from the cameras filming them.

The balcony itself has become one of the monarchy’s most symbolic stages. Every major royal celebration eventually leads to that famous appearance overlooking the forecourt of Buckingham Palace. Trooping the Colour remains the annual centerpiece, but coronations, jubilees, and royal weddings have also produced unforgettable balcony moments. King Charles and Queen Camilla made their first appearance there following the Coronation in 2023, while Prince William and Catherine famously shared two balcony kisses after their wedding in 2011. That romantic tradition actually began decades earlier when Charles and Princess Diana kissed the cheering crowds after forgetting to do so immediately following their wedding ceremony in 1981. Since then, the balcony has represented not only royal duty but also rare glimpses into the family’s more personal celebrations.

Not everyone, however, is invited onto that famous balcony. Although there are no formal constitutional rules governing who may appear there, the decision ultimately rests with the reigning monarch. Traditionally, the balcony included a wide range of family members, but recent years have seen a much smaller group. During Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022, the late monarch announced that only working members of the royal family would participate in the balcony appearance. That decision meant Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Prince Andrew, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, and several other relatives were excluded despite attending certain Jubilee events elsewhere. King Charles has continued that streamlined approach, making the balcony appearance an exclusive gathering reserved primarily for senior royals carrying out official public duties on behalf of the Crown.

The tradition itself stretches back more than 170 years. Queen Victoria, who became monarch in 1837, transformed Buckingham Palace into the royal family’s principal residence and later commissioned the construction of the East Wing that now forms the palace’s iconic front façade. Her husband, Prince Albert, suggested adding the balcony during the expansion project, creating what would eventually become one of Britain’s most recognizable royal landmarks. Construction finished in 1849, and the balcony was first used for official celebrations during the Great Exhibition in 1851. Since then, generations of monarchs have stepped onto that same platform to greet the nation during moments of celebration, remembrance, and national pride. While the crowds continue looking up, believing the royals are watching every wave and every flag, the surprising reality is that much of what the family actually sees comes from a pair of hidden television screens quietly tucked away just beyond public view.