- On New Year’s Day, King Charles and Queen Camilla kicked off the year with a 2023 highlight reel on the royal family’s IG page, which featured a surprise carriage cam video.
- The royal family posted a striking portrait of Kate Middleton on their official Instagram account in honor of her 42nd birthday in early January. The image was taken at the king’s coronation ceremony last year.
- Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made a surprise appearance at the Bob Marley: One Love movie premiere in Jamaica.
- Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson was spotted leaving a hospital in London on January 24 shortly after being diagnosed with skin cancer. Ferguson told fans that she was doing “fine.”
2024 Royal News Roundup: Kate Middleton's 'Disappearance,' Royal Babies, PhotoShop Drama & a Family Dynamic Shift
Plus, a whole lot of striking royal portraits
Published Dec 27, 2024
•3:00pm
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Here are the biggest royal news stories of 2024
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- King Charles was spotted leaving The London Clinic after undergoing a procedure to treat an enlarged prostate. The king showed his gratitude to well-wishers with a surprise statement on social media.
- Kensington Palace released a statement revealing that Kate Middleton had undergone a previously unannounced abdominal surgery. The Princess of Wales received a surprise visit from her father-in-law, King Charles, during her stay at The London Clinic.
- Buckingham Palace revealed a surprising statement in early February disclosing that King Charles has sadly been diagnosed with cancer. The monarch then shared his first personal statement featuring a photo of himself shaking hands with a healthcare worker.
- Prince Harry and his wife released a rare statement in honor of their two children, Archie and Lilibet, following the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee's hearing about online safety for kids.
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- Markle and Prince Harry relaunched their Sussex website. Instead of sussexroyal.com, the URL is now sussex.com.
- Prince Harry did an exclusive interview with Good Morning America and discussed his reaction to the news of his father's cancer diagnosis.
- Prince William was in attendance at the 2024 BAFTAs and had a viral backstage moment with several actresses.
- Princess Eugenie shared rare photos of her 3-year-old son, August, in a sweet birthday tribute on Instagram.
- In late February, Princess Catherine's rep released a statement to address rumors about her recovery. "Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess' recovery and we'd only be providing significant updates," the spokesperson said. If you’ll recall, there was quite a to-do about the princess’s ‘disappearance’.
- Worcester Cathedral announced that Queen Camilla would take the place of King Charles at the 2024 Royal Maundy Service on March 28. She made history as the first consort to lead such a traditional event.
- Brother William and Harry reunited at the Diana Legacy Award ceremony to honor their late mother, Princess Diana.
- Princess Catherine broke her post-surgery silence in mid-March and shared a never-before-seen photo featuring herself and her three kids.
- It didn’t take long for questions to arise about whether the family photo was Photoshopped, prompting the Princess of Wales to release a personal statement to clear up any confusion.
- In the aftermath of Princess Catherine’s apology, several U.K. news outlets started to question the legitimacy of the portrait that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle used to announce their second pregnancy. The photographer, Misan Harriman, set the record straight.
- Princess Diana’s niece, Lady Kitty Spencer, announced on Instagram that she welcomed her first child.
- Princess Catherine shared a heartbreaking video confirming that she’s been diagnosed with cancer.
- In a statement shared with People, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, publicly shared their support for the Princess of Wales.
- In an exclusive conversation on the Royally Obsessed podcast, Princess Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, shared rare details about his childhood, including how Princess Diana acted as his protector.
- In early April, the British royal family announced it would open the doors of Balmoral Castle and Buckingham Palace to visitors starting in the summer.
- Netflix released a brand-new drama, titled Scoop, on April 5 starring Gillian Anderson and Rufus Sewell. The movie features a fictionalized account of how the BBC exposed Prince Andrew’s connection to Jeffrey Epstein.
- The U.K.’s brand-new bank notes featuring King Charles’s face arrived and the monarch had a cheeky response to seeing himself on the new money.
- The monarch greeted members of the public for the first time since his cancer diagnosis following Easter Sunday Service. Royal photographer Chris Jackson snapped a black-and-white photo of the royal couple walking into the church.
- During the outing, the king met a devoted royal admirer who wished him well on his journey to recovery. This prompted the monarch to make a surprising comment about his marriage to Queen Camilla.
- Queen Maxima of The Netherlands joined forces with Queen Letizia of Spain, posing for pics during an official welcome ceremony at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam.
- Meghan Markle surprised in a photoshoot for Alliance of Moms, a campaign that’s promoting “Love Like a Mother” T-shirts in honor of Mother’s Day.
- In late April, the royal family unveiled a brand-new statue of Queen Elizabeth II in Oakham, England. It’s the first permanent memorial for the late monarch.
- Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg revealed that he’s planning on stepping down from the throne in the near future.
- William and Catherine celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary on April 29. The royal family shared a never-before-seen portrait that was taken shortly after they tied the knot.
- On April 30, King Charles officially returned to royal duties for the first time since announcing his cancer diagnosis.
- Duchess Sophie made history as the first member of the British royal family to visit Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion.
- Prince Harry headed to the U.K. in early May to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Games, though he apparently wasn’t able to see his father due to the monarch’s busy work schedule.
- Will and Kate celebrated Princess Charlotte’s ninth birthday by sharing a brand-new photo on social media (taken by Princess Catherine).
- Princess Anne and her husband, Tim Laurence, traveled to British Columbia to honor the Royal Canadian Navy.
- The king celebrated the one year anniversary of his coronation, with the palace sharing a video recap of the event.
- Harry and Meghan traveled to Nigeria to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Games.
- Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg and her husband, Nicholas Bagory, welcomed their first child together, a daughter named Victoire.
- In early June, Prince William took on the role of an usher as he attended the Duke of Westminster’s wedding in England. His cousin, Princess Eugenie, was also spotted at the wedding reception.
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- During the annual Trooping the Colour, Princess Charlotte rode alongside her mom, Princess Catherine, and her two brothers, Prince George and Prince Louis, in the Glass Coach.
- Alongside her two brothers, Princess Charlotte made an appearance in a BTS Trooping the Colour video shared on Princess Catherine and Prince William’s joint Instagram page.
- Prince Louis’s funny faces were on full display during Trooping the Colour. In a video shared on X, the 6-year-old prince danced along to the proceedings.
- In honor of Father’s Day, Princess Catherine posted an intimate picture of Prince William standing with George, Charlotte and Louis on a beach.
- To commemorate Prince William’s 42nd birthday, the Princess of Wales posted a fun snap of Will, George, Charlotte and Louis jumping in the air on Instagram.
- Prince George and Princess Charlotte attended a Taylor Swift concert with their dad on his birthday. The royal siblings and their dad posed for a selfie with the singer.
- On June 4, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s daughter, Princess Lilibet, turned three years old.
- On June 28, Princess Anne was discharged from the hospital after suffering a concussion and minor injuries from a speculated horse-riding incident. Following her hospitalization, the Princess Royal addressed the public with a written statement.
- On June 29, Buckingham Palace released a new portrait of King Charles dressed from head to toe in military regalia on social media.
- In late June, my colleague Rachel Bowie, PureWow’s Senior Director of Special Projects and Royals, pointed out a major shift in the royal family dynamic, particularly with Duchess Sophie taking on a bigger role. Bowie writes, “To say Edward and Sophie—but especially Sophie—have been stepping up lately in the wake of the king’s (and Kate Middleton’s) cancer diagnoses is an understatement.”
- On what would have been Princess Diana’s 63rd birthday, her youngest brother, Charles Spencer, shared a stunning image of his late sister on social media.
- In honor of their oldest son Prince George’s 11th birthday, Prince William and Princess Catherine unveiled a brand-new photo of the future monarch.
- On July 17, Camilla and Charles traveled to the Palace of Westminster for the State Opening of Parliament. Not only did the couple show a united front, but they also came dressed in their best royal regalia.
- All eyes were on Princess Catherine during the final day of Wimbledon, where the Princess of Wales made her brief return to the spotlight.
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- During a four-day trip to Colombia, Meghan Markle stepped out in a number of show-stopping looks, while Prince Harry donned a sentimental piece of jewelry.
- Crown Prince Hussein posted an Instagram photo of himself and his newborn baby girl, Princess Iman bint, in his arms.
- Meghan Markle sat down with The New York Times and confirmed that her forthcoming lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, was set to launch later in the year.
- Prince Harry made a surprise U.K. visit and stayed at Althorp House, Princess Diana's childhood home and final resting place. He visited to attend a memorial service for Lord Robert Fellowes, and he was reportedly hosted by his uncle. Prince William also attended the memorial service, but he and Prince Harry sat separately.
- Princess Märtha Louise of Norway tied the knot with her longtime partner, Durek Verrett.
- Princess Sofia of Sweden and Prince Carl Philip announced that they are expecting their fourth child on social media.
- Meghan Markle reunited with Oprah Winfrey for the opening of a bookstore just minutes from her home in Montecito.
- In early September, Princess Catherine released an emotional new video revealing that she has completed her chemotherapy treatment for cancer. As our royals reporter points out, the video contained three hidden details that were extremely telling.
- In the clip, the Princess of Wales swapped her engagement ring for a new piece of jewelry, and there's a hidden meaning behind the switcheroo.
- Another royal baby pic was revealed as Princess Stéphanie of Monaco celebrated her granddaughter's christening.
- The royal family shared a birthday tribute on social media to mark Prince Harry's milestone 40th birthday. When fans noticed something odd about the selected photo, the palace released a statement responding to the Photoshopping controversy.
- His big brother, Prince William, shared a heartwarming Instagram post wishing Prince Harry a happy birthday.
- Prime Video released a dramatic mini-series, A Very Royal Scandal, about Prince Andrew and his scandal.
- The Prince of Wales sported a trimmed beard in a video announcing the 2024 Earthshot Prize finalists. It didn’t take long for fans to comment on his new look.
- Princess Catherine was spotted for the first time since completing chemotherapy when she attended the Sunday service at Crathie Kirk Church in Scotland.
- Prince Harry traveled to New York for a star-studded dinner hosted by the World Health Organization. While there, he delivered a powerful speech.
- Duchess Sophie traveled to Tanzania for a five-day solo trip and sat down for a major interview to discuss her goal of eliminating avoidable blindness.
- In early fall, the royal family announced that Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, are expecting their second child together.
- Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark tied the knot with her fiancé, Matthew Kumar.
- Prince Harry appeared on an episode of The Tonight Show and got a glimpse of Jimmy Fallon’s Tonightmares.
- The Duke of Sussex also showed off his athletic side when he visited Kelly Slater's Surf Ranch in California. The royal hopped on a surfboard for an impressive ride.
- Suits stars Sarah Rafferty and Patrick J. Adams launched Sidebar: A Suits Watch Podcast, where the two stars watch the show they starred in. The question is: Will Meghan Markle appear as a guest?
- King Charles touched down in Sydney, Australia alongside Queen Camilla for his first visit to the nation since becoming monarch.
- Lady Tatiana Mountbatten (King Charles’s distant cousin) announced that she and her husband, Alexander “Alick” Dru, are expecting their second child.
- In a new documentary, Prince William: We Can End Homelessness, the royal made a rare comment about his brother. And to promote the documentary, William shared a slideshow of never-before-seen pictures, including a throwback photo of Princess Diana.
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- Denzel Washington and King Charles had an awkward interaction at the premiere of Gladiator II.
- November 9 marked the first major outing for the Princess of Wales since announcing completion of her chemotherapy treatments in September.
- The royal family reunited in London for the Ceremonial Welcome at the Horse Guards Parade. The queen shared a brand-new health update after she missed the parade due to an illness.
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- Princess Catherine kept the holiday tradition going by still throwing her annual Christmas concert, despite her health issues. At the event, George and Louis were the spitting image of their father.
- Meghan Markle and Prince Harry gave a rare glimpse of Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet in their 2024 holiday card.
- And as 2024 draws to a close, it was revealed that the hardest working royal of the year is once again…Princess Anne.
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