A look back at 12 royal moments from 2024
Editor’s Note: This is a version of CNN’s Royal News, a weekly dispatch bringing you the inside track on Britain’s royal family. Sign up here.
As the end of the year fast approaches, we thought you might enjoy a photo recap of the royal highs and lows of 2024.
It was a challenging year for the royal family, with some serious health revelations from King Charles and Catherine, Princess of Wales.
But there were also more positive moments as the months ticked on. There were visits to Nigeria and Colombia by Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and increased visibility for several members of the clan, such as Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh.
As questions swirled over how much the public is entitled to know about the royal family, the relative transparency from the monarch and his daughter-in-law put a spotlight on the cancer struggles faced by so many.
The King became patron of Cancer Research UK, visiting cancer patients as he resumed his public-facing duties at the end of April. Kate’s annual Christmas carol concert highlighted the themes of love and empathy in the “darkest times.”
Summer provided some much-needed levity when Taylor Swift chose to go Instagram-official with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in a selfie with Prince William during her Eras tour. Meanwhile, Kate’s surprise appearance at the Wimbledon men’s singles tennis final had the center court crowd on their feet.
Here’s our look at 2024 in images:
January: Just a few weeks into the year, it was revealed that both Charles and Kate were dealing with health conditions requiring time in hospital. Palace statements didn’t reveal the exact diagnoses for either of the royals, which created considerable speculation, but it was confirmed that both would be out of action for a number of months.
February: William – dealing with his father’s cancer revelation and his wife’s recuperation from an unspecified abdominal surgery – was called on to pick up some of the King’s responsibilities. He found himself thrust into an increased role. Queen Camilla and Princess Anne also took on more engagements.
March: Across the pond, Prince Harry and Meghan visited Uvalde, Texas, to spend time with the family of a teacher killed in the May 2022 school shooting there. The couple have kept in touch with the family since the massacre. Within days of the tragedy, Meghan traveled to Uvalde to pay her respects after two teachers and 19 children were killed by a gunman.
April: In April, Charles looked cheerful as he returned to public duties with his first engagement since revealing his cancer diagnosis back in early February. The monarch took the opportunity to visit a cancer treatment center in London, run by UK charity Macmillan Cancer Support, of which he has been patron for nearly three decades.
May: Charles’ first official portrait since his coronation – which depicts the monarch against a fiery red background – proved divisive, with some saying it reminded them of a hellish landscape. Not long after the painting was unveiled, it was vandalized in the London art gallery where it was on display, by activists seeking to draw attention to animal cruelty in farms across the UK.
June: William celebrated his 42nd birthday in style at Taylor Swift’s Eras tour at London’s Wembley Stadium. He was spotted dancing in the crowd and even posed for a photo backstage with the singer, accompanied by two of his children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. “Happy Bday M8!” Swift later posted on her official X account.
July: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh attended Royal Week in Scotland, which celebrates Scottish culture. Like many royals, Sophie has stepped up over the past year to support the British monarch as he has been undergoing cancer treatment. It was a year of firsts for the duchess, who became the first member of the British royal family to visit Ukraine since Russia’s invasion, to show her solidarity with survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. Later in the year, she headed to Africa, visiting Tanzania and Chad, which is in the grip of a refugee crisis amid war in neighboring Sudan.
August: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex took their third international trip of the year, heading to the Colombian capital of Bogotá, following earlier appearances in Canada and Nigeria. It might have looked like a typical royal visit, but as the couple are no longer working royals, the four-day South American trip was done in a private capacity. They used the event to raise awareness about online harms ahead of the first Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children.
September: Kate made public her cancer-free status and her plans to return gradually to public engagements. The announcement was accompanied by a joyful video showing Kate, William and their three children – Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte and Prince George – walking through the English countryside, as well as playing among sand dunes and wading in the sea.
October: Charles took part in his first long-haul multi-country trip since his cancer diagnosis, to Australia and Samoa. The visit was full of the usual pageantry but not without drama when a lawmaker interrupted his speech at Australia’s Parliament House, declaring “You are not my King.” Charles later revealed that he regretted not visiting other countries in the region, like New Zealand and Fiji, but was following doctor’s advice, according to the PA Media news agency.
November: William visited South Africa to engage in a back-to-back schedule of eco-related engagements, culminating in the 2024 Earthshot Awards. The glitzy ceremony was attended by the likes of American actor Billy Porter and Australian conservationist Robert Irwin, the son of the late “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin. Environmental issues were the defining theme of the four-day visit to the country – a cause that has been championed by three generations of royals, including William’s grandfather, Prince Philip, and his father, King Charles III.
December: Kate looked radiant as she hosted her annual Christmas carol service last Friday at Westminster Abbey. It was the fourth iteration of her “Together at Christmas” concert, which this year was themed around love and empathy. The princess arrived early to make sure she had plenty of time chatting with guests and musical performers. She then headed back outside to greet her family as they arrived. Read more on this story here.
Don’t miss: King Charles serenaded during visit to iconic power station
King Charles was in jovial form on a visit to London’s redeveloped Battersea Power Station on Thursday, and that was even before he met multi-award-winning British singer Raye, who joined the King on stage, to the delight of the crowd.
The Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter’s performance of Christmas songs showcased a voice that won her six Brit awards this year, but she was still starstruck to meet Charles, admitting to everyone gathered that this is “very scary, very fancy, very amazing.”
Earlier, the King met small-business owners at a Christmas market set up by King’s Trust alumna Megan Jones, who founded Curated Makers, an initiative that connects small businesses with retail spaces, after she took part in the King’s Trust’s enterprise program. Charles was then welcomed to Apple’s new UK head office by CEO Tim Cook and hundreds of employees.
The monarch met young people recently supported by a partnership between Apple and the King’s Trust. As some shared the new skills and technology they had mastered, the King told them they were “going to go from strength to strength.”
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