This year has been a rocky one for the royals, but a recent spate of good news is undoubtedly a tonic to the family
In 1992, it seemed as if the royal family was enduring scandal after scandal, disaster after disaster. Early that year, Prince Andrew separated from Sarah Ferguson, swiftly followed by the divorce of Princess Anne from Captain Mark Philips. In the summer, Andrew Morton’s blockbuster tell-all – Diana: Her True Story – lifted the lid on Charles and Diana’s unhappy marriage, adding to the already endless fount of tabloid gossip. As if that were not enough, in November, a raging fire caused extensive damage to Windsor Castle, which destroyed 115 rooms.
It was not for nothing that the late Queen Elizabeth dubbed it her ‘annus horribilis’. And in many ways, 2024 has been an unwelcome repeat for her son, King Charles. This year, the new monarch was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer, and his treatment is still ongoing. His daughter-in-law, Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, has faced her own battle with the disease and has only recently finished a course of chemotherapy. Meanwhile, relations between the family and Prince Harry has become increasingly strained, with a series of messy stories hitting the headlines: the Prince contesting in court the decision to decrease his police protection; his wife, Meghan, coming up against yet more accusations of staff bullying; and the couple’s dwindling popularity, both here and across the pond.
It has, in no uncertain terms, been a grim year for the royal family thus far. In recent weeks, however, it would appear that the tide is turning, with some good news stories glimmering on a horizon that has, until now, looked rather dark. For starters, the Princess of Wales appears to be feeling stronger by the day, including stepping out to privately attend the English National Ballet’s matinee performance of Giselle at Sadler’s Wells. The previous weekend, she had spent time alongside her husband and parents-in-law at Balmoral, and was photographed in good spirits, driving to Crathie Kirk for the Sunday service.
The Princess has also been making a steady return to work, and has held several meetings throughout the autumn months. A few months ago, Kate met with her Centre for Early Childhood team members and the Kensington Palace staff at Windsor Castle, to discuss her early years childhood project – her first, officially recorded work engagement since she began treatment for cancer in the spring. The following week, she held a meeting regarding her annual Christmas carol service, during which she met with aides and members of her Royal Foundation to plan for the key fixture in the royal calendar. She has since hosted her carol service, Together at Christmas, to seemingly great success.
The Princess of Wales has been making a gradual return to public duties, after several months out of the limelight (pictured in 2022)
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While Kate has been largely absent from public life over the last few months, Prince William’s cousins have stepped up to the mark to fill her shoes – with Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie performing a more public role so favourably, they may even be promoted to more active, working royals in the future. This October, Beatrice announced that she is expecting her second child with her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, which promoted an outpouring of congratulations and happy messages from the rest of the royal family.
According to the Palace, the family are ‘delighted’ for the Princess of York. Princess Eugenie, who is a mother of two herself, took to Instagram to congratulate her older sister. ‘Congratulations Beabea,’ she wrote, using her personal nickname for Beatrice. ‘So looking forward to more on this journey of motherhood together. And adding another little one to the gang.’ Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, also issued a moving message to her daughter, calling herself ‘very proud’ and declaring the news to be ‘such an incredible blessing and an embrace to my heart’.
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Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, have announced that they are expecting their second child together
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While there may be joyful news of royals-to-be, there’s no escaping the awkwardness when it comes to royals-as-were. Prince Harry has made no secret of his distance from the royal family, and Meghan has not visited the UK in two years, for reasons most believe relate to ongoing security concerns. A source close to the Prince recently told Us Weekly that Harry will protect his family at any cost – even if that means keeping them away from Britain. ‘He’ll always be fond of his home country, but the way he views it, his wife and kids are his priority,’ they said. ‘If that means making sure they’re safe and happy in Montecito, then he supports that.’ Recent rumours suggesting Harry may relocate back to the UK were swiftly quashed – ‘his life is now in America,’ said a friend of the Prince.
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However, Harry has recently conducted an extremely successful string of solo appearances – notably, without his wife by his side. The Duke of Sussex was at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London this autumn to pay tribute to children and teenagers recognised at the WellChild Awards, the charity for which he is patron. The trip came after a series of high profile speeches for charitable causes in New York (as well as an appearance on Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show) and preceded a week-long visit to Lesotho and South Africa for his own charity, Sentebale.
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Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex smiles as he attends the Wellchild Awards 2024 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London
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‘It brings back memories of the Prince who once had so special a part in our national life,’ royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told The Daily Mail. ‘No one could appear more natural or more caring, there were echoes here of his mother.’ Meanwhile, royal author Phil Dampier said that Harry had ‘showed his best side’ in London, adding that ‘it seems he is striking out on his own and doing things without [Meghan] and maybe that’s the way forward… If the old Harry comes back that’s a good thing.’
In the past, Harry and Meghan have always worked together: their new Parents’ Network is a joint venture, their Netflix and Spotify deals were signed together, and each has cheered the other on, no matter the project; the couple even famously work from a shared office at home. Now, however, royal observers are speculating that Harry is changing tack. PR strategist Mark Borkowski believes Harry is going ‘back to basics’ with his approach, adding that the couple ‘had to change the narrative. They need a venture that deflects from the failures. The charity aspect impresses upon everybody that [Harry] does have value beyond the controversial stuff. It has the effect of separating them from the bad press and the failed content ideas.’
According to one royal correspondent, ‘those close to [Harry] say he’d like to come over [to Britain] more regularly to work with the charities and organisations he supports’ – whether Harry’s recently packed charity schedule is an expression of this or, as Borkowski suggests, more motivated by relationship management remains to be seen.
However, the overall feeling is undeniable: with Harry (more or less) back on his old form, Beatrice’s happy news and Kate making a steady recovery, the royal family is enjoying a much-needed sunny spell.
According to one royal correspondent, ‘those close to [Harry] say he’d like to come over [to Britain] more regularly to work with the charities and organisations he supports’ – whether Harry’s recently packed charity schedule is an expression of this or, as Borkowski suggests, more motivated by relationship management remains to be seen.
However, the overall feeling is undeniable: with Harry (more or less) back on his old form, Beatrice’s happy news and Kate making a steady recovery, the royal family is enjoying a much-needed sunny spell.
