Prince William said 2024 was “brutal” and “the hardest year of my life” – with good reason.
The British royal family was rocked by health woes this year as both King Charles and Kate Middleton were diagnosed with undisclosed forms of cancer.
After a shaky start to the new year, and more scandals to follow, the “slimmed-down” monarchy Charles once envisioned for his family was stretched too thin.
Here are 10 pivotal moments that impacted the royals this year:
This year was not a good one for the royal family regarding their health.
In January, the palace announced that Kate Middleton had planned abdominal surgery, although the reason was not revealed.
It would not be until March when the mother of three announced she had an undisclosed form of cancer. During her recovery, Kate appeared at Trooping the Colour and Wimbledon over the summer.
In September, the 42-year-old revealed in a heartfelt video with her family that she had completed chemotherapy.
In January, the palace also revealed that King Charles III underwent a “corrective procedure” for an enlarged prostate. Then in February, it was announced that the monarch, 76, was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer. After halting public duties to focus on his treatment, he returned to work in late April.
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The king and his beloved daughter-in-law were not the only ones to face ailments. Also in January, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, was diagnosed with skin cancer that was discovered during her treatment for breast cancer. Then in late June, it was reported that Princess Anne suffered a concussion and memory loss after an accident that was thought to involve a horse.
The “hardest-working royal” returned to public duties in July.
The year of health woes concluded in December when Queen Camilla, who supported the king while he battled cancer, scaled back on royal duties to address a chest infection that was a form of pneumonia. It is understood she is doing well but is still faced with lingering fatigue.
The Princess of Wales, who never seems to make a misstep, found herself at the center of public scrutiny in March. At the time, she apologized for the “confusion” caused when she altered a family photo released by the palace. The image of Kate and her children was intended to calm concern and speculation about her health, but it had the opposite effect.
Several news agencies that initially published the photo, including The Associated Press, withdrew the image over concerns about digital manipulation. The photo, which was released in time for Mother’s Day in the UK, was the first official image of the princess since she had abdominal surgery two months prior.
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In May, Charles unveiled his first official portrait, which was painted by Jonathan Yeo, at Buckingham Palace. In the painting, Charles is seen holding a sword and wearing the bright red uniform of the Welsh guards, a British army regiment of which he was made regimental colonel in 1975.
The king was depicted against a dramatic red background with a crimson butterfly, symbolic of his ascension to the throne, over his shoulder.
The royals’ post on Instagram was quickly flooded with comments from social media users expressing both positive and negative reactions to the portrait.
While some praised the painting, many others criticized the red background, calling it “disturbing.” One user said the monarch looked like he was “burning in hell,” while another said he appeared to be “bathing in blood.”
In July, Prince Harry’s pals came forward to People magazine, claiming that King Charles no longer takes his son’s calls or responds to his letters. According to the outlet, communication between father and son deteriorated when the two met following the king’s cancer diagnosis.
“He gets ‘unavailable right now,'” a friend of Harry’s claimed to the outlet. “His calls go unanswered. He has tried to reach out about the king’s health, but those calls go unanswered too.”
Several royal experts claimed to Fox News Digital that the king does not want to get involved in Harry’s ongoing court dispute over his private security, which he lost after making his royal exit in 2020.
Harry, 40, has had a strained relationship with his family. It is also understood that communication between him and his older brother Prince William is nonexistent.
It seemed that Meghan Markle was a busy bee behind the scenes. In March, the Duchess of Sussex teased her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, which is reportedly launching in 2025.
In April, several celebrities, including Kris Jenner, Chrissy Teigen and Tracee Ellis Ross, received jars of strawberry jam from the label, which they quickly shared on social media.
It is believed that the former American actress, who made a few public appearances throughout the year, including some quasi-royal tours with Prince Harry, was also filming her upcoming Netflix series, which is focused on “cooking, gardening and entertainment.” That series is also slated to be unveiled in 2025.
In November, King Charles and Prince William were in hot water after an investigation alleged that the monarch and his heir had been making millions from charities and public services.
The UK Sunday Times and a televised program, titled “The King, The Prince & Their Secret Millions,” claimed that Charles and William are quietly raking in money through their royal estates, the Duchy of Lancaster and Duchy of Cornwall.
The Duchy of Cornwall is a private estate of almost 130,000 acres in southwest England owned by William. A spokesperson emphasized its private status to Fox News Digital.
“The royal family hasn’t breached any laws; rather, they operate within an established, if unusual, system,” Jonathan Sacerdoti, a British broadcaster and columnist, also told Fox News Digital.
“However, public perceptions may shift unfavorably, as the Duchies benefit from exemptions not available to ordinary citizens. Targeted or not, this reflects a rising expectation for transparency from all public figures, including the royals.”
Sarah Ferguson surprised many royal watchers when she joined the royal family for Christmas at Sandringham in 2023. In 2024, she expanded her royal reach by raising awareness of breast cancer, which she battled, and launching an official TikTok account to connect with fans.
While some believed the mother of two had been welcomed back into the royal fold, that was quickly questioned when it was reported that she, along with her ex-husband Prince Andrew and their daughters Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, would not be at Sandringham for Christmas this year with the other royals.
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It is believed that Andrew was pressured to stay away due to his alleged connections to a suspected Chinese spy.
The 65-year-old ended the year by declaring in an interview that she would marry Andrew “all over again, 100 percent,” as well as sharing the late queen’s final words to her, “Sarah, remember that yourself is good enough.”
Lady Gabriella Windsor, a second cousin of King Charles, broke her silence following the death of her husband, Thomas Kingston, who died in February at age 45. The 43-year-old spoke out during an inquest at Gloucestershire Coroner’s Court, People magazine reported.
According to the outlet, a spokesperson for the coroner’s office shared that Kingston’s death was a “traumatic wound to the head.” A gun was found near his body at his parents’ home.
Gabriella believed that her late spouse’s “impulsive action” was likely triggered by medication he was taking weeks before his death.
“It appears to me Tom’s impulsive action was likely provoked by an adverse reaction to the medication he had been taking in the last two weeks of his life,” an emotional Gabriella said in a witness statement read out loud in court, The Telegraph reported.
THOMAS KINGSTON, PIPPA MIDDLETON’S EX, MOURNED BY ROYAL FAMILY AFTER DEATH AT 45
The court heard that Kingston was prescribed zopiclone to help with trouble sleeping and sertraline for anxiety, People magazine reported. Kingston reportedly stopped taking sertraline because it made him “very anxious.” According to the outlet, his prescription was changed to diazepam and citalopram. He also reportedly “doubled” his dosage of sleep medication.
Kingston previously dated Kate Middleton’s younger sister, Pippa Middleton. Although they split in 2011, they remained good friends.
The disgraced Duke of York created scandal after scandal in 2024. In December, a Chinese businessman was barred from the U.K. because of concerns he cultivated links with Andrew in an alleged effort to influence British elites on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.
The man, identified as Yang Tengbo, said he was not involved in espionage and had “done nothing wrong or unlawful.” Following the scandal, it was reported that the 64-year-old would not join the royals this Christmas.
Earlier this year, the late queen’s favorite son was at risk of being evicted from his palatial Royal Lodge to cut down on costs. However, Andrew remains ensconced at the 30-room Royal Lodge.
The scandal-prone prince, who was previously linked with the late American financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, continued to be a constant source of tabloid fodder because of his money woes and shady connections.
