Royal year in review: Was 2024 really the 'annus horribilis' it started out as?

This year has been one of the most challenging and uncertain periods for the British royal family but as 2024 draws to a close, the future is looking bright for King Charles III and the House of Windsor.

The start of 2024 dealt the monarchy a number of personal blows, with the King and Catherine both diagnosed with cancer.

Weeks before, the Duchess of York announced she was battling melanoma, months after announcing she had a single mastectomy following the discovery of a lump on her breast.

READ MORE: King said his 'mama' practised wearing coronation crown at bathtime

And in February, tragedy would strike the King's cousin. Thomas Kingston, the husband of Lady Gabriella Windsor, was found dead at his family home with a gun discovered next to his body.

The year was quickly likened to the late Queen Elizabeth II's "annus horribilis" – a Latin phrase for "horrible year" – in 1992.

Thankfully, the latter months of 2024 saw the royal family emerge from what has arguably been their most difficult year in decades.

As ITV Royal Editor Chris Ship recently told 9honey: "It's beginning to feel a bit more normal after what has been a very, very challenging year".

Here are the biggest ups and downs for the British royal family throughout 2024.

January

On January 17, Buckingham Palace announced King Charles III was to attend hospital for treatment for an enlarged prostate the following week. On January 19, the King returned from Balmoral Castle, in Scotland, for his Sandringham estate in Norfolk to rest ahead of the procedure.

On January 26, King Charles received treatment for an enlarged prostate, after being admitted to the London Clinic. Queen Camilla said of her husband: "He's doing well".

King Charles left hospital on January 29 after three nights. Buckingham Palace said he would have to postpone his public engagements "to allow for a period of private recuperation".

Around the same time as the King, the Princess of Wales was beginning her own tumultuous health journey.

On January 17, Kensington Palace announced Catherine would stay in hospital for up to two weeks after undergoing abdominal surgery.

The palace said the procedure was planned and successful but the princess was not expected to resume royal duties for months.

The palace did not disclose further details about her condition but said it is not cancer-related.

The end of January brought another health shock for the royal family. The Duchess of York announced, on January 22, that she had been diagnosed with malignant melanoma, a form of skin cancer.

The melanoma was discovered following the removal of a cancerous mole during treatment for breast cancer.

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All the defining photos of the British royal family in 2024

February

King Charles made his first public appearance on February 4 since surgery, attending church at Sandringham with the Queen.

On February 5, Buckingham Palace announced King Charles had been diagnosed with a form of cancer discovered during his recent treatment. The type of cancer was not revealed, but according to a palace statement the King started "regular treatments".

The Duke of Sussex briefly flew to London for a face-to-face meeting with his father at Clarence House on February 6, following the cancer announcement.

On February 10, the King expressed his "heartfelt thanks" for messages of support he has received.

In his own message from Sandringham House, the King said: "It is equally heartening to hear how sharing my own diagnosis has helped promote public understanding and shine a light on the work of all those organisations which support cancer patients and their families across the UK and wider world."

On February 27, Queen Camilla represented the King at a memorial service for Greece's King Constantine II, who had died in January the previous year. Prince William was mysteriously absent.

Hours later, Buckingham Palace announced the death of Thomas Kingston, husband of Lady Gabriella Windsor, who had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

March

On March 22, the Princess of Wales revealed she had been diagnosed with cancer.

In a video statement, Catherine said it was a "huge shock" after an "incredibly tough couple of months".

But on a positive note, she said, "I am well and getting stronger every day."

The video statement from Catherine explained that when she had abdominal surgery in January, it was not known there was any cancer.

The 42-year-old began chemotherapy in February.

Kensington Palace also said Prince William's sudden absence from a memorial service on 27 February was because of the discovery of Catherine's cancer diagnosis.

On March 31, the King and Queen were seen outside St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle after attending the Easter Mattins service.

April

On April 27, Buckingham Palace announced King Charles would "shortly return to public-facing duties after a period of treatment and recuperation".

Along with the announcement about the King's return to public duties, Buckingham Palace released a photo of King Charles and Queen Camilla in the palace gardens.

It was taken on 10 April, a day after their wedding anniversary, to mark the first anniversary of their coronation.

On April 30, the King conducted his first official engagement since January, meeting patients and staff at the University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre in London.

May

On May 8, King Charles and Queen Camilla hosted the first of two summer garden parties at Buckingham Palace.

At the same time, Prince Harry returned to London to mark the 10-year anniversary of the Invictus Games with a service of thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral. But he did not see his father, with Harry's spokesman saying the King's "full programme" prevented the two from meeting.

On May 10, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex travelled to Nigeria for a three-day visit to promote the African country's involvement with the Invictus Games.

June

The Princess of Wales made her first public appearance of 2024 by attending Trooping the Colour on June 15.

Kate joined the carriage procession with her children before standing side-by-side with King Charles on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

Hours ahead of the parade, the princess released a statement saying she had been "blown away" by the messages of support she had received since her diagnosis in March and had been "making good progress" but was "not out of the woods yet".

"As anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days," she said.

"I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty. Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal."

On June 18, the King attended the first day of Royal Ascot – the most important event on the racing calendar.

Also in attendance was Lady Gabriella Windsor, who returned to the spotlight for the first time since her husband's death in February. She was photographed being warmly embraced by Zara Tindall.

The Queen and the Prince of Wales joined thousands of people for the second day of Royal Ascot. Michael and Carole Middleton, the parents of the Princess of Wales, joined members of the royal family, but Kate did not attend due to her cancer treatment.

On June 25, King Charles hosted Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako to the UK for a state visit.

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Kate's public return as royals unite at Trooping the Colour

July

The Princess of Wales made her second appearance of the year on July 14 at the men's singles final at Wimbledon. Kate was joined by Princess Charlotte and her sister Pippa Matthews and was given a standing ovation at Centre Court when she arrived.

As patron of the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Catherine presented the singles trophy to the winner, Carlos Alcaraz.

Also on July 14, Prince William and Prince George attended the UEFA EURO 2024 final match between Spain and England in Germany.

August

On August 19, the King received an official welcome as he arrived at Balmoral Castle in Scotland for the summer, following a tradition his late mother observed every year.

The King would be joined by members of the extended royal family over the coming weeks.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex carried out their second mini-royal tour in August, visiting Colombia over several days on the invitation of the country's vice-president, Francia Márquez.

The visit focused on improving internet security for children and Harry and Meghan also met the country's Invictus Games team.

September

On September 10, the Princess of Wales released a highly-personal video announcing the end of her chemotherapy.

"As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment," the princess said in the video, which featured her husband and three children, and was filmed in and around their Norfolk home.

"My path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes," she said.

The princess said she hoped to attend more engagements in the months ahead.

September 15 marked Prince Harry's 40th birthday with the Prince and Princess of Wales publicly sending their happy birthday wishes for the first time in three years. The post, shared on social media, was a re-share of the royal family's official message to the duke.

October

David Beckham and Prince William teamed up to raise money for the London Air Ambulance service on October 1. The footballer said he was "excited and proud" to help the Prince of Wales as the pair met the staff and crew at RAF Northolt.

On October 10, the Prince and Princess of Wales visited Southport following the horrific stabbing attack at a children's dance class.

It was Kate's first public engagement following the end of her chemotherapy.

King Charles and Queen Camilla travelled to Australia for their first visit since the coronation. The five-day tour, which began on October 18, was the King's first to a Commonwealth Realm and the first time a reigning British King had been to Australia.

The King and Queen had engagements in Sydney and Canberra across three days before travelling to Samoa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

In late October, following the success of the tour, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said the King was expected to return to a "normal" schedule of overseas trips next year after his visits to Australia and Samoa proved a "perfect tonic".

The Duchess of York visited Australia weeks after the King and Queen, promoting her new children's books and visiting a cancer centre in Sydney. The duchess spoke to 9honey while in Sydney about her legacy, her fond memories of Princess Diana and her excitement about becoming a grandmother again.

November

On November 6, Prince William travelled to South Africa for his fourth Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony.

While in Cape Town, he told a documentary the past year was the "hardest year" of his life.

"I'm so proud of my wife, I'm proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done," he told reporters.

"But from a personal family point of view, it's been brutal."

The King was joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales at the Festival of Remembrance on Saturday November 9 at the Royal Albert Hall, but Queen Camilla was forced to cancel her appearance due to a chest infection which was later diagnosed as pneumonia.

It was Kate's first major formal appearance since finishing chemotherapy.

On Remembrance Sunday, November 10, the King laid at wreath at London's Cenotaph in Whitehall, watched on by the Princess of Wales from the balcony of the foreign office.

Kate's double appearances at the Remembrance events – two of the most important in the royal calendar – were seen as a major milestone in her return to public life.

King Charles celebrated his 76th birthday on November 14 and spent the day at the opening of a food hub that distributes excess food, that would be otherwise be thrown away, to food banks, schools and community centres.

King Charles and Queen Camilla hosted the annual Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace, which is typically held in December but was brought forward due to a diary clash.

December

The King hosted the Emir of Qatar and his wife at Buckingham Palace for a state visit on December 3, which began with a ceremonial welcome at Horse Guards Parade.

The Princess of Wales took part in the welcome ceremony and carriage procession to Buckingham Palace but was absent for the state banquet.

Days later, on December 6, Kate hosted her Together at Christmas carols concert inside Westminster Abbey, marking the biggest event in her return to royal duties after ending chemotherapy.

The princess was joined by Prince William and their three children along with extended members of the Windsor clan and Kate's family.

Among the 1600 guests were those who had faced a difficult year, including the families affected by the Southport knife attack.

"I didn't know this year was going to be the year that I've just had... But lots of people have had challenging times," Catherine said to singer Paloma Faith.

In mid-December, another Prince Andrew scandal was making headlines. The Duke of York was linked to alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo, who was banned from the UK.

Days after Prince Andrew's association with Tengbo was made public, the duke pulled out of attending Christmas with the royal family at Sandringham and was expected to withdraw from future family events.

On December 25, King Charles and Queen Camilla were joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales, and their children, and other members of the royal family for the annual walk to Christmas mass at St Mary Magdalene's Church on the Sandringham Estate.

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