Yahoo News The Most Memorable Royal Photos of 2024
This year got off to an unexpected start with the British royal family, with both Kate Middleton and King Charles hospitalized for medical conditions in January, and then the news of Charles's cancer diagnosis in February and a month later, Kate's cancer diagnosis.
In light of his cancer diagnosis, King Charles stepped back from public duties, as did the Princess of Wales, who underwent "preventative chemotherapy"that she announced she finished in September 2024. Their dual cancer diagnoses made the start of 2024 much quieter for the House of Windsor than normal, with two senior working royals effectively out of commission.
In April 2024, the Palace announced Charles will return to public facing duties, and he's been carrying out a scaled-back diary of engagements, and in June 2024, Kensington Palace shared Kate hoped to attend a few engagements over the summer despite continuing to receive cancer treatment. (She appeared twice: at Trooping the Colour, and at the Wimbledon men's finals.) In September, she shared she had competed chemotherapy, but would be making a slow return to work.
Across the pond, 2024 was an interesting year for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. They have more projects in the works at Netflix, including a cooking show hosted by the Duchess of Sussex, and traveled to Canada in February for a series of events celebrating one year to go until the 2025 Invictus Games. They also undertook trips to Nigeria and Colombia, and Prince Harry traveled solo to Lesotho. Meghan also announced a new brand, American Riviera Orchard, but no word yet on that will launch.
Here, see the most memorable royal photos of 2024:
January 7, 2024
For his first public appearance of 2024, King Charles went to Sunday services at the Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate. He had planned to spend January at Balmoral, but due to his health issues, he had to return to London.
January 10, 2024
Princess Anne kicked off international for the royals, undertaking a three day official visit to Sri Lanka. Here, she arrives at Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake.
January 11, 2024
The Princess Royal was joined by her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, during the visit.
January 18, 2024
On January 17, Kensington Palace announced that the Princess of Wales had undergone abdominal surgery and would be hospitalized for ten to fourteen days, and on medical leave until after Easter. A day later, Prince William was seen leaving The London Clinic, where Kate was recuperating following surgery.
January 22, 2024
While three senior royals were absent from royal duties, Queen Camilla kept up with her schedule of engagements—all while providing updates on the King's health.
January 23, 2024
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made a surprise appearance in Jamaica, at the premiere of Bob Marley: One Love.
January 29, 2024
On the same day Kate was discharged from the hospital, King Charles was discharged, too— and exited with Queen Camilla by his side.
February 4, 2024
A day before he announced his cancer diagnosis, King Charles and Queen Camilla were pictured attending church at Sandringham.
February 6, 2024
The day after the news of his cancer diagnosis was made public, King Charles was pictured in London heading to Buckingham Palace to fly back to Sandringham. That morning, he met with Prince Harry at Clarence House, who flew from Los Angeles to be with his father.
Here, the King's Helicopter is pictured flying above a Royal Standard flag, as it takes off from the grounds of Buckingham Palace.
February 7, 2024
Prince William returned to public engagements after Kate's hospitalization, and attended London's Air Ambulance Charity Gala Dinner. "I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you, also, for the kind messages of support for Catherine and for my father, especially in recent days," he said. "It means a great deal to us all."
February 8, 2024
After his quick trip to the UK, Prince Harry made a surprise appearance in Las Vegas, where he presented the Walter Payton Man of the Year award to Cameron Hayward of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
February 11, 2024
As Charles began his cancer treatment, he was pictured attending church at Sandringham alongside Queen Camilla.
February 14, 2024
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex celebrated One Year to Go until the 2025 Invictus Games with a trip to British Columbia. Their day began on the Whistler Mountain, where they spent time at the training camp.
February 15, 2024
Throughout their Canada trip, Meghan embraced cozy fashion—including this navy Hermès puffer coat she wore to watch Harry (and others!) participate in skeleton.
February 16, 2024
On the final day of their trip, Harry joined a game of wheelchair curling, then spoke to competitors. “These last few days have been very, very special,” he said. “Every single one of you inspire me, and you inspire us, every single day.”
February 18, 2024
Prince William attended the BAFTAs solo, where he met EE Rising Star nominees Phoebe Dynevor, Ayo Edebiri, Sophie Wilde, and Mia McKenna Bruce, and this photo soon went viral for their reactions to the Princes of Wales.
February 23, 2024
King Charles was photographed reading get well cards that were sent to Buckingham Palace. "I have had so many wonderful messages and cards. It’s reduced me to tears most of the time," he told Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
February 27, 2024
Members of the British royal family attended a Service of Thanksgiving for Constantine, the former and last king of Greece, held in Windsor at St George's Chapel. Prince William bowed out at the last minute, sparking discussion online about Kate's health.
Queen Camilla led the royals at service. She's pictured here with Princess Anne and Queen Anne Marie of Greece.
March 1, 2024
Amid rising speculation around Kate's health, Prince William carried out a day of engagements in Wales. He's pictured here with Rob McElhenney, who purchased Wrexham AFC with Ryan Reynolds. Throughout the day, William kept to his policy of not commenting on his wife's health.
March 4, 2024
The Duke of Kent, 88, carried out his first solo engagement of 2024 in March, attending the 200th anniversary of the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) service at Westminster Abbey.
March 8, 2024
Meghan participated in a keynote panel for the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) conference in Austin, Texas. "Whether you’re a 9 year old girl or a 90 year old woman, you can absolutely continue to make the change that we all need," she said in her remarks. The panel also came on the heels of the news that Meghan signed a podcast deal with Lemonada Media, and has a new project in the works.
March 10, 2024
To celebrate UK Mother's Day, Kensington Palace released a photograph of the Princess of Wales and her three children, taken by Prince William—a photo that quickly turned into a PR disaster, after it was recalled by major photo agencies.
A day later, Kate issued a personal apology for editing the photo. "Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother's Day," she wrote, but the apology didn't quell conspiracy theories.
More on the photo controversy here
March 11, 2024
Amid the ongoing photo controversy, Prince William attended Commonwealth Day Services at Westminster Abbey, joining Queen Camilla and other members of the royal family.
March 12, 2024
Queen Camilla received a lookalike Barbie doll during a Women of the World reception at Buckingham Palace. "Thank you very, very much indeed. It's brilliant," she said. "You've taken about 50 years off my life!"
March 21, 2024
Meghan and Harry hosted an event at the Kinsey African American Art & History Collection at SoFi Stadium.
March 22, 2024
On March 22, Kensington Palace announced the Princess of Wales had been diagnosed with cancer, and was receiving "preventative chemotherapy" treatment. In tandem, the Palace shared a personal video message from Kate, in which she spoke about her diagnosis, her health, and her desire for privacy.
Everything we know about Kate's cancer diagnosis
March 27, 2024
After Kate's cancer diagnosis was made public, there was an outpouring of support for the Princess of Wales. At an engagement, Queen Camilla shared that Kate is "thrilled by all the kind wishes and support," and received this sweet note to give to her.
March 28, 2024
On Maundy Thursday, Queen Camilla stepped in for her husband, who was unable to attend due to his ongoing cancer treatment.
March 31, 2024
On Easter Sunday, King Charles attended services in Windsor, his first major appearance since January.
Charles and Camilla were joined by a small group of royals—Princess Anne and Timothy Laurence, Prince Andrew, Sarah Ferguson (for the first time since 1991), and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh (not pictured here).
After the service ended, King Charles greeted members of the public.
April 12, 2024
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex traveled to Florida for the Royal Salute Polo Challenge to benefit Sentebale.
One of Harry and Meghan's upcoming projects at Netflix will be a show that follows the world of professional polo.
Harry and Meghan shared a kiss after she presented him with the trophy. More details on Meghan's outfit, here.
April 14, 2024
The Duke of Kent undertook his last engagement as Colonel of the Scots Guards, a position that was passed on to the Duke of Edinburgh.
April 22, 2024
Queen Camilla visited The Royal Lancers regiment, her first visit since being appointed as their Colonel-in-Chief. Her father, Major Bruce Shand, served with the 12th Lancers during World War II.
April 24, 2024
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh walked across the iconic Abbey Road crossing, made famous by The Beatles album cover.
April 26, 2024
To announce King Charles's return to public duties, Buckingham Palace shared a new photograph of the King and Queen Camilla, taken in the gardens of the palace on April 10, the day after their 19th wedding anniversary.
May 2, 2024
Sophie channeled Queen Elizabeth at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, taking style inspiration from her late mother-law.
May 3, 2024
Charles embraced his niece, Zara Tindall, at the Royal Windsor Horse Show.
May 4, 2024
Prince Edward chats with his daughter, Lady Louise, at the horse show. Lady Louise is an avid carriage driver.
May 8, 2024
Prince Harry returned to London for the Invictus Games Foundation's 10th Anniversary service at St Paul's Cathedral. While no members of the royal family were at the service, Princess Diana's siblings supported Harry.
May 8, 2024
King Charles hosted the first Garden Party of the season, joined by Queen Camilla—along with the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
May 10, 2024
Meghan and Harry kicked off a three-day trip to Nigeria at a school supported by the Archewell Foundation.
May 12, 2024
Meghan's fashion choices during her trip departed from her usual neutrals.
More on Meghan's Nigeria style
May 13, 2024
Charles and William share a sweet moment ahead of the official handover of the role of Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps.
May 14, 2024
King Charles unveils his portrait by artist Jonathan Yeo in the blue drawing room at Buckingham Palace.
Read more about the controversial portrait
May 20, 2024
Queen Camilla was one of many members of the royal family who attended the Chelsea Flower Show.
May 21, 2024
Prince William invited his cousins Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Zara Tindall, and Peter Phillips to accompany him at a Buckingham Palace garden party.
They were all smiles, like Zara, center, despite the rainy weather.
May 22, 2024
Princess Anne reunited with her godson, Prince Haakon, during a visit to Norway.
May 25, 2024
Prince William and Prince George attended the FA Cup Final match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium.
May 31, 2024
King Charles and Queen Camilla watch their horse 'Treasure' run in the Betfred Derby Festival 2024 at Epsom Downs Racecourse.
June 5, 2024
Queen Camilla got teary at the UK's national commemorative event for the 80th anniversary of D-Day in Portsmouth, England.
June 7, 2024
William attended the wedding of the Duke of Westminster and Olivia Henson solo.
The best photos of the wedding
Princess Eugenie was also among the guests at the wedding and the evening reception.
June 10, 2024
A solemn shot of King Charles during a ceremony where he presented New Colours to No 9 and No 12 Company The Irish Guards at Windsor Castle.
June 14, 2024
On the eve of Trooping the Colour, Kensington Palace announced Kate would be in attendance, though it does not signify a return to royal duties for the Princess. In tandem with this announcement, they shared a new picture of Kate taken at Windsor this week.
Read more about the photo here
"I’m looking forward to attending The King’s Birthday Parade this weekend with my family and hope to join a few public engagements over the summer, but equally knowing I am not out of the woods yet," Kate wrote.
June 15, 2024
Kate made her grand return to public life at Trooping the Colour 2024.
The Wales family made their annual appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony, and the Princess smiled sweetly at her husband.
June 17, 2024
At the annual Order of the Garter ceremony, King Charles and Queen Camilla led the traditional parade through Windsor.
June 20, 2024
Even Queens bite their nails! Camilla watched a race anxiously at the annual Royal Ascot, a staple of the royal family's annual calendar.
All the best photos of Royal Ascot 2024
June 25, 2024
King Charles and Queen Camilla welcomed Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan for a State Visit, including a glamorous State Banquet, where the royal women wore tiaras.
July 5, 2024
On July 5, King Charles appointed the third prime minister of his reign: Sir Keir Starmer.
July 6, 2024
Prince William was a regular at England's matches during the 2024 Euros, and got very into the match during the quaterfinals.
July 11, 2024
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a rare public appearance at the 2024 ESPYs, where Meghan looked glamorous in an ivory Oscar de la Renta gown.
At the ESPYs, Prince Harry accepted the Pat Tillman Award for his work with the Invictus Games. "The truth is, I stand here not as Prince Harry, Pat Tillman Award recipient," Harry said, "but rather a voice on behalf of the Invictus Games Foundation and the thousands of veterans and service personnel from over 20 nations who have made the Invictus Games a reality. This award belongs to them, not to me."
July 14, 2024
The Princess of Wales made her second appearance of the year at the Wimbledon men's finals, looking radiant in a purple Safiyaa dress.
Princess Charlotte, wearing pink Ray-Bans, is a tennis fan just like her mom—and got very into the match.
July 14, 2024
Meanwhile, Prince William and Prince George attended the Euros finals together. Though the England men's team lost, the father-son duo still found moments to celebrate during the match.
July 17, 2024
King Charles once again wore the Imperial State Crown on the day of the State Opening of Parliament.
He was joined by Queen Camilla, who wore the Diamond Diadem.
August 15, 2024
In August, Meghan and Harry traveled to Colombia, where they visited Bogotá, Cartagena, and Cali.
All the best photos from their trip
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared some sweet PDA moments.
August 16, 2024
Meghan demonstrated her Spanish skills and spoke Spanish to local schoolchildren.
August 17, 2024
During their trip, Meghan highlighted local Colombian brands.
Shop Meghan's Colombia outfits here
August 20, 2024
King Charles viewed tributes outside Southport Town Hall during his visit to meet with members of the local community, following the July 29 stabbing attack.
August 31, 2024
King Charles triumphantly raised a pair of gardening shears to open the Royal Horticultural Society of Aberdeen's 200th Flower Show at Duthie Park.
September 8, 2024
Charles and Camilla attended the 2024 Braemar Gathering on the anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's passing.
September 9, 2024
In early September, the Princess of Wales announced she finished chemotherapy in a moving and intimate video of her family in Norfolk.
"Doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus. Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes," Kate said.
September 12, 2024
Prince William, sporting a beard, attended the the Sovereign's Parade at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell on behalf of King Charles.
September 23, 2024
In September, Prince Harry undertook a solo trip to NYC, where he spent the first day highlighting his mother Princess Diana's legacy.
September 24, 2024
On his second day in New York, he spoke at an event on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, where he called Lesotho his "home away from home."
September 25, 2024
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh cuddled a rescue chicken named 'Stumpy' at Mane Chance Sanctuary.
October 1, 2024
Buckingham Palace announced Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi were expecting their second child together. "His Majesty The King has been informed and both families are delighted with the news," the Palace said.
In tandem with the royal baby news, the Palace shared this photo of Mapelli Mozzi with his two children, 3-year-old Sienna (center) and 8-year-old Wolfie (right).
October 1, 2024
In October, The Duke of Sussex undertook a trip to Lesotho and South Africa with his charity, Sentebale. Here, he poses for a photo with Prince Seeiso.
October 2, 2024
Harry poses for a photo with members of the community during a visit to Matlameng – Ha Mahlehle to meet with the community and see a climate resilience project in action.
October 5, 2024
Meghan rewore a vibrant red gown on a night out to support the Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
October 10, 2024
Kate made a rare appearance, her first since sharing she had finished chemotherapy, to meet with families in Southport.
October 22, 2024
King Charles and Queen Camilla traveled to Australia.
October 24, 2024
After, they headed to Samoa; here King Charles speaks to a local cricket team.
October 26, 2024
The King and Queen posed for a portrait on a beach in Samoa.
Read a recap of their trip: King Charles and Queen Camilla Faced Cheering Crowds and Controversy on Tour
October 26, 2024
Meghan hosted a holiday dinner for Afghan refugee women as part of the Archewell Foundation's Welcome Project.
October 31, 2024
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, meets a guide dog named "Storm" at an event at the Guide Dogs UK centre.
November 6, 2024
Prince William traveled to Cape Town for his annual Earthshot Awards.
November 9, 2024
Kate stepped out at the Festival of Remembrance in Princess Diana's earrings.
November 14, 2024
Meghan supported her hair colorist, Kadi Lee, at the launch of her new hair care line, Highbrow Hippie. (Read more here.)
November 17, 2024
Prince Harry traveled to Vancouver again to carry out engagements in support of the upcoming Invictus Games.
November 19, 2024
At the annual Diplomatic Corps reception, Queen Camilla wore Queen Elizabeth's aquamarine tiara for the first time.
November 20, 2024
Princess Anne, in her role as University of London's Chancellor, presented her sister-in-law Queen Camilla with an honorary doctorate of literature.
December 3, 2024
The Princess of Wales played a key role in the Qatari state visit, welcoming the Emir and his wife at their hotel.
December 3, 2024
King Charles and Queen Camilla hosted the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and his wife Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim al-Thani at a state banquet at Buckingham Palace.
December 4, 2024
Meghan stepped out solo at the Paley Honors fall gala honoring her friend, Tyler Perry.
December 6, 2024
Kate hosted her annual Christmas Carol service, where she was joined by her family.
Kate leaned into festive fashion for the occasion, rewearing a red coat and adding an oversized, velvet bow.
December 7, 2024
Prince William met with President-elect Donald Trump after they both attended the reopening ceremonies of the Notre-Dame Cathedral.
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