The royal family\u2019s 2025 marked a step forward for the King and the Princess of Wales, with both sharing good news in the wake of their cancer diagnoses.<\/p>\n
But it was also dominated by the scandal surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, with the King moving to draw a line under the controversy as he formally stripped his brother of his titles in a dramatic banishment.<\/p>\n
\u2013 The King and Queen<\/strong><\/p>\n The King brought Christmas cheer when he revealed in December he had been given the go-ahead to reduce his schedule of cancer treatment in the new year.<\/p>\n Charles, who has been facing weekly treatment for nearly two years, described the \u201cgood news\u201d as a \u201cpersonal blessing\u201d and urged others to check which screening tests they might be eligible for via a new national tool screeningchecker.co.uk<\/a> during his Stand Up To Cancer broadcast.<\/p>\n The monarch, who is known for being a workaholic, has forged ahead with a busy programme of royal duties over the past 12 months.<\/p>\n He travelled to Poland on Holocaust Memorial Day in January to attend moving events marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the former Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz.<\/p>\n In March, he suffered a setback after spending time in hospital due to the side effects of his cancer treatment.<\/p>\n The King and Queen celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary in April during a state visit to Italy, which included a visit to the Colosseum and a private meeting with the ailing Pope Francis after they postponed a state visit to the Vatican because of the pontiff\u2019s health.<\/p>\n Charles also became the first British monarch to address the Italian parliament.<\/p>\n The same month, he poignantly reflected on his experience of cancer, saying it had brought into \u201csharp focus the very best of humanity\u201d, describing how diagnosis is \u201cdaunting and at times frightening\u201d.<\/p>\n The deeply personal, written message was released to coincide with a Palace reception he hosted to celebrate organisations helping people with the disease.<\/p>\n In May, Charles and Camilla spent two days carrying out engagements in Canada \u2013 their first trip to the country as its King and Queen, with Charles opening the current session of parliament.<\/p>\n National commemorations including a Palace flypast marked the 80th anniversary of VE Day and the King paid tribute to the sacrifice of the wartime generation at a celebratory concert on Horse Guards Parade.<\/p>\n In June, the monarch clocked up the 1,000th day of his reign since his accession to the throne.<\/p>\n One engagement took the King out to sea, when he dropped in on the crew of the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales in the English Channel, ahead of the ship\u2019s deployment to Japan.<\/p>\n In lighter moments, the King played a carrot with the London Vegetable Orchestra at a reception for community music groups and knighted former England footballer Sir David Beckham.<\/p>\n He also shared his personal playlist in a collaboration with Apple Music, choosing Beyonce\u2019s Crazy In Love as one of his favourite hits.<\/p>\n In October, Charles became the first British monarch since the Reformation to pray alongside a Pope, when he joined the new pontiff, Leo XIV, at a public service in the Vatican for a rescheduled state visit.<\/p>\n Charles marked his 77th birthday by taking the controls of a tram-train as he officially opened a new rail depot in Taff\u2019s Well near Cardiff in south Wales.<\/p>\n The Queen paid tribute to her friend the author Dame Jilly Cooper, who died after a fall, saying she hoped the author\u2019s \u201chereafter\u201d would be \u201cfilled with impossibly handsome men and devoted dogs\u201d.<\/p>\n Camilla later visited the set of Disney+ hit show Rivals, based on Dame Jilly\u2019s \u201cbonkbuster\u201d books, and met stars Nafessa Williams, Victoria Smurfit, Alex Hassell and Bella Maclean.<\/p>\n After suffering acute sinusitis, Camilla missed the funeral of the Duchess of Kent, who died aged 92 in September.<\/p>\n She also served up jacket potatoes with TikTok star Spudman, paid tribute to the war dead at Westminster Abbey\u2019s Field of Remembrance and met survivors of economic abuse as she continued her charity work surrounding domestic abuse.<\/p>\n Charles and Camilla also hosted three incoming state visits to the UK \u2013 the first time there had been this many in one year in nearly four decades.<\/p>\n Along with welcoming the French and German presidents, the visits included the high-profile trip by controversial US president Donald Trump.<\/p>\n The American leader was feted with a banquet, but kept within the grounds of Windsor, away from the public, for the royal elements of his stay.<\/p>\n Mr Trump praised the Princess of Wales for being \u201cso radiant and so healthy and so beautiful\u201d, called Charles a \u201cgreat gentleman and a great King\u201d and said the visit was \u201cwonderful\u201d and that he ate \u201cwhatever the hell they served us\u201d at the sumptuous state dinner.<\/p>\n \u2013 The Prince of Wales<\/strong><\/p>\n The Prince of Wales began the year by making a public declaration of his love for his wife on her 43rd birthday.<\/p>\n In a rare move, William issued a heartfelt written message on social media after a turbulent 2024 which saw Kate diagnosed with cancer, praising her as \u201cmost incredible wife and mother\u201d, and saying \u201cthe strength you\u2019ve shown over the last year has been remarkable\u201d.<\/p>\n He said he and Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis were proud of her, adding \u201cwe love you\u201d.<\/p>\n To the most incredible wife and mother. The strength you\u2019ve shown over the last year has been remarkable. George, Charlotte, Louis and I are so proud of you. Happy Birthday, Catherine. We love you. W pic.twitter.com\/VIW5v2aKlu<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) January 9, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n The heir to the throne carried out international duties on behalf of his father by attending Pope Francis\u2019 funeral and delivering a landmark speech at the Cop30 climate summit in Brazil.<\/p>\n He staged his Earthshot Awards in Rio, posed in front of the Christ the Redeemer statue and scored a penalty at the Maracana stadium.<\/p>\n William revealed his children are not allowed mobile phones and admitted it was a \u201ca little bit of a tense issue\u201d for 12-year-old George.<\/p>\n He marked the second anniversary of Homewards \u2013 his initiative to develop a blueprint for eradicating homelessness, with the programme now in \u201cdelivery mode\u201d.<\/p>\n William was also pictured next to his disgraced uncle, the then-Duke of York, at the Duchess of Kent\u2019s funeral in September, just weeks before Andrew was finally stripped of his royal titles.<\/p>\n The Wales family also moved home in the autumn, leaving Adelaide Cottage for a fresh start in the Grade II-listed eight-bedroom Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park.<\/p>\n \u2013 The Princess of Wales<\/strong><\/p>\n Kate announced she was in remission from cancer in January after a surprise visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital in London where she was treated.<\/p>\n She described it as a \u201crelief\u201d and said she remained \u201cfocused on recovery\u201d, adding \u201cthere is much to look forward to\u201d.<\/p>\n I wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you to The Royal Marsden for looking after me so well during the past year.<\/p>\n My heartfelt thanks goes to all those who have quietly walked alongside William and me as we have navigated everything.<\/p>\n We couldn\u2019t have asked for more.\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/f3sA7yZdOi<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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