From a coronation to court cases: How the royal family survived 2023

If 2022 was a year of dramatic change for the royal family, 2023 has felt steadier. Photo / AP

The traditional Christmas Day walk to Sandringham church is the perfect punctuation point on the royal family’s 2023. They rounded off the year with a troupe of happy young cousins, three generations of blended family taking in the Queen’s own children and grandchildren, and Fergie back in the fold. It all looked delightfully informal while acknowledging duty – and it revealed a lot more than a glance at the photographs might suggest.

After a year not quite as turbulent as 2022 but not without drama, 2023 ends showing that the ship has steadied, the family reshuffled into their new roles. This week they seem, believe it or not, to be having fun again.

How did we – or rather they – get here? The year has included a coronation, a glittering state visit and an official royal autobiography the likes of which have never been seen before. A race row, multiple court cases and a surprise turn from the Princess of Wales on the Eurovision piano surprised the world in a year like no other.

The new King Charles III settled into life as sovereign. The sharp grief of Queen Elizabeth II’s death faded in the public consciousness a little, giving way to a new era of Charles III stamps, coins, and God Save the King.

The royal family has been bombarded – no longer from the spate of protesters chucking eggs, but from the King’s younger son, his wife, and their sympathetic biographer throwing verbal grenades from afar. But the more they have faced, the more they have seemed to rise above it.

“Focusing on the day job” and “business as usual” have been the watchwords of the palace, keen to keep calm and carry on in the face of provocation.

As ever, there has been light and shade. The Prince of Wales both paid a visit to Ukrainian troops training in Poland and surprised callers at a Birmingham curry house by answering the phone to note down their takeaway order. The Princess gathered the world’s leading experts on childhood to an early years conference, and played darts during a royal engagement in a pub. The King made headlines for having a hole in his sock.

When the King delivered his first Christmas message last year, the lingering grief of his mother’s death was etched on his face. This year, he set the tone for his own reign with a television address taking in his campaigning causes and images of his streamlined working royal family.

The King, privately concerned about the glaring absence of the Sussexes as he must be, can end 2023 in relative contentment. If the late Queen’s reign became known for the unofficial mantra of “never complain”, so 2023 has set the tone for her heirs: “Getting on with the job”.

The year started with the publication of Prince Harry’s memoir, Spare. Photo / Getty Images

January

The year started with a bang with the publication of Prince Harry’s memoir, Spare. A string of publicity interviews, its accidentally early publication in Spain and 416 pages of his own painful story left the world reeling.

The memoir was an instant best seller and the world divided into two: those who read it with renewed sympathy for the self-proclaimed Spare, and those who incredulously shared passages about his frost-bite with their WhatsApp groups.

The remaining royal family resumed their day-to-day engagements.

February

As the dust settled over copies of Spare, coronation planning began in earnest. The emblem was created and peers set about securing one of the limited number of ceremonial roles and seats in Westminster Abbey.

Prince Harry and Meghan planned to make rom-coms for Netflix, and were skewered in an episode of South Park mischievously called the World Privacy Tour.

Campaign group Republic spotted a moment of weakness after the death of Elizabeth II and stepped up its protests, sending a small but noisy number to wield “Not My King” placards at public engagements.

Queen Camilla had a dose of Covid-19, spoke up for freedom of expression in the wake of politically correct changes to Roald Dahl’s books (as revealed by The Telegraph), and dropped the “consort” part of her title when updating the name of her Queen’s Reading Room.

March

March brought the cancellation of a planned visit to France as those protesting about the Government took to the streets in such numbers it became unviable. The King and Queen’s trip to Germany was warmly welcomed.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced that Princess Lilibet had been christened, confirming that she and Prince Archie would be using their titles.

Prince Harry spoke of growing up in a broken home in an interview with trauma expert Dr Gabor Mate. The Sussexes were reported to have been asked to vacate Frogmore Cottage.

April

The King performed his first Maundy money service, and authorised research in the royal archives to shed light on links to slavery.

The Duchess of Sussex re-emerged after a period of quiet, signing with power agents WME.

Prince Harry accepted a coronation invitation. He also began his phone hacking case, dragging Prince William into it with a disclosure that the older brother had settled out of court.

It emerged that Meghan had written to the King about allegations of “unconscious bias” in the royal family.

The Commonwealth’s eyes were on Westminster Abbey and the crowning of the King and Queen. Photo / Getty Images

May

The biggest royal moment of the year came on May 6, where the Commonwealth’s eyes were on Westminster Abbey and the crowning of the King and Queen.

Prince Harry had five ongoing court cases by this point, arguing with the Home Office over whether he could pay for ongoing security.

The Sussexes undertook a short visit to New York which ended in what was described as a “near catastrophic” car chase with paparazzi.

Princess Eugenie gave birth to her second son, Ernest Brooksbank.

June

Prince William launched his homelessness project in earnest, declaring it his life’s work and confirming he planned to use his new Duchy of Cornwall estate to build social housing.

The royal family turned out en masse for Ascot, the late Queen’s favourite moment in the calendar. They assembled again for Trooping the Colour, with the three Wales children joining the Buckingham Palace balcony.

The Duchess of Sussex’s Archetypes podcast was not renewed, and the couple’s lucrative Spotify contract ended. They were called “f***ing grifters” by an executive.

Omid Scobie announced he would be publishing a new book revealing “moments the royal family will be ashamed of”.

July

The social season continued with Wimbledon, where Prince George and Princess Charlotte joined their parents for the first time.

The King and Queen travelled to Scotland for a week of events to mark their coronation.

Prince George and Princess Charlotte joined their parents for the first time in the social season. Photo / AP

August

The family decamped to Balmoral for the summer, as is their tradition. Even Prince Andrew, otherwise firmly “stepped back” from public duty, was seen joining his siblings and nephew at church.

Prince William was criticised for missing the women’s football World Cup final, deciding not to fly to Australia for the day.

Prince Harry appeared in a Netflix documentary about the Invictus Games, saying he did not have a support structure to help him deal with his mother’s death.

The Duchess of Sussex was photographed wearing an anti-stress patch, sparking rumours of a new lifestyle business venture.

September

The Prince and Princess of Wales appeared on Mike Tindall’s rugby podcast alongside Princess Anne for a 50-minute-long laughter-filled chat ahead of the World Cup.

William was kissed by retired footballer Paul Gascgoine, better known as Gazza, during a visit to Bournemouth, and his household began advertising for the new job of CEO.

The Caribbean nations stepped up their plans to formally demand slavery reparations. The King and Queen finally made their visit to France, where he made news for his “bromance” with President Macron.

The Invictus Games in Dusseldorf was a success, with the Sussexes receiving a rock star welcome.

October

The King and Queen undertook the first Commonwealth visit of his reign, to Kenya, where he acknowledged the “abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of violence committed against Kenyans” during their independence struggle.

He also hosted the Powerlist Black Excellence Awards at Buckingham Palace, and was presented with a paper crown while opening a hospice.

November

Prince William visited Singapore for the third Earthshot Prize.

The King celebrated his 75th birthday with a party for other 75-year-olds, and unveiled an anti-food waste project. He read his first King’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament, posed for a new portrait and wore a Greek tie in the middle of a government row over the Elgin Marbles.

The Princess of Wales hosted an early years summit and gave a welcome speech for Children in Need.

The family came together for the South Korean state visit, with a banquet complete with a joke about Gangnam Style.

The names of two members of the family accused of commenting on Archie’s skin colour were “accidentally” published in a translation of Endgame.

The family’s Christmas cards saw the Waleses take a new direction. Photo / Getty Images

December

The King delivered the opening address at Cop28. The annual diplomatic reception at the palace saw a united King, Queen, Prince and Princess of Wales pose for a photograph together.

Prince Harry lost a legal battle against the Mail on Sunday in a libel case, but enjoyed a win against Mirror Group Newspapers over phone hacking.

The Wales children appeared on camera volunteering at a baby bank, and at the Princess’s Westminster Abbey carol concert.

The family’s Christmas cards saw the Waleses take a new direction, following in the image of Princess Diana and her young sons back in the 1990s.

And during a visit to Ealing Broadway market, Father Christmas told the equally jovial King he was “at the very top of his good list” for 2023.

A behind-the-scenes documentary about the coronation showed the rarely-seen good humour and warmth between first the off-duty King and Prince William, then the King and the grandchildren he hugs and kisses.

The King’s speech saw him make a plea for world peace, the saving of the planet, and gratitude for Britain’s hard-working volunteers. The photographs and footage showed his slimmed-down royal family – not a Sussex in sight, but Princess Anne and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh on the job.

At Sandringham, the Tindalls took their rightful places at the heart of a fun-filled family outing, 9-year-old Mia collecting flowers and holding hands with Prince Louis, while Uncle Mike and Auntie Zara joshed with Prince George.

The royal women turned their hands to tea parties. The Princess of Wales surprised children to thank the adults in their lives, and the Queen hosted another one at Windsor Castle for a little girl who took her coronation teddy to comfort her through chemotherapy.

Conclusion

After a difficult year, the obviously happy family gathering at Sandringham was just what they needed. Not since the Platinum Jubilee when Queen Elizabeth II was still alive have the family gathered in such numbers for a day of uncomplicated joy.

The Duchess of Sussex once said: “It’s not enough to just survive something, right? That’s not the point of life. You’ve got to thrive, you’ve got to feel happy.”

The royal family have certainly survived their 2023. As a challenging year draws to its close, they finally seem to be thriving.