For Britain’s royal family, 2023 included both highs, such as the King’s coronation, and lows, including the accusations levelled at them in the books Spare and Endgame. Here’s a look at what could lie ahead in the year to come.
The King and Queen Consort
As well as supporting Charles, Camilla has her own projects to crack on with.
Charles III’s first full calendar year as Monarch has been a success. According to a recent poll, two-thirds of the British population think he’s doing a good job as King and he seems to be taking the new role in his stride.
Now he has to make sure he keeps up the momentum in 2024, say royal experts, which shouldn’t be too hard given the fact he seems to enjoy being King. Crowds warm to him on walkabouts, says royal historian Jonathon Spangler, and judging by His Majesty’s body language, the feeling appears to be mutual. “He likes talking to people – it helps to inform his ideas.”
It’s important that he listens to what people are saying to him, says Jonathon. In the coming year, one of the monarchy’s biggest challenges is going to be dealing sensitively with the cost-of-living crisis in the UK.
Heather Jones, a professor of modern history at University College London, believes understanding the financial pressures people are under will make a big difference to the way in which the King is perceived. “When people are hungry, history shows it goes badly for monarchies,” she says. There can be a lot of resentment from a struggling population who have to fund the privileged lives royalty lead, Heather adds, meaning the King may have to be more open about how much the House of Windsor spends.
“There are issues about the transparency of royal finances when the public pay a lot of money into this institution. It’s a weak point at the moment.”
Charles is popular with the British public.
Charles does seem to be aware of how tough the current times are. He has launched the Coronation Food Project, which distributes food that would otherwise be wasted, and he spent his 75th birthday in November at a food bank. Palace insiders say we can expect to see more of his drive to help people who are experiencing hardship in 2024.
Further overseas travel is likely to be on the cards too, with the King keen to visit Commonwealth nations for the first time as Head of State. A visit to Canada has been booked for May, and New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific is rumoured to be possible, perhaps in October to coincide with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa.
His Majesty wants to strengthen ties with the Commonwealth and the best way to do that is to be on the ground, says an advisor. “He certainly wants to carry on the long-held mantra from his late mother of being seen to be believed, and is keen to get out and meet as many people as possible.”
While Queen Camilla, 76, will accompany him on the big international tours, he is expected to go solo for some more low-key visits. “This will allow Camilla to stay in Britain to devote more time to some of her personal projects, like raising awareness of domestic and sexual violence, and promoting literacy,” says a palace source.
One thing Charles is likely to be hoping for is less stress relating to Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
“It’s been difficult this year with the release of Harry’s biography Spare and the fallout from the book Endgame, so the King will be wishing for a quieter year where his son and daughter-in-law get on with their lives in America without rocking the boat too much,” says the source. “Of course he would very much like for them to be able to resolve their differences, and also to see more of his grandchildren Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, but at the moment that doesn’t seem likely.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales
Hard workers Willam and Kate will keep busy and carry on!
In 2023, William and Kate have proved duty comes first, putting aside family upheavals to focus on their new roles as prince and princess. They’ve recently ridden out the storm created by allegations in Omid Scobie’s book Endgame by throwing themselves into a series of engagements, such as visiting a children’s hospital (Kate) and a homeless shelter (William).
Expect to see more of the couple putting on a strong united front no matter what is going on personally in 2024, says royal editor Russell Myers. “This is going to be a big year for them. They have had their transitional year and I think from now on, they will be doing a lot more. It’s going to be a year when they spread their wings.”
Kate, 41, is on a roll with the work she has been doing around the early childhood years, including launching her Shaping Us campaign, which aims to change the way society sees young children. It will continue to be a focus next year. “This is one of her passion projects and she really wants to make a difference,” says royal writer Simon Perry.
For William, 41, the Earthshot Prize will still be a cause close to his heart and he will keep working on initiatives to reduce homelessness through his five-year Homewards programme. Since inheriting the Duchy of Cornwall when he became Prince of Wales, William has put in many hours learning how the massive estate runs and he’ll devote more time to helping its rural communities succeed.
“They are carving out a distinct identity for themselves and they are a couple determined to do things their own way,” says royal writer Marie-Claire Chappet. “Sources close to them have described them as ‘laser-focused’. They have a pronounced desire for the monarchy to evolve.”
They’ll continue to juggle their busy workloads with parenting Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five, and we’re likely to see more of all the children in 2024 now they’re older and better able to cope with being in the public eye.
The young royals are being raised to step up and help.
The recently released video clip of Kate taking her kids to volunteer at a baby bank is an example of how they get their family involved in promoting good causes, while at the same time showing the youngsters that there’s a wide world beyond the palace walls. “The family has become more accessible and as a result appear more approachable and down to earth,” says Marie-Claire.
There is still talk of a move for the family from cosy Adelaide Cottage to much larger Royal Lodge on the Windsor estate, but that will hinge on current resident Prince Andrew being prepared to shift out.
It will be a milestone year for George, who’ll start at secondary school not long after turning 11 in July. Eton was expected to be the school of choice, but he could go to Kate’s old school, Marlborough College.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex
Harry and Meghan will need to move past all the controversy.
The upcoming year could be make or break for Harry and Meghan, who had a rocky 2023 when it came to their business deals. Finding income to replace what they lost when their Spotify deal was axed has been a priority and the news that Meghan, 42, signed with top Hollywood talent agency WME seemed like a positive move. There’s been talk of her possibly producing movies and TV shows, with insiders saying she has been working hard on getting projects lined up for 2024.
However, the fallout from Endgame could scupper some of those deals, with entertainment industry insiders saying the drama surrounding everything Harry and Meghan do has left WME executives concerned about possible damage to the agency’s reputation.
Crisis manager Mark Borkowski says the Sussex brand has taken a significant hit and, as a result, it’s putting Hollywood bigwigs off the couple. “They have probably had enough of them and the negativity. So they have to deliver something now. I think 2024 is going to be seismic, either because they’re going to recover and find a positive tactic or it’s going to be the undoing of the brand.”
Brand expert Nick Ede adds, “Meghan in the right hands is a superpower, the world’s most famous woman, and on paper she could make millions for herself and whoever represents her. But she’s proving to be too hot to handle.”
However, Meghan can still look forward to producing the romantic movie Meet Me at the Lake for Netflix, after buying the rights to the novel, and there are ongoing whispers her lifestyle blog The Tig could be resurrected.
Meanwhile, Harry will be steeling himself for more court appearances as he continues to take action against UK newspaper publishers. He won a victory shortly before Christmas when he was awarded $280,000 after The Mirror was found guilty of hacking his phone.
Meanwhile, a libel trial against the Daily Mirror will go ahead over a story about his dispute with the Home Office, following its decision to downgrade his police protection. Harry, 39, is also involved in a legal battle with the Home Office over his scaled-down security.
A highlight for the Sussexes will be Prince Archie turning five in May and starting school near their home in California.
