Biggest royal moments of 2025 - from Andrew losing his titles to Princess Kate announcing cancer remission

In October, the King removed Andrew's titles, style and honours following "serious lapses" in his brother's judgment surrounding his past dealings with Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and the allegations by the late Virginia Giuffre, which the former Duke vehemently denies.

He is also set to be evicted from Royal Lodge, the 30-room mansion in Windsor he has lived in since 2003. There was further controversy after it emerged he paid £1 million for the lease and that since then he has paid "one peppercorn" of rent "if demanded" per year. Andrew is set to move onto a private property on the monarch's Sandringham estate in the new year.

In September, Sarah was dropped by numerous charities when it emerged years later that she wrote to convicted sex offender Epstein, calling him a "supreme friend" despite publicly disowning him in the media. As a result of ex-husband Andrew losing all of his titles, Sarah no longer uses her courtesy title, Duchess of York, and is set to make her own living arrangements after moving out of Royal Lodge next year.

The Duke of Sussex lost an appeal in May challenging the dismissal of his High Court claim against the Home Office over the decision of Ravec that he should receive a different degree of taxpayer-funded protection when in the country.

The legal challenge came after Prince Harry and Meghan left the UK and first moved to Canada, and then California, after announcing they wanted to step back as senior royals.

During a BBC interview after losing his appeal, Harry then claimed the King will not speak to him and he does not know "how much longer my father has" as he spoke of his hopes for a "reconciliation" with his family.

In December, the Home Office ordered a threat assessment for the first time since 2020, The Sun reported.

Before their reconciliation in September, the Duke of Sussex last saw his father in-person in February 2024 after Charles announced his cancer diagnosis. Their reunion coincided with Harry's visit to the UK to carry out engagements with some of his charities, with the pair meeting for 55 minutes at Clarence House.

In January, the Princess of Wales confirmed she was in remission from cancer after visiting the Royal Marsden in London where she received treatment. Kate has made a return to full-time duties this year, and while there has been no overseas travel for the royal, she has been present at all three state visits.

During a visit to Colchester Hospital in July, Kate also opened up about her experience of the disease saying: "You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment, treatment's done - then it's like 'I can crack on, get back to normal'.

"But actually the phase afterwards is really difficult, you're not necessarily under the clinical team any longer, but you're not able to function normally at home as you perhaps once used to.

"But it's life-changing for anyone, through first diagnosis or post treatment and things like that, it is a life-changing experience both for the patient but also for the families as well.

"And actually it sometimes goes unrecognised, you don't necessarily, particularly when it's the first time, appreciate how much impact it is going to have.

"You have to find your new normal and that takes time... and it's a rollercoaster it's not one smooth plane, which you expect it to be. But the reality is it's not, you go through hard times."

Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi welcomed their second daughter, Athena Elizabeth Rose, on 22 January, who arrived several weeks premature.

Beatrice later said she endured "months of sheer worry" during her pregnancy, adding that women's health had "been left off the agenda" in the past.

In a personal essay for British Vogue, the Princess said her baby was "so tiny it took more than a few weeks for the tears of relief to dry."

The tot was christened at the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace on 12 December.

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were feted with a second unprecedented state visit in September – this time at Windsor Castle – following the one hosted by the late Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace in 2019.

While the Prince and Princess of Wales greeted the Trumps at Windsor Castle, there were no public-facing elements during Mr Trump's engagements, with security paramount for the 47th US president in the wake of two assassination attempts.

The Duke of Kent's wife, Katharine Worsley, the Duchess of Kent, died aged 92 at her Kensington Palace home on 4 September. The Duchess retreated from public life in her latter years, putting in rare appearances to attend Prince Harry and Meghan's wedding in 2018 and on her husband's 89^th birthday in October 2024.

She opted to give up her HRH status in 2002 and in 2004, she co-founded the charity, Future Talent, to support musically gifted children from disadvantaged backgrounds, after teaching music at a school in Hull.

Her Catholic funeral – the first in modern royal history – took place at Westminster Cathedral with the King and Queen and senior royals in attendance.

The Princess Royal's son Peter Phillips announced his engagement to NHS nurse Harriet Sperling in August, after more than a year of dating. The photos shared exclusively with HELLO! showed Harriet's diamond ring that was chosen by Peter from Mayfair jewellers, Pragnell.

A statement released on the couple's behalf said: "Mr Peter Phillips, the son of HRH The Princess Royal and Captain Mark Phillips, and Ms Harriet Sperling, daughter of the late Mr Rupert Sanders and Mrs Mary Sanders of Gloucestershire, have today confirmed their official engagement.

"Both families were informed jointly of the announcement and were delighted with the wonderful news of their engagement. Their Majesties the King and Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales have been informed of the announcement. No date has been officially set for the wedding."

Peter was previously married to Autumn Phillips, from whom he separated in late 2019, with the pair sharing daughters, Savannah, 14, and Isla, 13.

After a five-year hiatus from social media, the Duchess of Sussex returned to Instagram with the handle @meghan in January. Prince Harry and Meghan stopped using their original Sussex Royal account in 2020 when they quit as senior royals.

Since then Meghan has used the platform to promote her projects, including her As Ever line, which she launched in spring as well as her Netflix show, With Love, Meghan.

But it's also been the year that Meghan has shared more glimpses of her children, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four, albeit with their faces shielded from the camera. The Duchess has shared snaps from family trips to Disneyland and snippets from their time at home, including baking and gardening.

It's been a big year for the Prince and Princess of Wales's eldest child as he took a gentle step towards his future destiny as King. Prince George, who turned 12 in July, participated in three major royal engagements in 2025, firstly joining his parents to speak with veterans at a tea party at Buckingham Palace in May following VE Day 80 commemorations. 

In November, George accompanied his mother Kate to the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall, and in December, he visited homeless shelter, The Passage, with his father William to help prepare a Christmas lunch for its clients.

After three years living at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, Prince William, Kate and their three children moved to the eight-bedroom Georgian mansion, Forest Lodge, within Windsor Great Park, in November, which has been dubbed their 'forever home,' even when William becomes King.

The King made history by praying alongside Pope Leo XIV, becoming the first British monarch to do so since the Reformation.

The Pontiff led the prayer during the ecumenical service in the Vatican's famous Sistine Chapel during the King and Queen's two-day state visit in October.

On 12 December, the King announced his cancer treatment is being reduced in the new year as he delivered a personal video message in support of the Stand Up To Cancer campaign. He had been receiving cancer treatment as an outpatient since early February 2024.

He said, in part: "This milestone is both a personal blessing and a testimony to the remarkable advances that have been made in cancer care in recent years; testimony that I hope may give encouragement to the fifty per cent of us who will be diagnosed with the illness at some point in our lives."