2024 - a horror year for royal families Prince William: "To be honest, it was awful"
2024 was an annus horribilis - a horror year - for royalty. King Charles and Princess Kate fell ill with cancer, Mette-Marit's son was arrested. A look back.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- 2024 was not a lucky year for many royal families. On the contrary, it was overshadowed by serious illnesses and negative headlines.
- In the first quarter of 2024, Princess Kate and King Charles announced that they had cancer and were undergoing treatment.
- In the summer, the son of Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Marius Borg Høiby, was arrested.
- blue News summarizes the annus horribilis. A drama in several acts.
2024 is truly not a good year for the European royal families. It is marked by illness and negative headlines. A particularly dark year for King Charles and the British monarchy.
A review of the annus horribilis in several acts.
January: Princess Kate has to undergo an abdominal operation
The year begins with bad news for the British royal family. Princess Kate has to undergo an abdominal operation and has to take a longer break for the time being.
January: Prince Leka of Albania splits up
At the beginning of the year, the media reported on the separation of Prince Leka of Albania and his wife Princess Elia.
blue News reported that the couple were calling it quits after eight years of marriage and had a daughter together. The three-year-old now has priority, but Elia wrote: "I would not have chosen for my daughter to grow up with separate parents."
February: King Charles has prostate cancer and undergoes treatment
On February 5, King Charles announces in a statement that he has prostate cancer and is undergoing treatment.
The disease was discovered during a check-up. As a result, the 75-year-old had to undergo an operation. Well-wishes from all over the world arrive in London.
King Charles, who is known as a busy monarch, then has to shift down a gear and take a break from his commitments. Always at his side - like a rock in the surf - is his wife Camilla.
March: Princess Kate announces she has cancer
It is shock news for royal fans worldwide: Princess Kate announces her cancer in an emotional video on March 22.
Prior to this, numerous speculations about Princess Kate's state of health had been circulating in the media. By going public, the British princess puts an end to the rumors.
Husband Prince William subsequently takes time out from his commitments to look after Princess Kate and spend more time with the children.
April: King Charles visits a cancer center
King Charles also had to cut back after his diagnosis. Yet the British monarch is known as a hard worker.
The 75-year-old makes his first public appearance after his diagnosis in a special place: King Charles visits the University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre in London with Queen Camilla on April 30. There he talks to patients who have received their chemotherapy and to the nursing staff.
June: Princess Kate's first public appearance
Princess Kate has chosen a special occasion for her comeback in public: the military parade on June 15 in London. The event is also known as the "Trooping the Color" parade.
August: Marius Borg Høiby, Princess Mette-Marit's eldest son, is arrested
At the beginning of August, the Norwegian royal family makes negative headlines: Marius Borg Høiby, Princess Mette-Marit's eldest son, is arrested in Oslo on suspicion of assault.
The news at the beginning of August is just the beginning of a drama. This is followed by further legal blows for Princess Mette-Marit's eldest son.
November: Sexual allegations against Durek Verrett
At the beginning of November, the Norwegian royal family receives another piece of heavy mail. This time it concerns shaman Durek Verrett, who celebrated a dream wedding with Princess Märtha Louise on August 31.
Durek Verrett, the husband of Norwegian Princess Märtha Louise, is facing allegations of sexual harassment.
Verrett's former friend Eric Nies published incriminating voicemails from 2020 in which the shaman admits to overstepping boundaries with his clients. The US shaman admits his misconduct in the recordings, but at the same time blames the alleged victim.
November: Prince William speaks of a particularly terrible year
In an interview with the PA news agency in early November 2024, Prince William admits that 2024 was a particularly tough year: "To be honest, it was awful."
