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Royal moments 2023© Getty

10 of the biggest royal moments from 2023

It's been a historic year for King Charles, Queen Camilla and the royal family

Danielle Stacey
Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
December 28, 2023
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What a year it has been for the royal family. After years of planning in the making and a lot of preparation, Charles and Camilla were officially crowned King and Queen during their historic coronation ceremony on 6 May at Westminster Abbey. 

There have been plenty of firsts for the King this year – from his first state visit to Trooping the Colour.

Both Charles and his grandson, Prince George, celebrated milestone birthdays this year too, while new royal titles were given to Prince Edward and Sophie, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Prince Harry was reunited with the royal family at the coronation and was also in London on the first anniversary of the late Queen Elizabeth II's death.

The royals and the nation came together to remember Her Late Majesty's life and legacy.

Take a look back at some of the biggest royal moments from 2023 in the gallery below.

The moment the King was crowned© WPA Pool

King Charles' coronation

The biggest royal moment of the year was the King's coronation at Westminster Abbey on 6 May.

Charles and Camilla were crowned in a deeply religious ceremony, in front of a 2,500-strong congregation, as millions of people watched on TV around the globe.

The coronation brought together around 100 heads of state, kings and queens from across the globe, celebrities, everyday heroes and family and friends of the couple.

It marked the first time the Duke of Sussex was reunited with his family since Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in September 2022, but Prince Harry flew to the US swiftly after the ceremony to return home for Archie's fourth birthday.

The coronation weekend also saw a star-studded concert at Windsor Castle and the Big Help Out on Bank Holiday Monday, when the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children volunteered with a Scout group in Slough.

A photo of Sophie Wessex and Prince Edward smiling © Pool

Prince Edward's new royal title

On Edward's 59th birthday on 10 March, King Charles made his brother and Edward's wife, Sophie, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, fulfilling the wishes of the late Queen Elizabeth II and the late Prince Philip.

Edward and Sophie, who were previously known as the Earl and Countess of Wessex, marked the occasion with a visit to Edinburgh.

The couple's 16-year-old son is now known as James, Earl of Wessex.

The King and Queen at the state banquet in Germany© Getty

First state visit

Ahead of their coronation, the King and Queen travelled to Germany for the first outgoing state visit of their reign in March, where Charles became the only British sovereign to address German politicians from the Bundestag while the parliament was in session.

Their postponed state visit to France later took place in September after it was delayed by widespread riots.

In October, Charles and Camilla went to Kenya – their first state visit to a Commonwealth country.

 

Prince Louis took control of a wheelbarrow as he helped his mother  take part in the Big Help Out  during a visit to the 3rd Upton Scouts Hut in Slough© DANIEL LEAL

Prince Louis' first official engagement

The Prince and Princess of Wales's youngest child carried out his first official engagement during the coronation weekend.

The five-year-old showed off his enthusiasm with each task, helping to paint, shovel sand and guiding his father William as they had a go at controlling an excavator.

Louis was rewarded at the end of the outing as the Waleses toasted marshmallows.

Princess Eugenie new baby Ernest George Ronnie Brooksbank© Instagram

Royal baby

There was a new addition to the royal family on 30 May when Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank welcomed their second child – Ernest George Ronnie Brooksbank.

The tot is named after his great-great-great-grandfather George V, whose third given name was Ernest, his late grandfather George Brooksbank and his late great-grandfather Major Ronald Ferguson.

Eugenie has shared a couple of photographs of her baby boy since his birth, including one meeting his big brother, August, and another of the family on the beach near their home in Portugal.

STRICTLY EMBARGOED UNTIL 21/07 AT 22.30: © Millie Pilkington / @milliepilkingtonphotography

Prince George's milestone birthday

The Prince and Princess of Wales's eldest child and future king, Prince George, celebrated his tenth birthday on 22 July.

Kensington Palace shared a new official photograph of the young Prince posing on the steps at Windsor Castle.

George, who is currently in Year Six at Lambrook school, took his first major tests in November, believed to be entrance exams for his future education.

Remembering Queen Elizabeth II© WPA Pool

Remembering Queen Elizabeth II

In September, on the first anniversary of the late Queen's death, the royal family reflected on her life, and Charles and Camilla gathered for private prayers at Crathie Kirk, close to Balmoral, where Elizabeth II worshipped.

Kate appeared visibly moved as she laid flowers beside a portrait of the late Queen as she and William spent the anniversary at St Davids Cathedral in St Davids, Pembrokeshire.

Prince Harry also paid tribute to his late grandmother on the eve of the anniversary as he appeared at the WellChild Awards in London, saying she "is looking down on all of us".

King Charles attends 75th birthday at Highgrove© Getty

King Charles' 75th birthday

Charles made a number of public appearances on the week he turned 75, centred around his charitable endeavours.

He joined a tea party at Highgrove with a number of community champions and also hosted a reception for 400 nurses and midwives at Buckingham Palace.

The King also launched The Coronation Food Project, which seeks to bridge the gap between food waste and food need.

A private party also took place at Clarence House, with members of the royal family in attendance.

On his official birthday in June, the King became the first monarch in more than 30 years to take part in Trooping the Colour on horseback.

Kate Middleton smiles during speech at Shaping Us National Symposium © Getty

William and Kate's major projects

January saw the Princess of Wales launch her Shaping Us campaign and in a keynote speech for her early childhood foundation in November, she called for “action at every level” to help to rebalance and restore society's social and emotional skills.

Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales launched his major drive to end homelessness, Homewards, in June.

And in November, William flew to Singapore for the third Earthshot Prize Awards.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet© Netflix

Archie and Lilibet use royal titles

In March, Harry and Meghan used their children's royal titles for the first time when they announced that "Princess Lilibet" had been christened in a service at their Montecito home.

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