The royal family endured a particularly difficult 2024, with both King Charles and the Princess of Wales diagnosed with cancer, and forced to take a break from duty to focus on their respective recoveries. And with a scaled-down monarchy in place and amid recent royal investigations, the past year has seen the "biggest royal crisis" since 1936.
Amid the challenges of the past year, Prince William has had to step up as "heir to the throne" - increasing his duties as future King during his father's illness, while taking a temporary step back to look after his wife and children. And with the 42-year-old carrying the weight of the monarchy "on his shoulders", he has described 2024 as "brutal".
