The Most Talked About Royal Moments Of 2018

Throughout 2018, it was utterly impossible to ignore the British royal family. Although the reigning Queen and her family always generate a lot of media attention worldwide, this past year was even more exciting than usual. There was not one, but two royal weddings, the birth of a new prince, and a major pregnancy announcement — and that's only three of many events that had everyone talking. If you didn't have an interest in the British monarchy before, this past year may have changed that. 

The year 2018 was also a big time for change throughout the royal family. In the last year, we watched as the royals started to take a more modern approach to their old traditions. On top of that, Meghan Markle became one of only a handful of Americans to officially become a British royal, and she was also the first biracial woman to marry into the family. We can't wait to see what 2019 brings for this family, but for now, let's take a look back on their biggest moments of 2018. 

On the morning of April 23, the newest royal was born. According to the royal family, the Duchess of Cambridge safely delivered her second son, weighing 8 pounds, 7 ounces, at 11:01 a.m. at St. Mary's Hospital in London. Flags were raised at both Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, and a framed notice of birth was on display on a ceremonial easel outside of the Palace, as is tradition. 

Fans were treated to adorable photos of Prince William bringing Prince George and Princess Charlotte into the hospital to meet their baby brother just hours after the birth, courtesy of the Kensington Palace Twitter account. That same evening, Prince William and Kate Middleton presented the new prince to the world before returning to Kensington Palace. 

Vogue Australia later pointed out one big difference between the new prince's birth certificate and those of his siblings, Prince George and Princess Charlotte: the new birth certificate was type, while all other royal birth certificates have been handwritten. We're not sure what that means, but it's, at the very least, a fun fact.

Perhaps the biggest royal event of the entire year was Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding. The big day took place on May 19, and although most of the world couldn't be there in person to witness it, Kensington Palace gave us all plenty of details. The ceremony took place at St. George's Chapel, and mixed tradition with some modern twists: Reverend Michael Curry, the first African-American to preside over the Episcopal Church, gave a rousing talk, while Markle's mother accompanied her down the aisle rather than her father. 

After the ceremony, the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex did a public carriage ride through Windsor before their reception at St. George's Hall. According to British Vogue, Markle wore a Givenchy gown designed by Clare Waight Keller for the ceremony. She had ten bridesmaids, including Prince George and Princess Charlotte. A few days later, the royal family released official portraits, and said that the newly married couple felt "so lucky to have been able to share their day with all those gathered in Windsor and those who watched on television across the UK, Commonwealth, and around the world."

June 2 was another big day for Queen Elizabeth, as it marked the 65th anniversary of her coronation at Westminster Abbey. The royal family shared some old images of Queen Elizabeth during her coronation back in 1953, when she was only 27-years-old. It was the first time an event from Europe was broadcast live worldwide, and it became the most watched event in history, seen by 300 million people. 

To celebrate the special occasion, the Smithsonian released a documentary video about the iconic day Queen Elizabeth was crowned as England's new sovereign, a video that included commentary from the queen herself. In the video, she says, "It is sort of a pageant of chivalry and old-fashioned way of doing things really. I've seen one coronation, and been the recipient in the other, which is pretty remarkable." She also discussed wearing the St. Edwards crown, saying it was so heavy, she couldn't look down to read her speech or her neck would break.

On June 25, the spotlight shifted to Prince William, when Kensington Royal announced that he had arrived in Israel for the first official visit by a senior member of the royal family. William's trip included visits to Jordan, Israel, and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The royal family said that the purpose of the trip was to "build on the strong links that exist not only between the two countries, but also between their respective royal families who have visited each other many times over the years."

According to ABC News, controversy surrounded the event because Israeli officials have reportedly been frustrated for years that the British royal family had never visited. They were also concerned with the palace's language when the official itinerary listed Jerusalem as part of the "Occupied Palestinian Territories." Zeev Elkin, an Israeli Cabinet member and Jerusalem affairs minister, told Israeli publication Ynet (via ABC News) that, "It's regrettable that Britain chose to politicize the royal visit."

The second royal wedding of the year was between Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank on October 12. The two got married at St. George's Chapel, then did a short carriage ride from the Royal Mews, out of Windsor Castle, and down part of High Street. Afterwards, the queen gave a celebration at Windsor Castle for newlyweds. 

A few days before the wedding, Eugenie and Brooksbank gave an interview on This Morning, where they spoke about when they first met. Eugenie said, "It was love at first sight," revealing that they "just stared at each other" when they first met in the mountains. When asked to describe each other in three words, Brooksbank said Eugenie was a "bright shining light." 

According to Town and Country, Eugenie wore a wedding gown designed by Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos. The bride later changed into an evening gown by Zac Posen for celebrations at their reception. 

More exciting baby news came right after Markle's pregnancy announcement when Kate Middleton's sister Pippa Middleton gave birth to her first child with husband James Matthews on October 16 at the same hospital her sister gave birth in. People made the announcement, with the news that the child was a healthy baby boy weighing eight pounds, nine ounces. According to the Press Association, Kensington Palace released a short statement about the birth, saying, "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are thrilled for Pippa and James."

Pippa had kept her pregnancy relatively quiet. The news was leaked in April, when a "friend" told the Sunday Express that Pippa was expecting. She also appeared in Waitrose magazine, in a column titled "Exercising during pregnancy," where she talked about the "joys of the first trimester and the challenges she faces in adjusting her exercise regime to be as healthy as possible during this exciting time."