All The Royal Events In 2024 You Don't Want To Miss
January admittedly started off with some unexpected news for royal fans, as some of the most notable events were health-related. Princess Catherine and King Charles III were both admitted to the hospital — Catherine for abdominal surgery and Charles for prostate surgery — and were even discharged on the same day from the same hospital, according to CBC News. In Denmark, the year kicked off with Queen Margrethe II abdicating the throne due to health issues. As such, Margrethe's eldest son, Frederik X, became king on January 14.
Nevertheless, the royal families have a calendar full of exciting events throughout 2024 — and, thankfully, ones that have nothing to do with ill health. Princess Anne, daughter of the late Queen Elizabeth II, started the new year by embarking on the first official royal trip of 2024 alongside her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence. The two spent three days in Sri Lanka. That's not all that's planned for 2024, though.
From major diplomatic trips to weddings and milestone birthdays, these major royal events are expected to take place.
Prince Edward celebrates a milestone birthday in March
A few royals have some milestone birthdays this year. This includes Prince Edward, the youngest son of the late Queen Elizabeth II, who turns 60 on March 10.
While the exact details of his birthday celebrations have not yet been revealed, it may be difficult to top Prince Edward's 59th birthday in 2023. On this day, King Charles III perhaps gave his younger brother the ultimate birthday gift: a prestigious new title "His Majesty The King has been pleased to confer the Dukedom of Edinburgh upon The Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, on the occasion of His Royal Highness's 59th birthday," the royal family said in a press release, as reported by Town & Country. "The title will be held by Prince Edward for His Royal Highness's lifetime."
Edward's former titles of Earl of Wessex and Forfar were previously bestowed upon him by his late mother. The first was on his wedding day in 1999, and the second as a 2018 birthday gift.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla are expected to visit Canada in May
In December 2023, it was announced that King Charles III and Queen Camilla would make a much-anticipated royal visit to Canada. While the exact dates have yet to be announced, the trip is slated to take place in May 2024, according to the Mirror. The king and queen are expected to tour the country for a week. The Canadian visit will also mark Charles' first since his May 2023 coronation.
However, this isn't going to be any ordinary visit. Canada is part of the British Commonwealth, a group of 56 countries that have significant histories with the United Kingdom. Canada first joined the British Commonwealth in 1931, according to the Government of Canada, and King Charles technically serves as its head. However, polling has revealed that most Canadians aren't in favor of Charles holding this position. This sentiment isn't entirely new. In 2011, some Canadians protested the monarchy when Prince William and Princess Catherine made a visit.
All eyes will be on the king and queen during this potential visit. "The last thing they would need would be just a quick appearance in Ontario, maybe B.C.," royal commentator and expert Justin Vovk told CBC News in December 2023. "That would send the message that, well, the rest of Canada is not that important to the King. If he really is King of Canada, a cross-country tour would really be in his best interests." Judith Rowbotham, a researcher and professor, told the publication, "I think that King Charles believes ... that the monarchy, if it is to remain relevant, has to engage in some way in key concerns which have a political dimension, notably environmental concerns, but also major concerns like homelessness."
Prince William and Princess Catherine are (tentatively) scheduled to visit Italy in the spring
The end of 2023 spurred talks of another major royal family visit, this time on the part of Prince William and Princess Catherine. In December, Kensington Palace announced that the couple would travel to Italy in spring 2024. The Italy visit is set to mark the first international working trip for the Princess of Wales in more than a year. It will also be the first time William and Catherine have visited Italy together. Aside from there not being an exact timeline just yet, some of the key details about the couple's itinerary are very much up in the air. This includes a potential visit to the Vatican and possibly an in-person meeting with Pope Francis, according to the Daily Mail.
Another big unknown is whether the international trip will possibly be postponed to later in the year due to Catherine's abdominal surgery. While the surgery was reportedly planned, the event caught the public by surprise when the princess was admitted to the hospital on January 16. She was discharged on January 29 to recover at home. If the trip does happen, the public will likely have their eyes fixed on Princess Catherine, and not just because she had a major surgery that has kept her away from completing months of engagements. As the Daily Mail previously reported, Kate not only studied in Florence for several months after her college years, but she also possesses some knowledge of Italian language and arts.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain will celebrate two decades of marriage in May
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia have a big milestone wedding anniversary coming up in 2024. They will celebrate 20 years of marriage on May 22. Felipe and Letizia secretly dated until their engagement in 2003. The pair met when Felipe was still a prince, and Letizia was a journalist for Televisión Española. While admittedly one of the most popular royal couples, scandal rocked their marriage at the end of 2023, when Queen Letizia was accused of having an affair with Jaime del Burgo, her brother-in-law, in 2010, Tatler reported. However, the king and queen's relationship appears to have weathered these accusations as they head towards their 20th year of marriage with each other.
No matter how Felipe and Letizia celebrate their wedding anniversary, there's no doubt that they will hear from their British royal counterparts, with whom they share a strong relationship. Not only are Prince William and Princess Catherine said to be close friends with the couple, but King Felipe also shares a bloodline with the late Queen Elizabeth II, as descendants of Queen Victoria, according to Town & Country.
The Duke Of Westminster will say 'I do' in June
Hugh Grosvenor, Duke of Westminster, will marry Olivia Henson on June 7, 2024, a spokesperson confirmed to Town & Country. The couple got engaged in April 2023 after dating for two years. "Members of both their families are absolutely delighted with the news," the spokesperson revealed. Not only are the families close with each other, but Prince William and Princess Catherine chose Grosvenor to be one of Prince George's godparents.
The bond between the Duke of Westminster's family and the British royal family remains a strong one, so the wedding between Grosvenor and Henson will likely be attended by several key members. While most of the British royal family is set to attend, though, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will reportedly not be in attendance — despite Grosvenor also being a godparent to Harry and Meghan's son, Archie. "[Grosvenor] wanted to avoid anything overshadowing the day, especially for Olivia, and doesn't want any awkwardness [between Harry and William]," a friend of the brothers told The Times.
It will be interesting to see who shows up and who doesn't. While most of the details remain unknown, we do know that Grosvenor and Henson will wed at the Chester Cathedral in England, guaranteeing a beautiful ceremony for the couple.
Trooping the Colour takes place in mid-June
Every summer, Britain holds a sovereign birthday celebration called Trooping the Colour. While nicknamed The King's Birthday Parade, this event is not the same as King Charles III's actual birthday, which is in November. The event is thought to date back to the 1600s during the rule of King Charles II but did not become an annual ceremony until 1760 under King George III's reign. However, it is meant to celebrate the birthday of the sovereign, so Charles will have a second unofficial birthday celebration via Trooping the Colour.
This year's event is set to take place on June 15 and will feature distinguished troops from five different "colours," or regiments, throughout the British army. An estimated 1,400 soldiers will participate in the parade, which starts at Buckingham Palace. If you aren't one of the lucky ones able to see this event in person, you can watch it at home as it is a televised event.
Princess Anne will likely attend the Summer Olympic Games in Paris
The Summer Olympic games are set to take place in Paris, a relatively close destination for royal families across Europe. According to Hello! Magazine, Princess Anne is expected to travel to Paris for the festivities, which start at the end of July and run through mid-August.
Princess Anne has had ties to the Olympics for several decades. According to the Royal Household, the only daughter of the late Queen Elizabeth II previously competed in the 1976 Olympic Games in a three-day equestrian event. From there, she was appointed to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), where she has served as a member since 1988. She also serves as the p resident of the British Olympic Association.
Needless to say, she has a professional interest in the event, but she'll also likely want to support Great Britain in the Games. Plus, since more royals will be able to travel compared with the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo during the pandemic, we may see other British royals supporting their nation's team alongside Princess Anne.
Princess Märtha Louise of Norway's gets married in August
Princess Märtha Louise of Norway announced her engagement to Durek Verrett in 2022 after the couple had dated for more than three years. In 2023, the princess and Verrett, a shaman from Los Angeles, officially revealed a date for the long-awaited ceremony — August 31, 2024. As Märtha revealed in an Instagram post, their nuptials will occur in the princess' home country of Norway. Within months of the engagement announcement, it was revealed that Märtha was to step away from her official royal duties to help run Verrett's alternative medicine business; however, she would retain her title.
People from around the world will witness Märtha Louise and Verrett making history. Verrett is the first Black man in modern history to marry a European royal. "[It] will set a precedent for my people that we are not to be forgotten, and we deserve to be acknowledged for the greatness of who we are and where we come from," the shaman told People in June 2022. "There's always been kings and queens in Africa, but unfortunately, they haven't been recognized in the world in the way that they deserve." At the same time, Verrett will also likely bring attention to the Norwegian royal family for some of his controversial medical beliefs and practices, as noted by the BBC.
Prince Harry turns 40 in September
Prince Edward isn't the only British royal celebrating a milestone birthday in 2024. His nephew, Prince Harry, turns 40 in September. However, unlike Prince Edward, the younger prince will likely spend his birthday away from extended family, as has been the case in the years since he and wife, Meghan Markle, stepped away from their royal roles. In fact, Prince Harry's immediate family did not post messages for his 39th birthday as they had done in previous years. Instead of spending time with the royals on Harry's birthday, Harry and Meghan attended the Invictus Games in Germany, according to People.
Notably, Prince Harry's older brother, Prince William, turned 40 in 2022, but the two were not speaking at that time either. Ahead of her husband's birthday, Princess Catherine reportedly attempted to get the two brothers to reconcile, royal expert Neil Sean revealed (via Express). However, this did not happen, and the rift only seems to have widened.
With all this in mind, it seems likely that Prince Harry will celebrate his birthday with his wife and not with his extended family. Just how he will celebrate his milestone birthday, however, remains to be seen.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla are expected to visit Australia in October
Aside from their spring trip to Canada in March 2024, King Charles III and Queen Camilla may already have another royal visit on the books. This time, it's on the other side of the world. "King Charles is planning to visit Australia and New Zealand in October," a person involved in diplomatic relations told the Sydney Morning Herald. The trip down under will mark the couple's first visit to the country as king and queen, as well as their first since 2018, according to the Daily Mail. Additionally, no reigning British monarch has been to Australia in over a decade, as Queen Elizabeth II's last visit was in 2011.
While no official itinerary has yet been announced, royal watchers will likely want to pay close attention to the trip. Australia, like Canada, is part of the British Commonwealth and polls show the country is similarly against having Charles as the head of state. Furthermore, the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) is set to take place in nearby Samoa in October 2024, too.