Need a recap of all the royal moments that happened in 2023? Most people probably do—the past 12 months have been some of the most dramatic on record for the royal family. (Which is saying a lot: since the abdication of King Edward VIII in 1936, the Windsors have regularly made headlines for their sensational behavior.)
Fueling it all? The continued chasm between Prince Harry and the monarchy. After stepping back from royal duties in 2020, Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, did not go quietly in the goodnight. Instead, they decided to speak their truth about the royal experience: first, in an interview with Oprah in March 2021, and then again in a December 2022 Netflix documentary. In January 2023, came the biggest bombshell of them all: Prince Harry’s memoir, Spare.
That just set the stage for a roller coaster year, which hit its pinnacle with the coronation of King Charles III in May. Below, revisit the many royal events that made headlines around the globe.
Technically, Spare was supposed to be released on January 10. However, after a bookstore in Spain accidentally put it on the shelves five days early, a media circus ensued: British broadsheets and tabloids alike raced to find out what, exactly, the former senior royal revealed about his famously secretive family.
As it turns out, he said a lot. He alleged that his brother, Prince William, physically attacked him. He revealed that he begged his father, Prince Charles, not to marry Camilla Parker Bowles. And he shared his version of why the relationship between the Sussexes and Cambridges entirely broke down. Unsurprisingly, it was a deeply unflattering portrayal of the Windsors.
In the first week of publication alone, Spare sold 3.2 million copies.
On March 1, a representative for the Sussexes confirmed that the royal family asked the couple to move out of their U.K. home of Frogmore Cottage. “We can confirm the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been requested to vacate their residence,” a spokesperson told Vogue.
The news came after several reports in the British press that King Charles wanted to take Frogmore back from the couple. Originally a gift from Queen Elizabeth in 2019, the couple continued to use it as a U.K. base even after they quit their royal roles and moved to the United States in 2020. They officially moved out in June 2023.
Although speculation started that Prince Charles offered Frogmore to his brother, Prince Andrew—who came under fire for his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein—no formal announcement has been made about its new occupants.
“I can confirm that Princess Lilibet Diana was christened on Friday, March 3 by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Rev John Taylor,” the spokesperson for the Sussexes said in a statement back in the spring. The official website for Buckingham Palace also updated her and brother Archie’s title to include “Princess” and “Prince,” respectfully.
On May 6, King Charles III was officially crowned at Westminster Abbey in a coronation ceremony of historic pomp and circumstance. In the lead-up to the event, many wondered if the Sussexes would attend. In the end, Prince Harry flew from California to London without his wife.
The new Princess of Wales, meanwhile, made headlines for her regal choice of attire. She wore a white Alexander McQueen dress adorned with embroidery featuring rose, thistle, daffodil, and shamrock motifs which represent the four nations of the United Kingdom, along with a meaningful matching floral headpiece.
A week and a half after the coronation, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made headlines after their spokesperson said they were in a “near-catastrophic car chase” with paparazzi while in New York City for the Ms. Foundation’s Women of Vision gala. “This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near-collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians, and two NYPD officers,” they said. “While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety.”
In their official statement, The NYPD confirmed the couple had been followed by paparazzi. However, the New York City Police Department’s deputy commissioner for Public Information, Julian Phillips, presented a more subdued account: “On Tuesday evening, May 16, the NYPD assisted the private security team protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. There were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests in regard,” he said.
After a reported $20 million deal was inked in 2020, the Sussexes and Spotify announced in June 2023 that they were ending their agreement. “Spotify and Archewell Audio have mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together,” the companies said in a joint statement. Immediately, the couple came under fire—with many noting that, during their nearly 3 years with Spotify, they only managed to produce a singular season of one series.
In August, news broke that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were set to make a new movie—one not about the royal family. Penguin Random House confirmed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s production company, Archewell, has secured the rights to the New York Times best-selling novel Meet Me at the Lake. They partnered with Netflix to bring the project to life After months of frenzied press coverage over their differences with the royals back in Britain, it was the first time in a while that news from their professional lives had made headlines.
After staying largely out of the spotlight over the summer, Harry and Meghan have slowly started to make public appearances again—and in September, they attended the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf and in October, they attended a World Mental Health Day panel in October. Throughout it all, Meghan wore a polished yet casual wardrobe, mostly comprised of neutral colors. It was hard not to read into her adaption of a subdued, stylish way of dressing. Her clothes were (or seemed to be) more relatable, reserved, and not, well, distracting—a new goal, perhaps?
Photographer Josh Skinner captured the Wales family—including young children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—at Windsor for their annual Christmas card. Presented in an artful black and white, the image delighted many royal fans. But it also confused them, as some pointed out that Prince Louis was missing a finger. Was it a Photoshop fail or just a young toddler making an odd hand motion? The world may never know.
December saw the premiere of The Crown season six. Divided into two parts, it covered both the death of Princess Diana as well as the beginning of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s romance. The latter, in particular, was sensationalized—and included a plot point that Carole Middleton encouraged her daughter to pursue the Prince. Yet, throughout the sensationalized portrayal, the Princess of Wales stayed silent.
