A royal wedding, milestone birthdays, wartime anniversaries and lawsuits against the press are all looking set to shape 2020 for the Queen and her family.
Following a year of immense highs and lows for The Firm, 2020 appears set to follow a similar model.
With the likes of Queen Elizabeth set to smash another royal record as Princess Beatrice ties the knot, there’s also a few unprecedented turns in their narrative. The fallout from Prince Andrew’s connection to Jeffrey Epstein may have an impact on his duties next year, as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s joint lawsuits will be expected to make headway.
Here’s everything the Royal Family has coming their way in 2020.
Princess Beatrice and real estate developer announced their engagement this year. In a statement released by the royal family, it was revealed the pair would be married in 2020.
“The Duke and Duchess of York are delighted to announce the engagement of Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice of York to Mr. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi,” it read.
“Her Royal Highness and Mr. Mapelli Mozzi became engaged while away for the weekend in Italy earlier this month. The wedding will take place in 2020. Further details will be announced in due course.”
Related Slideshow: Commoners who married royals (Provided by Photo Services)
Queen Suthida of Thailand
Born Suthida Tidjai, she was a former Thai Airways flight attendant and deputy commander of Thai King’s bodyguard unit.
Queen Suthida of Thailand
On May 1, 2019, she married King Maha Vajiralongkorn in a royal wedding ceremony in Bangkok, Thailand.
Kei Moriya
Moriya is an employee at shipping firm Nippon Yusen.
Kei Moriya
He married Japan’s Princess Ayako in Tokyo, Japan, on Oct. 29, 2018.
Jack Brooksbank
Brooksbank is the European manager for Casamigos Tequila and earlier managed the London nightclub Mahiki.
Jack Brooksbank
He married Princess Eugenie at St George’s Chapel in Windsor, England, on Oct. 12, 2018.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
Born Meghan Markle, she is a former American actress.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
On May 19, 2018, she exchanged vows with Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England.
Princess Sofia of Sweden, Duchess of Värmland
Born Sofia Hellqvist, she is a former model and a reality TV star.
Princess Sofia of Sweden, Duchess of Värmland
On June 13, 2015, she married Prince Carl Philip in a lavish ceremony at the Royal Palace chapel in Stockholm, Sweden.
Queen Máxima of the Netherlands
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Máxima is the daughter of politician Jorge Zorreguieta, who was a minister under Argentine dictator General Jorge Rafael Videla.
Queen Máxima of the Netherlands
In 2002, she married Willem-Alexander, then Prince of Orange, in a civil ceremony in Amsterdam, Netherlands, followed by a religious one at Nieuwe Kerk. Though her father’s past as a minister under a dictatorship initially stoked controversy, today she is one of the most cherished members of the Dutch royal family.
Charlene, Princess of Monaco
Born in Bulawayo, Rhodesia (now known as Zimbabwe), Charlene is a former Olympic swimmer for South Africa.
Charlene Wittstock, Princess of Monaco
She met Prince Albert II of Monaco in 2000 in Monaco during a swimming meet. They started dating in 2006, eventually getting engaged in 2010. The couple tied the knot on July 1, 2011.
Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco
Kelly was an Academy Award-winning actress, who enjoyed a short but successful career in Hollywood.
Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco
Dubbed the Wedding of the Century, Kelly married Prince Rainier III of Monaco on April 18, 1956. A model of elegance, the princess adjusted perfectly to the royal lifestyle and earned the love of the people immediately. She died on Sept. 14, 1982.
Diana, Princess of Wales
Born into a British aristocratic family, she became Lady Diana after her father John Spencer inherited the title of Earl Spencer in 1975.
(Pictured) Lady Diana Spencer working as nursery school assistant at the Young England Kindergarten, in London, U.K., in 1980.
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana got married at the age of 20 to Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, and took the title Princess of Wales on July 29, 1981. Much cherished by the people, she lived what appeared to be a fairy-tale life, until she divorced her husband and the harassment of the press made her life difficult. She devoted a great part of her time to help in charity causes, until her death in a car crash on Aug. 31, 1997.
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
The daughter of a flight dispatcher and a former air hostess, Catherine was born on Jan. 9, 1982, and is the eldest of three siblings.
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
She met Prince William at the University of Saint Andrews in Fife, Scotland, where both were studying. Their relationship began in 2003, and they obtained the title of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge after getting married on April 29, 2011.
Queen Letizia of Spain
Letizia was a newsreader when she caught the attention of Felipe, then Prince of Asturias, in 2002. He asked his friend Pedro Erquicia to arrange a dinner party to meet her.
Queen Letizia of Spain
After a year of dating, the couple married on May 22, 2004, in Madrid, Spain. As a commoner and a divorcee, Letizia’s engagement announcement took many by surprise. She became the Queen of Spain in 2014, after her husband became the King on the abdication of his father Juan Carlos I.
Queen Sonja of Norway
Born to a cloth merchant in Oslo, Norway, Sonja and then-Crown Prince Harald of Norway dated for about 10 years. Their relationship was kept secret for a long time because of her non-royal status.
Queen Sonja of Norway
She got married to Prince Harald on Aug. 29, 1968. After King Olav’s death in 1991, she became the first Queen of Norway, who was not of royal origin.
Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway
Born to a journalist in Oslo, Norway, Mette-Marit was a single mother with a rebellious past before becoming the Princess of Norway.
Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway
The engagement raised eyebrows at first, but over time, she earned the love and respect of the Norwegian people. The couple wed on Aug. 25, 2001.
Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark
Australian Mary Donaldson, daughter of a teacher, met Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, during the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Before marriage, she had a successful career as a marketing consultant.
Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark
Mary and Prince Frederik got engaged on Oct. 8, 2003. They tied the knot on May 14, 2004, in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Queen Silvia of Sweden
Born in Heidelberg, Germany, Silvia worked at the Argentine Consulate in Munich, Germany, and also served as an educational host at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, where she met Crown Prince Carl Gustaf of Sweden.
Queen Silvia of Sweden
The couple tied the knot in Stockholm, Sweden, on June 19, 1976, after being engaged for three months.
Princess Marie of Denmark
Born Marie Cavallier in Paris, France, she worked at different advertising agencies. She continued to work as an assistant to the managing director of ING Numismatic Group SA until her engagement to Prince Joachim.
Princess Marie of Denmark
The couple tied the knot on May 24, 2008, in Møgeltønder Church, Denmark. Their engagement was announced on Oct. 3, 2007.
Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland
Born Daniel Westling, he is a former fitness instructor.
Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland
He married Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden in Storkyrkan Church in Stockholm, Sweden on June 19, 2010.
Timothy Laurence
He is a retired Royal Navy officer.
Timothy Laurence
Lawrence is the second husband of Princess Anne, the daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. They got married on Dec. 12, 1992.
Mike Tindall
He is a former rugby player.
Mike Tindall
Tindall married Zara Anne Elizabeth, the daughter of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips and the eldest granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II, in Edinburgh, Scotland, on July 30, 2011.
The Duke of York turns 60, the Princess Royal 70 and the Duke of Edinburgh 99.
The Princess Royal reaches her 70th birthday on August 15, with the Queen likely to stage a party, perhaps at Balmoral Castle in Royal Deeside in Scotland where the royals retreat each summer.
Royal fans will be hoping the Duke and Duchess of Sussex add to their family with another royal baby, in the year that Archie Mountbatten-Windsor turns one.
The fallout from Prince Andrew’s Jeffrey Epstein connection
After Andrew quit royal duties in November over the scandal surrounding his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, it is likely the celebrations for his birthday on February 19 will be low key.
2020 also poses the question of what next for the Queen’s second son as he begins the year without a royal role.
Andrew has been called on by lawyers for Epstein’s alleged victims to give a statement to the American authorities.
He also still holds his military appointments, but whether he will take part in the Trooping the Colour celebrations for the Queen’s official birthday in June remains to be seen.
Harry and Meghan, who have had six weeks off from royal duties after a difficult year, are preparing to launch their own SussexRoyal charity soon.
The pair set up the organisation after splitting from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s foundation.
Harry and ex-Suits star Meghan are also both pursuing legal action, with the duchess suing one newspaper group amid allegations it illegally published a letter she wrote to her estranged father, and Harry suing two groups over alleged phone hacking.
Harry’s Invictus Games for wounded, injured and sick service personnel is being hosted in The Hague in May 2020.
Overseas tours for the Sussexes are expected to be on the agenda, perhaps with baby Archie too, while William and Kate will also be planning official foreign visits.
Other events include the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Rwanda – which the monarch-in-waiting the Prince of Wales, who secured his future role as head of the Commonwealth last year thanks to the Queen’s lobbying, will be expected to attend in June.
Significant royal appearances
The royals are also likely to take part in the 75th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day, which marked the end of the Second World War, on Friday May 8.
May 8 has been designated a Bank Holiday and celebrations will take place over the weekend of May 8-10.
There is also the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain and the Blitz during the Second World War, the 75th anniversary of VJ (Victory over Japan) Day, and the 100th anniversary of the burial of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey.
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