{"id":659559,"date":"2025-12-28T10:17:28","date_gmt":"2025-12-28T10:17:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/659559\/"},"modified":"2025-12-28T10:17:28","modified_gmt":"2025-12-28T10:17:28","slug":"the-royal-family-in-2025-king-and-kates-health-news-and-andrews-banishment-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/659559\/","title":{"rendered":"The royal family in 2025: King and Kate\u2019s health news and Andrew\u2019s banishment"},"content":{"rendered":"

The royal family\u2019s 2025 marked a step forward for the King and the Princess of Wales, with both sharing good news in the wake of their cancer diagnoses.<\/p>\n

But it was also dominated by the scandal surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, with the King moving to draw a line under the controversy as he formally stripped his brother of his titles in a dramatic banishment.<\/p>\n

\u2013 The King and Queen<\/strong><\/p>\n

The King brought Christmas cheer when he revealed in December he had been given the go-ahead to reduce his schedule of cancer treatment in the new year.<\/p>\n

Charles, who has been facing weekly treatment for nearly two years, described the \u201cgood news\u201d as a \u201cpersonal blessing\u201d and urged others to check which screening tests they might be eligible for via a new national tool screeningchecker.co.uk<\/a> during his Stand Up To Cancer broadcast.<\/p>\n

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The monarch, who is known for being a workaholic, has forged ahead with a busy programme of royal duties over the past 12 months.<\/p>\n

He travelled to Poland on Holocaust Memorial Day in January to attend moving events marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the former Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz.<\/p>\n

In March, he suffered a setback after spending time in hospital due to the side effects of his cancer treatment.<\/p>\n

The King and Queen celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary in April during a state visit to Italy, which included a visit to the Colosseum and a private meeting with the ailing Pope Francis after they postponed a state visit to the Vatican because of the pontiff\u2019s health.<\/p>\n

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Charles also became the first British monarch to address the Italian parliament.<\/p>\n

The same month, he poignantly reflected on his experience of cancer, saying it had brought into \u201csharp focus the very best of humanity\u201d, describing how diagnosis is \u201cdaunting and at times frightening\u201d.<\/p>\n

The deeply personal, written message was released to coincide with a Palace reception he hosted to celebrate organisations helping people with the disease.<\/p>\n

In May, Charles and Camilla spent two days carrying out engagements in Canada \u2013 their first trip to the country as its King and Queen, with Charles opening the current session of parliament.<\/p>\n

National commemorations including a Palace flypast marked the 80th anniversary of VE Day and the King paid tribute to the sacrifice of the wartime generation at a celebratory concert on Horse Guards Parade.<\/p>\n

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In June, the monarch clocked up the 1,000th day of his reign since his accession to the throne.<\/p>\n

One engagement took the King out to sea, when he dropped in on the crew of the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales in the English Channel, ahead of the ship\u2019s deployment to Japan.<\/p>\n

In lighter moments, the King played a carrot with the London Vegetable Orchestra at a reception for community music groups and knighted former England footballer Sir David Beckham.<\/p>\n

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He also shared his personal playlist in a collaboration with Apple Music, choosing Beyonce\u2019s Crazy In Love as one of his favourite hits.<\/p>\n

In October, Charles became the first British monarch since the Reformation to pray alongside a Pope, when he joined the new pontiff, Leo XIV, at a public service in the Vatican for a rescheduled state visit.<\/p>\n

Charles marked his 77th birthday by taking the controls of a tram-train as he officially opened a new rail depot in Taff\u2019s Well near Cardiff in south Wales.<\/p>\n

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The Queen paid tribute to her friend the author Dame Jilly Cooper, who died after a fall, saying she hoped the author\u2019s \u201chereafter\u201d would be \u201cfilled with impossibly handsome men and devoted dogs\u201d.<\/p>\n

Camilla later visited the set of Disney+ hit show Rivals, based on Dame Jilly\u2019s \u201cbonkbuster\u201d books, and met stars Nafessa Williams, Victoria Smurfit, Alex Hassell and Bella Maclean.<\/p>\n

After suffering acute sinusitis, Camilla missed the funeral of the Duchess of Kent, who died aged 92 in September.<\/p>\n

She also served up jacket potatoes with TikTok star Spudman, paid tribute to the war dead at Westminster Abbey\u2019s Field of Remembrance and met survivors of economic abuse as she continued her charity work surrounding domestic abuse.<\/p>\n

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Charles and Camilla also hosted three incoming state visits to the UK \u2013 the first time there had been this many in one year in nearly four decades.<\/p>\n

Along with welcoming the French and German presidents, the visits included the high-profile trip by controversial US president Donald Trump.<\/p>\n

The American leader was feted with a banquet, but kept within the grounds of Windsor, away from the public, for the royal elements of his stay.<\/p>\n

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Mr Trump praised the Princess of Wales for being \u201cso radiant and so healthy and so beautiful\u201d, called Charles a \u201cgreat gentleman and a great King\u201d and said the visit was \u201cwonderful\u201d and that he ate \u201cwhatever the hell they served us\u201d at the sumptuous state dinner.<\/p>\n

\u2013 The Prince of Wales<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Prince of Wales began the year by making a public declaration of his love for his wife on her 43rd birthday.<\/p>\n

In a rare move, William issued a heartfelt written message on social media after a turbulent 2024 which saw Kate diagnosed with cancer, praising her as \u201cmost incredible wife and mother\u201d, and saying \u201cthe strength you\u2019ve shown over the last year has been remarkable\u201d.<\/p>\n

He said he and Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis were proud of her, adding \u201cwe love you\u201d.<\/p>\n

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To the most incredible wife and mother. The strength you\u2019ve shown over the last year has been remarkable. George, Charlotte, Louis and I are so proud of you. Happy Birthday, Catherine. We love you. W pic.twitter.com\/VIW5v2aKlu<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) January 9, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The heir to the throne carried out international duties on behalf of his father by attending Pope Francis\u2019 funeral and delivering a landmark speech at the Cop30 climate summit in Brazil.<\/p>\n

He staged his Earthshot Awards in Rio, posed in front of the Christ the Redeemer statue and scored a penalty at the Maracana stadium.<\/p>\n

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William revealed his children are not allowed mobile phones and admitted it was a \u201ca little bit of a tense issue\u201d for 12-year-old George.<\/p>\n

He marked the second anniversary of Homewards \u2013 his initiative to develop a blueprint for eradicating homelessness, with the programme now in \u201cdelivery mode\u201d.<\/p>\n

William was also pictured next to his disgraced uncle, the then-Duke of York, at the Duchess of Kent\u2019s funeral in September, just weeks before Andrew was finally stripped of his royal titles.<\/p>\n

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The Wales family also moved home in the autumn, leaving Adelaide Cottage for a fresh start in the Grade II-listed eight-bedroom Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park.<\/p>\n

\u2013 The Princess of Wales<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kate announced she was in remission from cancer in January after a surprise visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital in London where she was treated.<\/p>\n

She described it as a \u201crelief\u201d and said she remained \u201cfocused on recovery\u201d, adding \u201cthere is much to look forward to\u201d.<\/p>\n

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I wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you to The Royal Marsden for looking after me so well during the past year.<\/p>\n

My heartfelt thanks goes to all those who have quietly walked alongside William and me as we have navigated everything.<\/p>\n

We couldn\u2019t have asked for more.\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/f3sA7yZdOi<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) January 14, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Kate hugged fellow patients and offered support and shared her own experiences of chemotherapy.<\/p>\n

She made a surprise appearance at a Holocaust Memorial Day service in London and throughout the year gradually increased her public engagements.<\/p>\n

She supported the King and Queen at the three incoming state visits, attending her first state banquet in nearly two years in honour of Emmanuel Macron in July, doing the same for President Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany and Donald Trump.<\/p>\n

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The princess warned about the \u201cepidemic of disconnection\u201d created by smart phones and other gadgets, and urged society to \u201cinvest in the relationships you have with each other\u201d in an essay in October.<\/p>\n

She missed Royal Ascot as she sought the right balance following her cancer treatment, but attended the VE Day commemorations, Trooping the Colour and the annual Order of the Garter service, and made a solo visit to a V&A storage facility in London.<\/p>\n

She also debuted a new \u201cbronde\u201d look, stepping out with a blonder balayage in September.<\/p>\n

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The Waleses carried out a visit to Southport to show their support after last year\u2019s fatal knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.<\/p>\n

William and Kate met the parents of Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Bebe King, six, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, at two schools which the girls attended.<\/p>\n

Kate also staged her annual carol concert in Westminster Abbey, where she was joined by William, her children, Hollywood actors Kate Winslet and Chiwetel Ejiofor and singer Katie Melua.<\/p>\n

\u2013 Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor<\/strong><\/p>\n

2025 was the year the King\u2019s brother was finally banished from the royal family.<\/p>\n

Andrew had been embroiled in controversy for years over his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, and allegations, which he denies, that he sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffre when she was a teenager and had been trafficked by Epstein.<\/p>\n

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Ms Giuffre\u2019s death by suicide in April, her posthumous memoir Nobody\u2019s Girl and the release of documents and emails relating to Epstein intensified the focus on the late Queen\u2019s second son.<\/p>\n

It emerged he emailed Epstein telling him \u201cwe are in this together\u201d in 2011, three months after he claimed he had broken off all contact with the sex offender.<\/p>\n

Andrew stepped away from his public role in 2019 and later paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault case with Ms Giuffre, whom Andrew claimed never to have met despite being pictured with his arm around her at now-convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell\u2019s home in London.<\/p>\n

In 2022, his mother Queen Elizabeth II ordered him to stop using his HRH style and removed his honorary military roles.<\/p>\n

Andrew agreed to no longer use his Duke of York title in October, but the King went a step further a fortnight later and dramatically stripped him of both his right to be a prince and his dukedom, making Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor a commoner for the first time.<\/p>\n

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In what was dubbed the siege of Royal Lodge, there was growing pressure for Andrew to give up his 30-room mansion after it emerged he had been paying a \u201cpeppercorn\u201d rent for decades.<\/p>\n

He finally agreed to quit Royal Lodge for a new home on the King\u2019s private Sandringham estate in Norfolk in the New Year, with Charles personally funding his new life with an annual stipend.<\/p>\n

Just before Christmas, newly-surfaced emails from the Epstein files revealed one sent from Balmoral and signed \u201cA\u201d asking Maxwell \u201chave you found me some new inappropriate friends?\u201d.<\/p>\n

Andrew has faced calls from a powerful US congressional committee to give evidence about Epstein, who died by suicide in jail in 2019.<\/p>\n

The loss of Andrew\u2019s titles meant his ex-wife reverted back to her maiden name of Sarah Ferguson, with the former duchess also criticised for writing to Epstein after his conviction calling him a \u201csupreme friend\u201d, despite publicly disowning him in the media.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, there was some joyful family news for the former Yorks when their daughter Princess Beatrice gave birth to her second child, Athena, welcoming her several weeks prematurely in January 2025.<\/p>\n

\u2013 The Duke of Sussex<\/strong><\/p>\n

Harry settled a High Court case after securing an \u201cunequivocal apology\u201d from News Group Newspapers in January for \u201cserious intrusion\u201d, including unlawful activities by private investigators, into his private life while younger and that of his late mother Diana.<\/p>\n

Donald Trump, meanwhile, ruled out trying to deport Harry after it was alleged that drug use referenced in his memoir could have disqualified him from a US visa, with the American president remarking \u201cI\u2019ll leave him alone\u201d and adding \u201cHe\u2019s got enough problems with his wife. She\u2019s terrible\u201d.<\/p>\n

In May, Harry gave an interview to the BBC in which he claimed the King would not speak to him because of his legal battle over his security and he did not know \u201chow much longer my father has\u201d as he described his hopes for a \u201creconciliation\u201d.<\/p>\n

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The sit-down chat came after the duke lost a\u00a0Court of Appeal challenge against the Home Office over his security arrangements while in the UK.<\/p>\n

He was finally reunited with the monarch on a whirlwind working trip to the UK in September which included the WellChild Awards and Nottingham\u2019s Community Recording Studio.<\/p>\n

Harry and Charles had afternoon tea at Clarence House after 19 months apart, with the duke describing his father as \u201cgreat\u201d.<\/p>\n

But there was no reunion with his brother William.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan signed a new watered down first-look deal with Netflix.<\/p>\n

Output in 2025 focused on Meghan\u2019s critically panned lifestyle series With Love, Meghan.<\/p>\n

And the duke cut ties with Sentebale, the charity he founded to help Aids orphans in Lesotho in memory of his mother.<\/p>\n

He was left devastated after a bitter boardroom battle with chair Dr Sophie Chandauka, who made allegations of bullying, harassment and misogyny at the charity.<\/p>\n

Harry attended the Invictus Games in Canada with Meghan and, on a solo trip, walked through an Angolan minefield with the Halo Trust, just like his mother Diana did 28 years ago.<\/p>\n

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He made a surprise visit to Ukraine with the Invictus Games Foundation, where he defended his controversial memoir Spare in an interview with The Guardian, saying \u201cmy conscience is clear\u201d.<\/p>\n

Ahead of Remembrance Sunday, he expressed his pride at fighting for his country, his love of the \u201cthings that make us British\u201d including the \u201cbanter of the mess, the clubhouse, the pub, the stands\u201d, and warned how easy it is for veterans to be forgotten \u201conce the uniform comes off\u201d in a passionate essay.<\/p>\n

During lighter moments in 2025, he channelled presenter Alison Hammond as he lip-synced to a viral clip from The Great British Bake Off with US talk show host Stephen Colbert.<\/p>\n

\u2013 The Duchess of Sussex<\/strong><\/p>\n

Meghan launched her lifestyle brand As Ever \u2013 renamed from American Riviera Orchard amid trademark difficulties \u2013 in 2025, selling jams, flower sprinkles and later on wine, after her show With Love, Meghan premiered on Netflix.<\/p>\n

Two seasons of the series plus a Christmas special aired, but the show was widely savaged in reviews and branded \u201cpointless\u201d and an \u201cexercise in narcissism\u201d.<\/p>\n

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Harry made a cameo appearance in the holiday one-off in December when he jokingly insulted his wife\u2019s cooking and came face to face with a beetroot salad made up of all the things he does not like.<\/p>\n

Meghan also released her Confessions Of A Female Founder podcast and made an appearance on friend and entrepreneur Jamie Kern Lima\u2019s podcast, in which they discussed the \u201cpower of \u2018yet’\u201d.<\/p>\n

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The former Suits star also revealed she sends emails almost every night to her children before she goes to bed at night for them to read when older.<\/p>\n

In June, Meghan posted a video of herself twerking to the Starrkeisha song Baby Momma in a bid to bring on labour while pregnant with Princess Lilibet, to mark her daughter\u2019s fourth birthday.<\/p>\n

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She flew to Europe for Paris Fashion Week to support Pierpaolo Piccioli\u2019s debut show for Balenciaga, wearing a oversized white button-down shirt, wide-legged trousers and a matching shawl by the Italian designer.<\/p>\n

The Sussexes also called for stronger protection for children online after unveiling a memorial in New York City to young people who lost their lives due to the harmful effects of social media.<\/p>\n

And Meghan sent a letter to her estranged father Thomas Markle after he was treated in intensive care in the Philippines after having his leg amputated.<\/p>\n

\n<\/blockquote>\n

At the end of the year, the Sussexes rebranded their Archewell Foundation charity as Archewell Philanthropies and Meghan shared a rare photo of her family on Instagram.<\/p>\n

The post, captioned \u201cHappy Holidays! From our family to yours\u201d, showed the Sussexes on a small bridge surrounded by greenery, with Meghan holding hands and bending down to touch heads with Lili, while Prince Archie wrapped his arms around Harry\u2019s waist.<\/p>\n