Photos: the British royal family in 2022

The royal family have had a rollercoaster year. We take a look at the most poignant moments in photos from January to December: from scandals to galas; family loss to Netflix. This has been the life of the royals in 2022.

Andrew has been in a messy lawsuit accusing the royal of sexually abusing Virginia Giuffre. Media, including the Independent, reported that this 'settlement' was in the region of £10 million.

The prince, who was stripped of his HRH (His Royal Highness) and a series of military titles, made a rather ambiguous statement about the case. He neither confirms nor denies the accusations. A statement came out, saying that Andrew "accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks."

The public were happy to see him out of the spotlight and stripped of his titles, but they were not happy to know that the cash (and that of the hefty lawsuit) was potentially footed by Her Majesty and possibly even taxpayers' money.

With the stepping down of Harry and Meghan, their royal patronages were up for grabs. The then-Duchess of Cambridge took on Harry's patronages of Rugby Football Union and Rugby Football League.

Prince Charles was under scrutiny in February. The police launched an investigation into Charles' charity, The Prince's Trust. It was said a close aide had offered a Saudi businessman a knighthood in exchange for $2 million. According to The Mirror, the Prince of Wales had 'no knowledge of the alleged offer of honours or British citizenship on the basis of donation to his charities.'

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry accepted a special honour from the NAACP Image Awards. Due to their distinguished work and achievements in public service, particularly in racial and social justice, they were awarded the President's award. Previous recipients of the award have included LeBron James, Rihanna, Jay-Z, Muhammad Ali, Colin Powell, and Condoleezza Rice, among many others.

This photo shows what Will and Kate’s tour of the Caribbean in March was supposed to be. The reality was something quite different. In fact, the trip was a disaster.

The couple were photographed holding hands with children through fences and they were met with severe protests - all linked to the British Empire's colonial history.

William, normally dignified in his silence, released a statement saying, "I know that this tour has brought into even sharper focus questions about the past and the future... Catherine and I are committed to service. For us, that’s not telling people what to do. It is about serving and supporting them in whatever way they think best, by using the platform we are lucky to have."

Westminster Abbey welcomed the British royal family to pay their respects to the late Prince Philip. Many of the female royals wore "Edinburgh green" in tribute to the late Duke of Edinburgh.

The Invictus Games were held in The Hague and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were in Europe! It was their first public appearance together since moving to California.

Meghan stepped up to introduce her 'incredible husband' in a gushing speech. The rather intimate display of the duchess was followed by a loved-up Harry who then took over to say his part. Social media erupted with the backlash that Meghan praised her husband but never said a word about the wounded soldiers - which was the reason they were there.

When in Europe... It was widely reported by the media that Harry and Meghan had indeed taken a trip on their way to The Hague to see Harry's grandmother. It made the headlines simply because it suggested if H&M wanted to be inconspicuous, they could be.

The Queen's health was seriously affecting her ability to take part in state events. In May, she instructed her son, Prince Charles, to attend the state opening of Parliament and read her speech.

But the Queen was back in good spirits at the Royal Windsor Horse Show. The queen has always had a deep connection with horses and this was her favourite event of the year. It was an even more special event thanks to the actions of her granddaughter, Louise.

Countess Sophie and Prince Edward's daughter, Sophie, was seen driving a horse-drawn carriage. This particular carriage belonged two her grandfather and Elizabeth's late husband, Prince Philip. The Sunday Times reported that it was the Duke of Edinburgh who inspired Louise to take up the sport.

For many, this dress was the highlight of the year for the Royals. Social networks exploded at the stunning gown Kate chose to wear to the 'Top Gun: Maverick' premiere in London. The Roland Mouret number was a perfect fit and certainly provided a lasting impression.

The Queen's Jubilee was a marvel. Not only did the monarch serve 70 years on the throne, but the party thrown was a great success. Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning British monarch, saw the monarchy from past to present to future.

Princess Anne rode into the Jubilee celebrations on horseback. The Queen's daughter has always been a royal who has been dedicated to her role. In this instance, it was her role as Colonel of the Blues and Royals which demanded she rode her horse at Horse Guards Parade during Trooping the Colour.

It was the moment the world fell in love with Prince Louis. The youngest of the Cambridges had a range of funny faces to pull as the RAF Red Arrows flew past at the conclusion of the Trooping the Colour ceremony at Horse Guards Parade.

Of course, the parade was a spectacle. There were four days of public events to celebrate the joyous occasion (including tying in Her Majesty's birthday too). There were over 1,400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians.

At the pageant, during the festivities, a rather sweet moment was caught on camera. Charles, who is normally known for his rigid, straight behaviour, was seen bouncing his grandson Louis on his knee. After shushing his mother and generally being rather distracted, the little one protested to his mother that he wanted to go and sit with grandpa. It was a very heartwarming scene.

On 5th June on the balcony, Queen Elizabeth shared special moments with her great-grandson, George, the little boy who will one day be King. They looked comfortable in each others' presence and it was a joy to see them side-by-side.

As the royals and family friends arrived for the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's, all eyes were on Harry and Meghan. They stuck together with those they clearly have close relationships with and were all smiles.

On the 4th of June, the evening took over and Party at the Palace began. The event was held at Buckingham Palace Garden. The Queen herself made an acting appearance in a sketch with Paddington Bear; and the world watched performances by Queen, Duran Duran, Alicia Keys, and Diana Ross.

In July, The Sunday Times accused the then Prince Charles of accepting a 1-million-pound ($1.2 million) donation from relatives of Osama bin Laden. Charles denied taking part, saying that "The decision to accept the donation was taken wholly by the trustees. Any attempt to suggest otherwise is misleading and inaccurate."

The couple made it into the United Nations offices with Harry even giving a speech marking Nelson Mandela Day. It was highly covered by the press with both arriving in sleek black outfits. Harry's speech was moving, paying tribute to Mandela and his mother, Princess Diana.

Meghan Markle’s podcast, Archetypes, launched on Spotify in August. She interviews other women as they discuss the labels women are subjected to. It was a hit, instantly topping the charts until around episode 10 when the public lost interest. But then the Daily Mail reported that it slipped down the charts, with '8 hours of relaxing music for your baby' getting more hits.

After Boris resigned, a new Prime Minister took his place. Liz Truss was officially appointed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in her residence in Balmoral, Scotland. Photos were taken which would be the last public photos of the Queen. The PM was appointed two days before tragedy hit the royal family.

The Cambridges were moving out of their apartment in Kensington Palace and heading to Adelaide cottage in Berkshire. The residence is nearer Windsor Castle and with the aim of being closer to her majesty but also changing schools for the children who needed more of a 'normal' upbringing. Their first day at Lambrook school was captured by the world's press.

Queen Elizabeth sadly passed away on 8th September 2022. It was a frenzied panic for the royal family to reach her bedside in Balmoral before she passed. All arrived just in time, except Prince Harry. At age 96, the Queen died from 'natural causes'.

Operation London Bridge was put into action. London was being prepared for one of the biggest losses in British royal history. The Queen's casket was to lie in state and hundreds of thousands flocked to pay their respects.

Perhaps one of the most memorable scenes from the days after the Queen's passing was that of the queue that formed in London. An unimaginable amount of people queued to pay their respects with people waiting days in the cold. Stalls were set up and videos were playing. A general sense of community was felt as people came together to mourn as one.

On 19th September Queen Elizabeth's hearse (which she designed herself) was moved from London to Windsor. Thousands of well-wishers waited at the roadside to pay their respects as Her Majesty made her final journey. Members of the public mourned as they threw flowers onto the car and applauded the late Queen's service.

After arriving at St George's Chapel in Windsor, where the Queen's husband, Philip is also laid to rest, the closest royals attended a final committal service. Britain's King Charles III placed the Queen's Company Camp Colour of the Grenadier Guards on the coffin of his mother; the orb, the sceptre, and the crown were removed and placed on the altar; and the Queen was finally taken out a small door to be finally laid to rest.

Charles was automatically proclaimed King upon his mother's death. The people now have King Charles III. Managing editor of 'Majesty' magazine, Joe Little spoke about the difficulties in the transition: "It still is quite hard at times to realise that Her Majesty is no longer with us. So we now regard this as the year of two reigns."

But Little then spoke positively about Charles, "We have great hopes for the new king. You know, there's no reason to suspect that he won't be an equally good monarch."

Just over a month had passed before the British people had a Queen and Liz Truss. Now they had a King and Rishi Sunak. King Charles appointed his first Prime Minister after Liz Truss' resignation and Rishi Sunak now held the top spot.

Will and Kate took a trip to Boston to give out the Earthshot prize. All seemed to go well, while a racism row was happening back in the UK. Many had praise for the Prince and Princess of Wales - particularly on their last night in the US. Kate was a vision as she shone in a green gown from Solace London and looked radiant wearing an emerald necklace that once belonged to her mother-in-law, Princess Diana.

For an already bruised royal family, Lady Hussey's actions at a gala in Buckingham palace damaged the monarchy even further. Lady Susan Hussey (right in a past photo with the late Queen Elizabeth) is a close friend of the royal family and was one of Queen Elizabeth's closest ladies in waiting.

Lady Hussey asked Charity boss Ngozi Fulani where she was 'really from'. This resulted in nationwide anger and further racism accusations. Susan Hussey resigned from her role and apologised to Ms Fulani, but it could be fair to say the damage was already done.

Netflix finally released the 'reality show' many have been waiting for. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had been documenting their lives which they wanted to share with the world. Despite fears over content and attacks on the royal family, the docuseries ended up being a rather placid, self-indulgent take on their feelings and struggles with the media.

The Princess of Wales hosted the 'Together at Christmas' carol service. Although the date coincided with the second half of H&M's Netflix release, the royals enjoyed a day together. In a show of burgundy, it was clear this is how the royals want to be seen moving forwards: a united unit, a show of togetherness, and a respected, familiar royal family.