Royal family's 2020 - fallouts, shock statements and Queen's 'new senior line-up'

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic gripped the world and made life in the UK unrecognisable, the Queen and the royal family had already faced a year's worth of drama.

2020 has changed The Firm forever, and has been filled with dark moments, difficult challenges and upset behind palace walls.

Just a few days into the year, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shocked fans and their relatives by revealing their plans to quit their senior roles, and have since moved to the US and signed multi-million dollar contracts with Spotify and Netflix.

Back at home, several members of the family battled Covid-19, while the rest of The Firm were unable to carry out official visits or charity work - instead turning their hands to home-schooling like parents across the country.

But there have also been some moments of joy, with two pregnancy announcements, a secret wedding and a Trooping the Colour like no other.

We've had a look back at the royal family's 2020.

Meghan and Harry quit royal family

On January 8, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared a 195-word statement on their Instagram that would change their lives forever.

Alongside a photo from their engagement photocall, they explained their intentions to step back as senior royals, become financially independent and move to north America.

They wrote: "After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution."

Insiders said the rest of the royal family were given just minutes notice of the bombshell statement, with Charles and William reportedly furious.

It was quickly followed by statements from the Queen, who called an emergency summit at Sandringham where the family sat down to discuss the logistics of the couple's new non-royal lives.

The monarch banned them from using the word 'royal' in their new branding, something they were reportedly extremely disappointed by.

There will be a review into their new set up in January.

Prince Charles tests positive for Covid-19

There was huge concern in March when Charles became the first member of the royal family to get Covid.

At 71, he fell within one of the highest risk categories however he said he only suffered "mild symptoms".

The heir to the throne was isolated in line with government guidelines, along with Camilla and several members of his staff.

Speaking about having the virus, he later said: "Having recently gone through the process of contracting this coronavirus – luckily with relatively mild symptoms – I now find myself on the other side of the illness, but still in no less a state of social distance and general isolation.

"As we are all learning, this is a strange, frustrating and often distressing experience when the presence of family and friends is no longer possible and the normal structures of life are suddenly removed.

"At such an unprecedented and anxious time in all our lives, my wife and I are thinking particularly of all those who have lost their loved ones in such very difficult and abnormal circumstances, and of those having to endure sickness, isolation and loneliness."

Prince William later revealed that he also had Covid, although he chose to keep it secret so as not to cause panic.

Royal experts have said that Charles's diagnoses brought his sons, William and Harry, back together after their fallout.

They were in regular contact to share updates on how he was getting on, which reopened the line of communication.

Queen's coronavirus speech

For just the fifth time in her reign the Queen addressed the nation, telling Brits "we will meet again".

She praised the NHS and other key workers for their hard work and thanked people who are staying home and not seeing their loved ones in a bid to stop the spread.

She said that she hopes people will all look back at the crisis and "take pride in how they responded to this challenge".

Speaking about the "pain" many are feeling at being away from the people they love, she reflected on meeting evacuated children during the war.

The speech was recorded at Windsor Castle, where the Monarch spent lockdown, filmed by a lone cameraman who was dressed from head to toe in the same personal protective equipment worn by doctors and nurses treating infected patients.

The White Drawing Room was specifically chosen as it allowed appropriate distance between those involved at all times.

The Queen wrote the speech with the help of her private secretary Sir Edward Young, who is one of her most trusted aides.

A source said: "Her Majesty wanted to make particular reference to her very first broadcast in 1940, when she was just a young girl who had been evacuated from Buckingham Palace as Nazi bombs rained down on London.

"The Queen must have felt it quite pertinent that the coronavirus crisis, which has kept so many away from their family and friends, had drawn parallels with her own experience of living through the war as an evacuee."

She worked closely with Number 10 on her speech, and care was taken to ensure the timing of her important message was right.

Finding Freedom released

Journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand's bombshell book about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle claimed to tell the Sussexes' side of the story of their decision to quit the royal family.

It contained shocking details of the fallout between Harry and his brother William, the couple's frustrations at royal life and detailed terrifying threats against Meghan.

While the couple originally said they had nothing to do with the book, Meghan later indicated that an acquaintance, who she knew had been contacted by the authors, could pass on "the true position" to the authors.

Among the most talked about claims in the book were:

Harry believed William's staff were "throwing him under the bus to make the older Duke look good" Meghan and Harry were forced to sack Archie's first nanny due to an "incident during the night" The Queen was very fond of Meghan and gave her a "royal masterclass". She also reportedly said she was "very clever and good at understanding what's required". Meghan cried before final royal engagement as she said goodbye to staff who had become "like family" and told staff "I can't believe this" Meghan was bundled into back of car during "intense and scary" SAS training after receiving a large number of threats Hackers stole hundreds of Meghan and Harry's wedding photos, including snaps of the Queen.

Meghan's moving account of suffering miscarriage

The Duchess of Sussex suffered a miscarriage in July while living in American with Harry and Archie.

The couple decided not to make the heartbreaking news public until Thanksgiving, when Meghan penned a heartbreaking account which was published in the New York Times.

In a piece titled 'The Losses We Share', Meghan describes lying in a hospital bed, holding husband Prince Harry's hand as they both cried.

Meghan, 39, said at that moment, she tried to imagine how they would heal after suffering such a loss.

Her article began : "It was a July morning that began as ordinarily as any other day: Make breakfast. Feed the dogs. Take vitamins. Find that missing sock. Pick up the rogue crayon that rolled under the table. Throw my hair in a ponytail before getting my son from his crib.

"After changing his diaper, I felt a sharp cramp. I dropped to the floor with him in my arms, humming a lullaby to keep us both calm, the cheerful tune a stark contrast to my sense that something was not right.

"I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second."

She was widely praised for speaking out about miscarriage, a topic which many still feel unable to discuss openly.

Princess Beatrice's secret wedding

The older York sister married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, known as Edo, in a secret lockdown wedding after she was forced to cancel her original plans due to the pandemic.

The Queen and Prince Philip were among a small group of guests who attended the service at Windsor - which followed all social-distancing advice.

The bride wore a dress belonging to her grandmother, the Queen.

One of Beatrice's friends told The Sun : "They were obviously very keen for the Queen to come so the wedding had to happen before she goes up to Balmoral so this was a great opportunity.

"So many guests were disappointed not to make the big day but understood the reason for it.

"They are just like a normal family and had to make sacrifices like many others have up and down the country and look forward to having a wonderful celebration when the time is right."

Edo and Beatrice have been friends since they were children and began dating in 2018. The princess is now step-mum to Edo's son Christopher, who is known as Wolfie.

Princess Eugenie and Zara Tindall's pregnancy announcements

There has also been joy for two of the Queen's granddaughters this year - with both Zara and Eugenie announcing they are pregnant.

Eugenie's reveal was very modern, posting a photo of an adorable pair of teddy bear slippers on her Instagram page.

There was also an official statement from the Royal Family which read: "Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie and Mr Jack Brooksbank are very pleased to announce that they are expecting a baby in early 2021.

"The Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York, Mr and Mrs George Brooksbank, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh are delighted with the news."

Meanwhile her older cousin Zara left it to her husband to share the news.

Chatting on his podcast The Good, The Bad and The Rugby, he said: "It's been a good week for me, I had a little scan last week - third Tindall on its way."

The Crown focuses on Charles and Camilla's affair

The new series of Netflix's popular royal drama caused outrage as it covered Charles and Princess Diana's relationship and marriage, including the prince's affair with Camilla Parker Bowes.

There were calls for the channel to add a disclaimer stressing that the show is fiction, however they have refused.

Charles and Camilla have been inundated with abuse on social media and have been forced to turn off the 'reply' section on their tweets.

Queen's 'new senior line-up'

Without Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Prince Andrew, The Firm was short of senior, working royals.

During the pandemic, less-senior members of the family stepped up and just before Christmas the Queen revealed her new senior line up.

The new eight top royals posed for a socially-distanced photo at Windsor Castle to mark the end of William and Kate's 'thank you' tour of the UK.

It features the Queen, Prince Charles, Camilla, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Ann, Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex.

The collective will work together and help highlight each other’s causes as they aim to get back to full duties “as soon as possible”.

The arrangement fits with Prince Charles’s long term vision of a slimmed down monarchy as well as the Queen’s mantra of “one must be seen to be believed”.