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Cape Town – Three new additions to the family, two prolific weddings, two royal babies, and one very happy queen made 2018 a big year for the British monarchy.
But aside from these major events, the year was also filled with slightly smaller but still significant moments like the Duchess of Sussex’s first solo outing with the queen, or Harry and Meghan’s PDA-filled trip across the South Pacific.
In no particular order, here are our 12 top royal moments of 2018:
1. The birth of Prince Louis
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge welcomed their third child and the fifth in line to the British throne on 23 April. On the same day of his birth, Prince William and Kate introduced Prince Louis of Cambridge to the world from the steps in front of the Lindo Wing.
SEE THE FIRST PICS OF PRINCE LOUIS HERE.
2. The royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Prince Harry and former American actress, Meghan Markle said ‘I do’ in St George’s Chapel on Saturday, 19 May. Their official wedding portraits were released two days after their wedding.
SEE ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED AT THE ROYAL WEDDING HERE.
3. The royal wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank
Just five months after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex took their vows, Princess Eugenie - the second-born daughter of Queen Elizabeth’s son, The Duke of York – and savvy businessman Jack Brooksbank wed, also in St George’s Chapel.
SEE ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED AT THE ROYAL WEDDING HERE.
4. The announcement of Harry and Meghan’s pregnancy
On 15 October, just as Meghan and Harry arrived in Australia, Kensington Palace announced that they were expecting their first child together. And added that the baby will arrive in the spring (autumn in South Africa) of 2019.
SEE THE BABY ANNOUNCEMENT HERE.
5. Prince Louis’ christening portraits
Prince Louis, the fifth in line to the British throne, was officially baptised in an intimate ceremony at the St James Palace chapel, where Prince George (4) was christened back in October 2013 on Monday, 9 July. Kensington Palace released official christening portraits to mark the occasion.
SEE THE STUNNING PORTRAITS HERE.
6. Harry and Meghan’s PDA-filled trip to the South Pacific
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex embarked on their first official royal tour across the South Pacific in October. The couple spent 16 days touring Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand, giving fans around the world reasons to swoon with adorable moments.
SEE 8 MOMENTS THAT MADE US BELIEVE IN LOVE AGAIN HERE.
7. Meghan’s first solo outing with Queen Elizabeth
Meghan undertook her first solo royal engagement alongside the queen in June, just one month after her wedding. The duo looks to be having a great time as they travelled to Cheshire for a full day of engagements.
SEE PICS OF THEIR FIRST OUTING TOGETHER HERE.
8. Kate’s fun day out with Prince George and Princess Charlotte
While the Duchess of Cambridge remained largely out of the spotlight after Prince Louis birth, she was photographed enjoying a day out with Prince George and Princes Charlotte at a polo event in June.
SEE PICS OF GEORGE AND CHARLOTTE HAVING FUN IN THE SUN HERE.
9. Princess Charlotte’s first day of school
Two new snaps of Princess Charlotte were released in January, to mark her first day of nursery school. The 3-year-old posed in a red coat with a pink scarf and a ribbon in her hair for the occasion.
10. Family portraits released to mark Prince Charles’ 70th birthday
In celebration of Prince Charles’ 70th birthday on 14 November, Clarence house released two new family portraits of the Prince of Wales and his family. Days after that two more candid photos of Prince Charles and grandson Prince Louis were also released.
SEE THE ROYAL FAMILY PORTRAITS HERE.
11. The launch of Meghan’s first solo initiative as a royal
Meghan hosted her first official event as a royal at Kensington Palace in September. The event celebrated the release of her cookbook, Together: Our community Cookbook, which was released in support of the Hubb Community Kitchen – A group of local women who gathered to cook for their families and neighbours in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire.
WATCH MEGHAN’S FIRST SPEECH AS A ROYAL HERE.
12. Kate and Meghan’s first solo outing together
Meghan was joined by Kate at Wimbledon in July, to cheer on her close friend Serena Williams in the women's singles final. This was the first time the sisters-in-law attended an event together without any other royal family members.
SEE PHOTOS OF THEIR OUTING HERE.
(Photos: Getty Images, AP, Instagram/Duchess of Cambridge, Chris Jackson)
