Now that 2021 is coming to an end, we're starting to realize that this year was a big one for the royals. Since the dust has settled after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's big exit, we're starting to see what shape the royal family will take now that it's just a bit smaller — and the ways that Prince William, Kate Middleton, and other members of the Firm have stretched to fill the gaps left behind by the Sussexes.
It was a year of life-changing moments for the royals, both happy and heartbreaking. We'll never forget Prince Philip's funeral, but the year also had so much to celebrate. More royal babies were born, anniversaries were celebrated, and certain members of the family walked red carpets like they were total professionals. And as usual, we were always keeping an eye out for what stylish outfit the Duchess of Cambridge was wearing along the way.
Ready to read the royals' year in review? Here are all the biggest royal family moments of 2021. If this year was any indication, we can't wait to find out what 2022 has in store for Queen Elizabeth and her family.
Princess Eugenie's Baby Boy
The royals started off 2021 strong with exciting baby news: Princess Eugenie and husband Jack Brooksbank become parents for the first time! In February, they announced the birth of their son, August Philip Hawke Brooksbank, and since then, Eugenie has shared a few photos of her little one on Instagram.
The Infamous Oprah Interview
In early March, a year after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had made their exit from royal life, they finally sat down to publicly discuss what happened behind the scenes — and they did not hold back. Their big interview with Oprah Winfrey aired on CBS, and from accusations of racism to other criticisms of the royals, they dropped quite a few bombshells.
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
Prince Philip's Death
Just before reaching his 100th birthday, Prince Philip's health heartbreakingly took a turn for the worse, and in April, Buckingham Palace announced his death. Funeral services followed, and Harry flew in (solo) from the US to be there to support his family and pay his respects.
The Queen Turns 95
Shortly after her husband's death, Queen Elizabeth celebrated a milestone birthday when she turned 95 on April 21. There wasn't much actual celebrating, though, given that she was in mourning, but people still sent her their well-wishes as she began the first year of her reign without Philip.
William & Kate's 10th Wedding Anniversary
This year was a big one for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. On April 29, they celebrated 10 years of marriage — that's a pretty big deal! To mark the occasion, they shared a beautiful new portrait, proving that they're just as in love as ever (and that Kate looks as young as she did on her wedding day).
Rare Footage of the Cambridges
Along with the anniversary celebration came this beautiful video of William and Kate outdoors with all three of their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. It's not often that we get to see them all together interacting so casually like this, so royal fans went wild.
'The Me You Can't See'
Meghan and Harry have made it clear that they want to branch out into media, and Harry dove right in with his Apple TV+ series, The Me You Can't See. Starting from the first episode, he opened up about his mental health, including how Princess Diana's death and the way his father raised him had an impact.
William & Kate's Tour of Scotland
After more than a year of avoiding most travel and conducting many of their appearances via video chat, William and Kate were back on the road again by the summer. Their tour of Scotland gave us so many photos (and so many fab new Kate outfits), including this video of William hamming it up with senior citizens.
Princess Diana's Statue Is Unveiled
In July, William and Harry finally got to unveil the highly anticipated statue honoring their mother in the Kensington Palace gardens. It depicts Diana surrounded by children — just as she was in real life — and now stands in what was thought to be one of her favorite places to spend time when she was alive.
Lilibet Diana Is Born
In the summer, Meghan and Harry welcomed their second child into the world, Lilibet Diana, who was named after both Queen Elizabeth (Lilibet was the nickname that Philip used for her) and her late grandmother, Diana, Princess of Wales. She officially promoted Archie to big brother.
Harry's Memoir Is Announced
Harry continued to keep things interesting when news broke that he would be writing a memoir, due out in late 2022. According to the publisher, Penguin Random House, the book will see Harry sharing "for the very first time, the definitive account of the experiences, adventures, losses, and life lessons that have helped shape him."
Princess Beatrice's Baby Arrives
Eugenie wasn't the only member of her family to become a mom this year. In September, Princess Beatrice and husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi welcomed their first child together, a baby girl named Sienna Elizabeth. So far, they've been maintaining their daughter's privacy and haven't been sharing photos.
The 'No Time To Die' Premiere
William and Kate were joined by Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, as they walked the red carpet at the London premiere of No Time To Die, the last movie that will feature Daniel Craig in the role of James Bond. Of course, Kate stole the show with her sparkly gold gown.
Meghan & Harry Attend Global Citizen Live
By fall, Meghan and Harry were ready to make public appearances together. That included Global Citizen Live in New York, working to push for vaccine equity and raise more money for COVID-19 vaccines. This year, they also made other public appearances, including podcast interviews.
The Earthshot Prize Awards
After lots of planning, William and Kate got to hold the first annual Earthshot Prize Awards, helping to encourage people to find problems that we are facing in the race to stop climate change. They asked that everyone wear clothing they already owned, and still, the Cambridges showed up looking like a million bucks.
Queen Elizabeth's Health Scare
Royal fans were worried when the Queen was suddenly hospitalized in October, and then again when she began cutting back on her public appearances on the advice from her doctors. So far, she's still hanging in there, but she's also still skipping out on certain events and duties.
Meghan's Appearance on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show'
In November, Meghan did something that we were totally surprised a member of the royal family chose to do: She appeared as a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Not only was she there for the jokes and to share sweet stories about her children, but she also joined Ellen in playing one of her famous pranks.
The Royal Christmas Concert
In December, Kate hosted the royals' Christmas carol concert for the first time, and she killed it. By all appearances, she seemed to do a great job — and she showed up in a gorgeous, festive red dress. Maybe this will end up becoming an annual thing that she takes charge of from now on.
Lilibet Makes Her Debut
After months of anticipation, Harry and Meghan finally shared the very first picture of their daughter with the world. Lilibet appears in a sweet new family photo on the Sussexes' 2021 holiday card. She looks so much like Archie did as a baby. (And speaking of Archie, he's a total mini-me of Harry with that curly red hair!)
