The vulnerability of King Charles III's slimmed-down monarchy has been exposed this year as three of its most-senior members have been hospitalized and taken out of action due to medical complications over the past six months.
Since January, the king, the Princess of Wales and the Princess Royal have all had royal engagements canceled after Buckingham Palace in London announced ongoing health issues. Charles' former sister-in-law, Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson, the duch*ess of York, has also been ill.
With the three working royals out of action, it has fallen to Queen Camilla and Prince William to step up and out to keep hands shaken, charities visited and ceremonies attended. The pair have been helped by the institution's lesser-known members, the Dukes and duch*esses of Edinburgh and Gloucester.
As the monarchy experiences one of the busiest periods its working year, here Newsweek takes a look at the four royals who have been struck by medical setbacks so far in 2024.
King Charles III
As the head of the monarchy, King Charles leads the royal family at official and state events, having waited until the age of 73 to ascend to the throne upon the death of his mother in 2022.
However, just 16 months into his reign, it was announced by Buckingham Palace that Charles would have to take a short break from royal duties to undergo a medical procedure after being diagnosed with an "enlarged prostate."
Charles entered a London hospital in late January to have the procedure. He remained at the facility for three days until being discharged.
After his stay in hospital, Charles began to undertake light duties; these were extended until February 5 where Buckingham Palace made a second, more serious announcement regarding his health.
"During The King's recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted," the palace statement read. "Subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer."
Charles began a course of regular cancer treatment and all his public-facing engagements were canceled, though he still continued with state business.
The king slowly began to make appearances with limited attendees, including a meeting with the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on February 21.
It wasn't until April 26 that the palace announced that Charles' doctors had cleared him to begin attending public-facing engagements again, and he hit the ground running with visits around Britain and to France to mark the World War II D-Day anniversary in June. He also took part in the Trooping the Colour and Garter Day celebrations.
Despite this, the king's cancer treatment remains ongoing, with Queen Camilla expressing the wish for her husband to slow down when out and about.
Princess Kate, the Princess of Wales
Like King Charles, Princess Kate has also experienced health setbacks in 2024 that have seen her step out of the public eye nearly completely.
On January 17, Kensington Palace announced that the royal had undergone a "planned abdominal surgery" at a London hospital a day earlier and that she wasn't expected to return to public duties for over two months.
At the time, the palace said that the princess' condition was not cancerous. However, after her extended absence with no official public appearances made, a second, more personal announcement was issued on March 22; Kate herself said that she had subsequently received a cancer diagnosis and was undergoing "preventative chemotherapy" treatment.
In her announcement, Kate asked for time, space and privacy while she faced her illness, saying that, while she looked forward to returning to her royal duties, she accepted that she needs to focus on her health.
In response to her diagnosis, Prince William canceled a number of his own engagements, operating a reduced schedule to support his wife and children, posing another blow to the monarchy's working output for the year.
Kate made a spectacular return to public life on June 15 for the Trooping the Colour celebrations in London, her first public appearance in six months.
In a statement announcing her participation, the princess said she was now well enough to begin working from home and hoped to make more appearances over the summer. However, she added that she is still receiving chemotherapy treatment and is "not out of the woods yet."
Princess Anne, the Princess Royal
Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, is King Charles III's only sister and regularly undertakes the most official engagements in the royal family. In 2023, according to U.K. newspaper The Times, she undertook 410.
On June 24, Buckingham Palace issued a statement saying that Anne had been hospitalized the previous day with minor head injuries and concussion after an incident that took place on her country estate in Gloucestershire, southwest England. Horses were in the area at the time, and her injuries were consistent with impact from a horse's head or legs.
Anne is an experienced horsewoman and, in 1976, became the first British royal to compete in the Olympic Games when she rode in the equestrian three-day event.
Buckingham Palace said that the princess is expected to make a "full and swift recovery" from her injuries, but she has canceled her engagements for the rest of the week. These include an appearance at the state banquet for the Emperor of Japan in London on June 25.
A visit to Canada this month has also been canceled as a precautionary measure.
Sarah Ferguson, the duch*ess of York
Another member of the extended royal family to have faced a health blow so far this year is King Charles' former sister-in-law, Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson, the duch*ess of York.
Fergie married Prince Andrew in 1986 and, though the couple divorced in 1996, they have remained close and live together at Royal Lodge near Windsor Castle, Berkshire. She has attended several high-profile events since Charles' accession, including Royal Ascot horse-racing event.
In 2023, the duch*ess announced that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had undergone a mastectomy surgery. In January 2024, after testing, Fergie was also diagnosed with a malignant melanoma, a form of skin cancer.
In a social-media statement, Fergie said: "Naturally another cancer diagnosis has been a shock, but I'm in good spirits and grateful for the many messages of love and support."
In a media appearance on June 5, the duch*ess said that she is still receiving treatment for the condition and has become an advocate for cancer testing.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about Charles and Camilla, William and Princess Kate, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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