The past year has been an exciting one for royal-watchers — we've had a brand-spanking new relationship for Prince Harry [1], a possible engagement for Princess Eugenie, and a string of adorable moments thanks to Prince George and Princess Charlotte [2]. The queen turned 90 in style [3], and William and Kate undertook not one but two overseas tours — one with Prince George and Princess Charlotte in tow [4]. So what should we look out for in 2017? The year is going to be jam-packed with personal joy and public change, so we take a peek at some key dates for the diary and some likely celebrations that could very well be in store . . .
Prince Harry
- In 2016 Harry whizzed around the globe [5] to Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, the Caribbean, Nepal, Canada, and the USA — so where will he be heading in the New Year? His next overseas tour has not yet been announced, but there will definitely be more visits to Toronto, where a certain Suits actress lives . . .
- May will mark the anniversary of the start of Harry's relationship with Meghan Markle [6], and the pair have already gotten serious, fast. However, Princess Anne and Mark Phillips, Prince Charles and Diana Spencer, and Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson all announced their engagements less than a year after they started a relationship (and all their marriages ended in divorce), so it's likely Harry and Meghan will be strongly advised to enjoy a longer courtship before rushing into marriage. Once their one-year anniversary has passed, however, there could well be an engagement announcement by the end of the year.
- The queen is still busy and active, but this year we have also seen William, Kate, and Harry take on more official engagements, and along with his brother and sister-in-law, we're likely to be seeing more of Harry in 2017 as well. He will be certainly heading to Toronto for the Invictus Games in late September.
The Queen and Prince Philip
- The news came recently that the queen will be handing over 25 of her patronages to other members of her family at the start of 2017, and many will see this as her significantly scaling down her workload, however she will still have 575 patronages! Her Majesty will continue to keep up her busy workload and schedule of regular commitments — starting on New Year's Day with her traditional trip to church.
- On Nov. 20, the queen and Prince Philip are set to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary. As well as a private celebration, it's likely there will also be a Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul's Cathedral or Westminster Abbey. At the service to mark their 60th wedding anniversary, Prince William gave a reading, and Dame Judi Dench read a poem written specially for the occasion by Poet Laureate Andrew Motion.
William, Kate, George, and Charlotte
- Pippa Middleton's wedding is booked [7] for May 20 at St. Marks Church in Berkshire, with a reception at her parent's house, and William and Kate will of course be in attendance. There is speculation that Prince George will be pageboy and Princess Charlotte will be flower girl, and with no other youngsters in Pippa's immediate family, the junior Cambridges look set to nab those key roles. Also look out for: top-notch wedding style inspiration from the former party planner and potential interviews from Uncle Gary Goldsmith.
- Nothing has been announced yet by Kensington Palace, but William and Kate are sure to follow their 2016 tours [8] of India/Bhutan and Canada with another one — or maybe even two. Since their wedding six years ago, they have not yet traveled to Africa or the Caribbean, and since Harry has just toured the Caribbean [9] extensively, could we see the Cambridges heading for Africa?
- Prince George will be starting school in September, and although there has been speculation that the family will move back to London [10] — making Kensington Palace their main base — it seems their actions will be a result of how active the queen remains. While she is still working a full range of engagements, it's thought they will stay in Anmer Hall, and Beeston Hall in Cromer is looking the most likely option for George.
- There is persistent talk that William and Kate would like a third child, and with Charlotte turning 2 next year and George turning 4, it would certainly be the perfect time. While the queen is still taking on a significant workload, they may seize the opportunity to add to their family sooner rather than later.
- In 2016 Kate undertook her first overseas solo engagement, and William went alone to Kenya, Vietnam, and Germany — it's likely the Cambridges number of engagements and overseas travel will continue to increase, and we will see more and more of them — unless of course there's that pregnancy announcement.
Princess Eugenie
- There have been engagement rumors about the princess and her boyfriend of six years, Jack Brooksbank, for some time, so an official announcement could very well come soon.
- One thing is for sure — Eugenie will be joining William, Kate, George, Charlotte, and Harry by moving into Kensington Palace. Ivy Cottage is being prepared for her, which will make her direct neighbors with her cousin Prince Harry.
Princess Beatrice
- While her younger sister, Eugenie, is heading up the aisle, Princess Beatrice split with her long-term boyfriend Dave Clark this year — but it looks like she will be focusing more on her philanthropic work in the New Year. Keen to shake off her work-shy reputation, Beatrice has been working with the educational and health charity the Franks Family Foundation, visiting Nepal in October this year, as well as competing in a triathlon for the charity Big Change — which she set up — and lending support to others with dyslexia.
Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
- It's not just the queen and Prince Philip who will be celebrating 70 years — Camilla will turn 70 on July 17. Prince Charles is sure to organize something special for his wife of 12 years. For her 60th, he threw a black-tie party at their Highgrove home that was attended by various members of their families and a smattering of celebrities.
Peter Phillips
- The queen's eldest grandchild turns 40 on Nov. 15. William and Harry have always been close to their cousin, and they are sure to celebrate with him around the time he reaches the milestone.