Everything that's happened to the royal family since that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle interview

An awful lot can happen in 12 months.

It’s been a year since Meghan Markle and Prince Harry sat down with Oprah Winfrey and kicked off the biggest storm the Royal Family have seen in a long time.

The interview, which was first broadcast in the UK on March 8th, saw shocking claims made including Meghan saying that there was concern expressed about how 'dark' their son Archie was going to be before his birth.

It was so shocking, in fact, that some QAnon conspiracy theorists found the strangest reason to question its validity, claiming it was all created using CGI – but then, there are people out there who will believe literally anything.

It was a turbulent time for the Windsors to say the least, but things hardly died down in the weeks that followed.

Over the 12 months since, the Royal Family has been through an awful lot. This is everything that’s happened since.

February 9 – First royal baby of the year is born

There were three royal babies born in 2021, with Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's baby boy, August, the first to arrive back in February.

In early June, Meghan Markle gave birth to her second child - a girl named Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, whose name was inspired by the Queen’s family nickname.

"It is with great joy that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their daughter, Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world. Lili was born on Friday, June 4 at 11:40 a.m. in the trusted care of the doctors and staff at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, CA," an official announcement said.

Then, in September, Princess Beatrice welcomed first child, Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi.

"We are delighted to share that we have named our daughter Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi. We are all doing well and Wolfie is the best big brother to Sienna," Beatrice wrote on Twitter.

April 9 – Prince Phillip dies at 99

The royal family suffered heartbreak after Buckingham Palace announced on April 9th that Prince Phillip had passed away at the age of 99.

He was hospitalised earlier in the year for over a month and underwent surgery on a pre-existing heart condition. He was discharged back to his residence at Windsor Castle until his passing.

The Queen said farewell to Philip during a televised funeral service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, attended by a small group of close family and friends.

Images of the Queen mourning alone during the service were frequently called upon during the partygate scandal, as she was alone at the funeral because she did not want to be made a special case during the Covid lockdown – when the night before, Downing Street staff held a staff party.

May 20 – Cast of Lifetime movie shocks the internet

'Harry & Meghan Escaping the Palace' Official Trailer | Airs Sept. 6, 2021 on Lifetimewww.youtube.com

Lifetime Network set social media alight by releasing the cast photos from their latest film about Prince Harry and Meghan back in May, with pretty hilarious results.

The Lifetime movies are always good for a laugh, but their latest was probably the funniest yet, featuring Jordan Dean from The Punisher, and Sydney Morton from She’s Gotta Have It as the famous couple.

It’s fair to say fans of the duke and duchess weren’t impressed at all with the casting – and the movie in general.

January 27 – German waxwork museum reveals bald Queen waxwork

As if Lizzy didn’t have enough on her plate already, a waxwork in Germany made her bald.

A German waxwork museum gave a behind-the-scenes look at their renovations and revealed that the Queen's waxwork does not have any hair underneath her hat, freaking everyone out in the process.

February 4 – Prince Harry experiences burnout

Prince Harry spoke openly about how he has “experienced burnout” and was "literally getting to the very end of everything I had” during a candid interview in February.

The Duke of Sussex mentioned his personal struggles during a live stream with tennis star Serena Williams (who is good friends with Meghan Markle) hosted by mental health startup BetterUp.

February 16 – Prince Andrew settles out of court

The biggest scandal the Royal Family faced in the past year – and perhaps of all time – saw Prince Andrew reach a settlement with Virginia Giuffre who had accused the royal of raping her as a child.

In a joint statement, Queen Elizabeth II’s son announced that he regretted his association with Jeffrey Epstein, who he admitted “trafficked countless young girls over many years”.

Prince Andrew also acknowledged that Giuffre is “an established victim of abuse” who had been subjected to “unfair public attacks.

He said he “commends the bravery” of her and other survivors of abuse.

“The parties will file a stipulated dismissal upon Ms Giuffre’s receipt of the settlement (the sum of which is not being disclosed),” the statement read.

“Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights,” it continued. Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms Giuffre’s character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks.”

He will now have to pay an undisclosed amount to Giuffre and make a donation to a charity “in support of victims’ rights” in exchange for the case no longer proceeding to trial.

Prince Andrew did not admit to any of the accusations made against him in the statement.

February 6 – The Queen's Platinum Jubilee

The Queen became the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee in 2022, marking 70 years of service.

Thousands celebrated her having acceded to the throne on February 6, 1952, with many paying tribute on social media.

Later on this year, from June 2-5 there will be a special four-day bank holiday weekend to celebrate The Queen's remarkable achievement.

February 20 – The Queen catches Covid

The Queen experienced "mild cold-like symptoms" last month after catching Covid, the palace said.

"She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines," it added in a statement.

Her eldest son and heir, the Prince of Wales, tested positive on 10 February, after meeting his mother on 8 February.

Thankfully, she made a full recovery and welcomed the Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau at Windsor Castle in her first official engagement a few weeks later.

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