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King Charles III

Charles and Camilla’s 2018 – in pictures

They’ve crisscrossed the globe, taken on hundreds of engagements back home, too and been at the very heart of the Royal Family’s life from ceremonial to personal celebrations. It’s been a milestone year for the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall with plenty to look back on as it winds to an end. In fact, to be honest, these two have packed in so much it’s hard to boil everything down to just a dozen photos. But as the year comes to an end, here’s a look back at twelve images that mark Charles and Camilla’s 2018.

The Prince at 70

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In case you missed it, Charles was 70 this year and celebrations included a party at Buckingham Palace hosted by The Queen as well as a special TV programme focused on the Prince and his work. The birthday boy spent part of November 14th 2018 at a tea party and left with a balloon underlining the milestone he’d just passed.

 

A Role of His Own

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The Prince of Wales spoke candidly in 2018 about the future and how his life will change when he becomes king. And that change was underlined in April when the Commonwealth’s leaders agreed he would become the organisation’s head when he succeeds to the throne. The Prince played a leading role in the CHOGM summit held in London in April, another indication of the subtle alterations in the fabric of royal life.

 

The Terrific Trio

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It was one of the standout moments of a standout day. As guests left St George’s Chapel, Windsor following the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the Prince of Wales walked proudly down the aisle accompanied by Camilla and Meghan’s mum, Doria Ragland and a new terrific trio were born.

 

Grandpa Wales

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Charles welcomed a new grandson in 2018 when the Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to a baby prince on April 23rd. The fifth in line to the throne was named after his grandpa, christened as Louis Arthur Charles, while there was more good news to celebrate in the autumn when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they were expecting a child. Baby Sussex, due in spring 2019, will be a fourth grandchild for the Prince of Wales.

 

Overseas Travels

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Charles and Camilla have packed in a serious number of overseas trips in 2018, representing the Royal Family across the globe from Australia to Ghana. And their trips come with extensive diaries which the couple embrace wholeheartedly, as they showed during a stop in Greece in April where they took part in a traditional dance at Church Square.

 

Media Stars

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We’ve been given an insight into life at Clarence House this year in TV programmes and interviews across media channels. And at the start of 2018, Charles and Camilla became the latest double act to grace the ‘This Morning’ sofa when they stopped by for a chat with Phil and Holly during a visit to the London Television Studios to mark the 90th anniversary of the Royal Television Society.

 

The Duchess and the Dame

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It was the hottest summer the UK has known for years, and during an engagement on the Isle of Wight, Camilla did what had to be done and tucked into the ice cream, with Dame Judi Dench. Some photos need no words.

 

Barefoot in the sand

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Camilla kicked off her shoes for a walk on the beach during her visit to Australia with Charles where he officially opened the Commonwealth Games held on the Gold Coast. The Duchess was a regular sand comber during 2018, leaving her shoes behind for another seaside stroll during an official visit to County Kerry in the summer.

 

Smiles in Salisbury

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Charles and Camilla paid a visit to Salisbury in June 2018 to show their support for the town following a nerve agent attack there on a former Russian spy and his daughter earlier in the year. The couple’s morale-boosting trip was warmly welcomed while the Prince of Wales had a private meeting with the police officer who was also affected after being exposed to the nerve agent used in the attack.

 

At the heart of the Royal Family

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have taken on leading roles at every major royal event this year and seen an ever-growing appreciation for their role. As well as the ceremonial events like Trooping the Colour, the couple have continued to devote increasing amounts of time to causes close to their hearts with Charles championing rural and environmental issues and Camilla sharing her passion issues including promoting literacy across society and supporting women and men who have been abused and attacked. And their packed and varied agendas are setting a blueprint for the Royal Family of the future.

 

Remembrance

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For the second year in a row, the Prince of Wales laid the wreath at the Cenotaph on behalf of the nation as the Queen watched the Remembrance Day service from a balcony overlooking Whitehall. Charles took a leading role in many of the commemorations throughout 2018 marking the centenary of the end of World War One.

 

And so to the future…

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The Prince of Wales has played an even more high profile part in the life of the Royal Family in 2018, often accompanying his mother on major engagements now that the Duke of Edinburgh is enjoying his retirement. And Camilla has been at his side throughout. The coming year promises even higher profiles and more packed diaries and the couple, as can be seen in their official Christmas card image by Hugo Burnand, is clearly ready for all the new year brings.

About author

Lydia Starbuck is Jubilee and Associate Editor at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra. Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024. June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station. June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.