What to Expect From the British Royal Family in 2019
2018—with two weddings and a baby—was a banner year for the British royal family. So what will 2019 look like?
Like 2018, the biggest changes will be in the House of Sussex. First, a move: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will relocate from Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace to the much grander Frogmore Cottage on the grounds of Windsor Castle. The decision raised some eyebrows: it’s unusual to have a senior royal with a home base outside of London, and then came the rumors about a feud between the Sussexes and William and Kate. Will the whispers subside, or grow stronger in 2019? Only time will tell.
Then, there’s a royal baby on the way. In October, Kensington Palace announced that Meghan Markle was expecting a child, due in spring 2019. The Sunday Times reported that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not seek a royal title for their child, in an effort to provide him or her with as normal an upbringing as possible. They aren’t the first royal couple to do so—Princess Anne also opted out of formal titles for her children. Baby Sussex’s christening will be a another major royal event in the calendar.
Also expect Meghan and Harry to begin to define their roles in the monarchy. Meghan, it was revealed, will take a on a new patronage in 2019 from the Queen. There’s no word on what, exactly, that will be—but with her passion for women’s empowerment, it seems likely that it may fall into that category. There’s also talk of a royal tour to the United States and Canada, in which case, Americans, prepare your Union Jacks!
Harry will also celebrate his 35th birthday in May, which may mean a festive blowout this spring.
But what about for the Cambridges? As the Queen delegates more and more responsibility to her son and heir, Prince Charles, Prince William, in turn, will start preparing to become the Prince of Wales. Reports out of London suggest that these royal “lessons” have already started.
Then, there’s the raising of their three young children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. Princess Charlotte will start nursery school this fall. It’s assumed she will join her big brother at Thomas’s Battersea, and her first day will likely receive significant press coverage (including an adorable official portrait).
