#episode 169

[onheirpodcast]

2018: Turning a Corner

2018 started with the long-awaited “Scandi tour”, where William and Catherine visited Sweden and Norway, meeting the King, Queen, and Crown Prince/ss couple from each country. The spring also saw Catherine attend a symposium around the early childhood. In April, Catherine gave birth to her second son and third child, Louis. After an extended maternity leave, Catherine returned to work, continuing to focus on the early years.

[onheirpodcast]

2017: Heads Together

In 2017, Heads Together reached a peak, with the London Marathon. As well as Kate’s first true royal brainchild, there was a major tour to Germany and Poland to complete as well as fun events, like the Party at the Palace.

2017 was also a year of persona highlights. Catherine’s sister Pippa got married, and her brother-in-law, Prince Harry, got engaged. Catherine also announced her third and final pregnancy.

[onheirpodcast]

2016: To Press or Not To Press

2016 was a jam-packed year. There were two major royal tours - one to India and Bhutan in the spring, and a return to Canada with their children in the autumn. William and Catherine also made a two day visit to Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The end of the year saw Catherine make her first solo visit overseas, to the Netherlands. 2016 also saw the Queen turn 90, meaning a further opportunity to see the extended British Royal Family together.

Catherine also began to develop her own projects. At the start of the year, Catherine guest edited the Huffington Post for children’s mental health. She also helped launch Heads Together, which would run into 2017.

[onheirpodcast]

2015: Mama Kate

2015 saw the birth of Catherine’s second child, Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, and more firsts in her royal life. She attended her first State Banquet and took on her first military patronage. At the time, the Cambridge family were living in Norfolk, which caused some controversy in the press. In fact, relations between the Cambridges and the press took a downturn this year!

[onheirpodcast]

2014: Tours, Tours, Tours!

Catherine was balancing motherhood with royalty in 2014 and she did it with aplomb. The year was bookended with two significant tours: the Australia and New Zealand tour in April, the longest tour they’ve been on to date and where baby George stole the show; and the New York visit, a whirlwind trip where they met Beyoncé and Hilary Clinton. This year also saw Catherine attend her first state visit and her first Commonwealth games.

Two Kitchens Kate was the major narrative this year, with the Cambridges’ move to Norfolk garnering lots of negative publicity. Frustration also began to grow with Catherine’s slower start to public life.

[onheirpodcast]

2013: Baby George Era

2013 was a key year for Catherine - it was the birth of her first child, George Alexander Louis. She packed the first half of the year with engagements, including unveiling her first portrait and an away day (2days!) in Scotland. After George’s birth, her workload decreased, although she found time to debut a new tiara.

[onheirpodcast]

2012: A Year of Firsts

It might have been her second year as a royal but 2012 was a major launch pad for Catherine and her royal life. 2012 saw her first patronages, her first away days, her first St Patrick’s Day and her first jubilee. It was also the year of the 2012 Olympics and British patriotism was at an all-time high.

This was also a year of serious privacy breaches for Catherine. The two most notable were an incident where photos of Catherine sunbathing topless were released in the press and when her medical records were released on radio. The second incident sadly resulted in the suicide of Jacintha Saldhana.

[onheirpodcast]

2011: The Baby Duchess Era

Catherine became the Duchess of Cambridge on April 29th 2011. Her first year as a royal was filled with - well, firsts! She undertook her first overseas visit, her first tour, her first Trooping, her first solo engagement, her first diplomatic meeting, even her first wear of her LK Bennett sledges (at the Epsom Derby, in case anyone was wondering).

While most of the press coverage around her was glowing, a number of more negative narratives had begun to creep in - many focused on her clothes, her appearance and her work rate.