The Royal Family's Horrible Year Ends With Another Scary Incident (& We Hope 2025 Is Better)

The British royal family was plagued by several tragedies in 2024. After dealing with multiple surgeries, cancer diagnoses, and the ensuing drama between the family and the Sussexes, who stepped back from their royal duties in 2019, it seemed like the royals simply could not catch a break at any point during the year, which Prince William described as one of the toughest he's ever been through. "It's probably been the hardest year in my life," he told reporters in November 2024, according to the BBC. Just when it seemed like they'd be able to cross the finish line and could maybe start the new year on a better note, they were yet again hit with a rather frightening situation.

On December 19, 2024, the Daily Mail exclusively reported that Princess Michael of Kent, the wife of Queen Elizabeth II's cousin, Prince Michael of Kent, broke both of her wrists after she fell down a flight of stairs. The 79-year-old princess reportedly arrived at a Buckingham Palace function hosted by King Charles III wearing wrist braces as a result of the debilitating injuries, which have apparently prevented her from performing several crucial daily tasks. "So many things that you rely on being able to do, like cleaning your teeth, are impossible," she said, per Daily Mail. "I can type with one finger on a mobile, but I can't use a laptop."

As if breaking both wrists wasn't enough to put a damper on the 2024 holiday season, Princess Michael of Kent and the royal family already endured enough hardship earlier this year when her son-in-law, Thomas Kingston, suddenly died by suicide in February 2024. "We never had an inkling anything was wrong," she told Majesty Magazine (via Tatler). Her unexpected accident and inconvenient injuries have assuredly added even more stress and disappointment to what has already been a trying year for both her and the royal family.

In light of her recent injuries, some X, formerly known as Twitter, users expressed concern both for the princess and her family as a whole. "She's not done too well since she got Covid," one user wrote. "It has been a crap year for the whole extended family." Another user empathized with her, and related their own, similar injury and experience dealing with it. "I've done it to one wrist and required surgery to put it back together, it's one of the most painful things I've ever done to myself," the user commented. "I couldn't even brush my own hair properly. I can't imagine having both out of action." Considering what she's been through this year, hopefully Princess Michael's incident will be the last of these unfortunate bumps in the road, and 2025 will be a better year both for her and the royal family.