Royal Family end-of-year report: Winners and losers of 2020

It’s been a trying year for the Royal Family with the usual scandals and triumphs. So which Windsors made the good list in 2020 and who’s been naughty? Kerry Parnell reports.

It’s been a busy year for the Royal Family – with a mix of duty and diligence, joy and sorrow, departures and disgrace.

So who ended up top of the class for 2020, and who swapped their crown for a dunce’s cap? We take a look at the Windsor winners and losers.

PRINCE CHARLES AND CAMILLA

A FOR EFFORT

It’s also been a stand-out year for Charles and Camilla – the latter in particular who has been on fire this year, with her hard work and super-chic new look with matching masks.

So successful was her Camillaissance, it looked like she had finally shaken off the “other woman” label, until The Crown Season Four aired last month and started it all up again, taking the wind out of the couple’s royal sails.

Camilla and Prince Charles have in their chic masks. Picture: Sean Gallup/Getty

So vicious were the trolls who began attacking Charles and Camilla on social media, they had to turn off the comments on their Twitter account. Charles was one of the first to contract coronavirus in March, but battled through, with he and Camilla working during lockdown from their home in Birkhall, Balmoral.

She was at the forefront of the NHS Volunteer Army, and inspired with her hard work and kindness. After lockdown they got straight back to work in real life, recently becoming the first members of the Royal Family to attend Remembrance Day celebrations in Germany.

PRINCE WILLIAM AND CATHERINE

A+ FOR PERSEVERANCE

Meanwhile, William and Catherine also noticeably stepped up during 2020. It was recently revealed that like his father, William contracted COVID in April, but kept it quiet at the time and crucially, nobody noticed, as he didn’t appear to take his foot off the regal pedal.

Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, have gained more popularity in 2020. Picture: Ben Birchall/AFP

The Cambridges spent lockdown calling hospitals and supporting frontline workers and when restrictions were lifted, visited hospitals and care homes in person.

Catherine launched her successful community art project Hold Still and this week the duo toured the UK on the Royal Train to thank healthcare staff, culminating in a socially-distanced family get-together at Windsor.

And the work has paid off — the pair has enjoyed renewed popularity in the UK.

PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN

B FOR BRAVERY

The award for bravest royal couple goes to Harry and Meghan who took the ultimate life pivot this year by exiting the Royal Family and setting up camp in California.

The pair has been active both online, supporting mental health initiatives and in person, volunteering at Californian food banks.

They are developing their Archewell Foundation and this week it was reported they will be launching their own Archewell Awards.

Prince Harry and Meghan at Los Angeles National Cemetery on Remembrance Sunday. Picture: Lee Morgan/Getty

Sadly, on a personal level, things haven’t gone so well as Meghan recently revealed she had suffered a miscarriage.

And their relationship with the UK hasn’t improved — as a sign they won’t be returning anytime soon, they’ve gifted their Windsor home, Frogmore Cottage, to Eugenie.

Meanwhile, their litigation against UK newspapers continues to rumble on and this week Harry lodged another case against Associated Newspapers.

THE QUEEN AND PRINCE PHILIP

DISTINCTION FOR DILIGENCE

Proof you are never too old to stop learning – this year, the Queen, 94, mastered the art of Zoom, thanks to lockdown.

This month she held her first diplomatic audience with ambassadors via video link in Windsor Castle, beaming throughout the event and was all smiles when she met up with her family – at a distance – on Tuesday for Christmas carols.

The monarch worked solidly all year, despite the pandemic – sporting a mask at Remembrance Sunday last month and knighting lockdown leader Captain Sir Tom Moore in July.

Philip, meanwhile, who is retired, has soldiered on, moving from Sandringham to Windsor to isolate with his wife.

He celebrated his 99th birthday in June, attended granddaughter Beatrice’s wedding in July and marked his 73rd wedding anniversary last month.

The pair will reportedly be among the first Brits to have the COVID-19 vaccine, not to skip the queue, but to encourage others.

Princess Beatrice on her wedding day with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Picture: Benjamin Wheeler/Buckingham Palace/AFP

PRINCESSES BEATRICE AND EUGENIE

HONORARY JOY DEGREE

Special mention has to go to Beatrice and Eugenie, however, who have turned the frown of 2020 upside down in their personal lives, at least.

Having had to postpone her wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, which was meant to have been a grand affair in May, Beatrice ended up having the most beautiful and intimate royal wedding ever in July.

Wearing one of the Queen’s Norman Hartnell gowns which she’d repurposed, the pair just got on with it and had a small, joyful ceremony in Windsor, attended by the Queen and Prince Philip.

The good news continued with sister Eugenie’s pregnancy announcement in September, with the princess and husband Jack Brooksbank due to become first-time parents early 2021, based in their new family home Frogmore Cottage.

Prince Andrew, Duke of York. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty

Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. Picture: YouTube

PRINCE ANDREW AND FERGIE

DISQUALIFIED

One royal who hasn’t rated at all this year, unsurprisingly, is Andrew, who has become the first Windsor to be cancelled, thanks to his links with Jeffrey Epstein.

Having stepped back from royal duties, he even suffered the ignominy of having his history almost completely erased on the new season of The Crown.

According to the UK Times Andrew is, perhaps somewhat misguidedly, still working on ideas how he can return to official duties.

His ex-wife, Sarah, however, has been valiantly carrying on and spent lockdown distributing food parcels to NHS workers through her charity.

She’s also written a book A Gift of Kindness and become the Global Ambassador for the Kindness Research Foundation which aims to develop a kindness quotient for primary school children.