In pictures: Carol’s service brings some joy at the end of a difficult year for the royal family

The royal family faced a difficult and upsetting year when the King and Princess of Wales revealed they had been diagnosed with cancer.

The health problems faced by Charles and Kate torpedoed any plans for an ordinary year as the king sought to settle down in the aftermath of the late Queen’s death and her accession in 2022 and the hectic demands of the coronation in 2023. .

But the year ended on a more positive note, with Charles touring Australia and Samoa and Kate enjoying a Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey with the Prince of Wales and her children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

PA news agency photographers were on hand throughout the year to capture the highs and lows.