AP photos capture British royal family's year of illness and recovery

LONDON — Britain's royal family is always in the public eye, their every move documented by reporters and captured for posterity by photographers. But even for a group of people who live their lives under a microscope, 2024 was something unique.

In a year marked by illness and recovery that sidelined both King Charles III and the Princess of Wales for extended periods, the eyes of the public and the telephoto lenses of the press corps probed every appearance for clues about what was to come.

The year began peacefully enough as Charles seemingly got on with the business of being king after celebrating his coronation in 2023 and mourning the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, the previous year.

But things became complicated very quickly. In early January, Kensington Palace revealed that the Princess of Wales, usually known as Kate, had undergone planned abdominal surgery, without specifying why the operation was needed. Just 10 days later, Charles was admitted to the same London hospital for treatment of an enlarged prostate.

Social media went crazy over Kate's condition, filling a vacuum of information on specifics with a tsunami of uninformed speculation.

Soon both revealed they were suffering from cancer, putting enormous strain on the royal family.

With two of the most visible royals out sick — and Prince William taking time off to support his wife — it was challenging for the rest of the family to keep up with the never-ending whirl of public appearances that the British public demands.

But both slowly returned to duty after receiving treatment. The public studied the pictures to judge for themselves how the royals were responding.

Charles, 76, came back first, marking his return with a visit to a cancer center, where he shared his experiences with patients undergoing chemotherapy. Sometimes seen as stuffy and out of touch, Charles left the clinic as a king who could understand and empathize with those facing illness and the uncertain path to recovery.

As the monarch walked out the doors, his face broke into a broad grin and he held a bouquet of pink spring flowers aloft in triumph, celebrating with the crowd that had turned out to wish him well.

Underscoring his improvement, Charles took a stamina-sapping trip in October, traveling across 12 time zones to visit Australia and Samoa.

Kate's return took longer.

The public got their first post-diagnosis glimpse of the 42-year-old princess through a carriage window as she attended the king's birthday parade, known as Trooping the Color, in June. Kate also appeared at the national Remembrance Day ceremony honoring fallen servicemen and women in November as well as her annual Christmas carol service in December as she slowly took on more duties.

But there's one picture that captures the princess' year.

It's from the day in July when Kate attended the Wimbledon men's singles final, stepping in front of the public for the first time without a hat brim or a window between her and the cameras.

The crowd is blurred, and she's looking over her shoulder. Her smile is huge.