Rail disruption is expected to add to frantic friday on the transport networks. Now on bbc news, from the engagement of prince harry and Meghan Markle to the retirement from royal duties of the duke of edinburgh, Sarah Campbell looks back on the key events in review 2017 the royal year. Congratulations from all of us how are you feeling . This was the year in which prince harry introduced his new leading lady. The american actress, Meghan Markle. New leading lady. The american actress, Meghan Markleli new leading lady. The american actress, Meghan Markle. Ifell in love with Meghan Markle so incredibly quickly, that was confirmation timmy that all the stars were aligned and everything was perfect. After 70 years of public service, the duke of edinburgh, britains longest serving royal concert hall hung up his hat and retired from royal duties. Prince george had his own milestone moment. His first day of school. And flexing their loyal muscles in an effort to put the issue of Mental Health firmly on the national agenda. After weeks of fevered speculation came confirmation that prince harry, the fifth in line to the throne, was engaged to the american actress, Meghan Markle. The happy couple appeared in the grounds of Kensington Palace, which will be her new home. This was only the second time they had appeared together for the cameras. When did you know she was the one . Their very first time we met later, in a candid interview with the bbcs mishal husain, they admitted they met on a blind date set up by a mutualfriend. In met on a blind date set up by a mutual friend. In november, met on a blind date set up by a mutualfriend. In november, while preparing a Roast Chicken dinner, harry popped the question. Preparing a Roast Chicken dinner, harry popped the questionm preparing a Roast Chicken dinner, harry popped the question. It was such a surprise, so sweet and very romantic. He got one knee. Was that an instant romantic. He got one knee. Was that a n insta nt yes romantic. He got one knee. Was that an instant yes from a . Yes, i could barely let him finish proposing can i say yes . I had the ring on my finger. Cani i say yes . I had the ring on my finger. Can i give you the ring . Yes, the ring it was a really nice moment, just the two of us and i managed to catch by surprise as well. The fact that i fell in love with Meghan Markle so incredibly quickly was confirmation timmy that all of the stars were aligned and everything was perfect. This beautiful woman had just tripped and fell into my life, i had fell into her life, and fell into my life, i had fell into herlife, andl fell into my life, i had fell into her life, and i know that she will be unbelievably good at the job, or pa rt of be unbelievably good at the job, or part of it as well, is obviously a huge relief to me because she will be able to do with Everything Else that comes with it. Unlike most people, there is this layer of what it means to get involved with someone it means to get involved with someone from the royal family, how much of a sense did you have the enormity of what youre getting into . What it might mean for your life . I can safely say, as naive as it sounds, having gone through this learning curve in the past year and a half, i didnt have any understanding of just what a half, i didnt have any understanding ofjust what it a half, i didnt have any understanding of just what it would be like. I dont think either of us did, we both said that, even though. I try to one you as much as possible but i think both of us we re totally as possible but i think both of us were totally surprised by the reaction after the first five or six months but we had to ourselves, of what happened from them. I think you can have as many conversations as you want and try to prepare as much as possible but we were totally unprepared for what happened after. The scrutiny . And some of that scrutiny and you ended up making a very Public Statement about that, some of that was centred around your ethnicity, meghan, what did you think . Of course it is disheartening, it is a shame that thatis disheartening, it is a shame that that is the climate in this world, to focus that much on that ought to be discriminatory in that sense but at the end of the day, i am just proud of who i am and where i come from and we have never put any focus on that, we havejust from and we have never put any focus on that, we have just focused on who we are as a couple. It is an immense change, you are getting a new country out of it, and a husband, obviously, but giving up your career. Yes. But i dont see it as giving anything up, i see this as a change. It is a new challenge. It is a new chapter. And have been working on my show seven years. So we were very fortu nate on my show seven years. So we were very fortunate to be able to have that sort of longevity on a series and once we had the 100th episode mark, i thought i had detected this box and i feel very proud of the work i have done and now it is time. To work as a team with you . And their parents, very happy for you, obviously, do you think they are worried about the scale of what youre getting into . |j are worried about the scale of what youre getting into . I think the onset, with my parents and my close friends, they were concerned because we we re friends, they were concerned because we were quickly swept up in a media storm that was not part of my life before that but they also had never seen me so happy. And once my friends were able to really meet harry and my mum, it was so much fun. Your mum is amazing. It was just obvious. No matter what we were being put through, that it was just temporary and that we were going to be able to get through that so everybody was really happy. You have talked to my dad a few times, he has not been able to meet him yet, but it has been worth every effort. Have you met the queen . Yes, a couple of times. It is incredible. To be able to meet through his lens, notjust with his honour and respect for her as the monarch, but the love that he has for her as his grandmother. All of those layers have been so important for me, when i met her i had such a deep understanding and of course, incredible respect for being able to have the time with her. She is an incredible woman. And the corgis took to you straightaway 433 yea rs i have corgis took to you straightaway 433 years i have parked at theyd just lay at my feet during te tell us about your ring. The ring is yellow gold because that is her favourite. And the main stone was sourced from botswa na and the main stone was sourced from botswana and the little diamonds on the side are from my mothers jewellery collection to make sure she is with us on this crazyjourney together. It is beautiful, and he designed it. It is incredible. Yes. Make sure it stays on that finger of course what does it mean to you to have those stones on your finger, that once belonged to Princess Diana . I think everything about harrys thoughtfulness and the inclusion of that and obviously not being able to meet his mother, it is so important for me to know that she is part of this with us. What do you think your mother would have thought of meghan . They would have been as thick as thieves, without question. She would be over the moon, jumping up she would be over the moon, jumping up and down, so excited for me. We would have been best friends with meghan. It is days like today that i really miss having her around and being able to share this happy news but with the ring and Everything Else going on. I am sure she is with us, jumping up and down somewhere else. Meghans seem to be in laws could not have been happier. What do you think about the engagement . We are thrilled, thank you very much. I hope they are very happy indeed. That is all i can say. Absolutely thrilled, it is brilliant. Americas loss is our gain. Personally, he will stay out of my french he has been eating my food for the last couple of years despite freezing temperatures, the people of nottingham gave them a very warm welcome. This was meghans first royal walkabout and she handled it with aplomb. She seems really full of life and down to earth as well. My gosh, i think she is wonderful, i watched interviews and she is great. Meghan has committed to the uk. She will apply for british citizenship and has left the tv show that made her famous. Thank you so much. Congratulations royal fans have until may to get their flags royal fans have until may to get theirflags and royal fans have until may to get their flags and hats royal fans have until may to get theirflags and hats ready royal fans have until may to get their flags and hats ready for the couples wedding at windsor castle. A very cold day here in nottingham does seem a world away from los angeles and the acting world but this is what Meghan Markle is signed up this is what Meghan Markle is signed up to. Has iingi member of haslfeeiifor gamberofteam , s. Has ii; for seven zseiszfnber of y has ii; for seven decades, f has ii; for seven decades, this retirement. For seven decades, this is an to the public has is an image to which the public has become accustomed. The queen accompanied by britains longest serving consort, prince philip, together with him a couple of steps behind. This was a significant day as the announcement had just been made that he was to retire from public duties. He was customary good humour, chatting to the members of the order of merit, swapping stories about hearing aids. We have all got them and joking about retirement. Standing down, i cant stand up much longer, he replied his decision was not Health Related but, at 96, he felt he had done his bit. As he had remarked the previous day. You are seeing the worlds most unveiled a plaque it was a surprise but not really a surprise. This is a job from which you cannot retire. He hasjust proved that it might be possible to retire, which is quite good for the rest of us. Whenever he is in the world, people will continue to remember him and you cannot get a better accolade than that. Over the years, the duke has completed more than 22,000 solo engagements. Encouraged millions of young people in more than 60 countries to challenge themselves through the duke of edinburghs awards. And he had time to discuss with Indian Officials the problems of conserving. And he was an early advocate of Environmental Issues through his presidency of the World Wildlife fund. But itll be his unwavering support for the queen in this, the other platinum wedding anniversary, which will be seen as his greatest achievement. They were married in 19117. In the gloom of post war britain, the wedding was described by Sir Winston Churchill asa described by Sir Winston Churchill as a flash of colour. She, the future queen, and he was a dashing neighbour naval officer. In the yea rs neighbour naval officer. In the years since he has travelled the world with her and been her companion both in public and in private. In june it companion both in public and in private. Injune it was illness rather than retirement which prevented the duke from being at the queens side at the state 0pening prevented the duke from being at the queens side at the state opening of parliament. Prince charles took his place but going forward, this will become the norm and all of the palace has been keen to emphasise that for the queen it is still business as usual, the gradual transition of roles and responsibilities from one generation to the next as noticeably accelerated this year. Most significantly in november. For the first time in her 65 year reign, the first time in her 65 year reign, the queen was present at the service of remembrance at the cenotaph in london but she did not lay a wreath. Instead, she was from the foreign 0ffice balcony alongside her husband as her son and heir laid a wreath on her behalf. The duke will continue to support the queen at events of his choosing. But this was his final official public engagement. Fittingly for a former royal navy officer, it was a parade for the Royal Marines in front of the palace which has been his london home for so many decades. The bands rousing sendoff could not have been more appropriate. For hes a jolly good fellow. The uks exit from the eu edges ever closer and new relationships need to be formed in europe and beyond and as this year has shown, the royal family is uniquely placed to carry out soft diplomacy, spreading a little stardust while reinforcing those old bonds of friendship. Applause. In the united kingdom, irish people make such an extraordinary and essential contribution to so many parts of our society and our economy. Polish is a second most spoken language in the uk, with the generation of young people growing up generation of young people growing up who feel both british and polish. Applause. September and some high profile bilateral meetings for prince harry in canada. But this trip was not at the behest of the foreign office. He was there to help make his brainchild, the Invictus Games, the biggest and best yet. For eight days, more than 500 athletes from 17 countries took part. All of them had been damaged either physically or mentally in the course of serving their countries. The Invictus Games where harrys idea to help them on their road to recovery. Right now, you are on a high, at the summit of a mountain many of you thought was too high to climb. You have done it, this is the moment, right here, right now, shoulder to shoulder, you are invictus applause. The sydney games will take place in 0ctober the sydney games will take place in october in what is shaping up to be a busy 2018 for prince harry. Tonight on panorama. The offshore secrets of the rich and powerful alt in the open. In the year in which royal headlines were overwhelmingly positive, early november was an early exception. The queen and Prince Charles were drawn into a global media story looking into offshore investment funds. A league offshore investment funds. A league of millions of documents revealed that the duchy of lancaster, the queen s private estate, had invested £10 million in funds based in bermuda and the cayman islands. Not a legal but questions were asked as to whether this should be held the monicas cash should be invested. As Prince Charles toured the far east, the same questions will be asked of his private estate, the duchy of cornwall, as well as investing offshore, the prince was also accused of a conflict of interest in relation to a particular investment. Clarence house was robust in their denial of any wrongdoing. The fact that both the queen and the prince of wales voluntarily pay tax on income from the private estates did not stop calls for Greater Transparency in the royal finances in the wake of these revelations. In times of tragedy, it is the role of the monarch to help console and unite the nation and sadly, this year, the queen and other members of the royal family have been called upon to perform this duty all too often. Starting here in westminster in march, when five people were killed. Two days after the terror attack, Prince Charles met some of the staff at Kings College hospital, one of several places the injured were treated. Westminster abbey and the duke and duchess of cambridge and prince harryjoined duke and duchess of cambridge and prince harry joined members duke and duchess of cambridge and prince harryjoined members of the Emergency Services and relatives of those who were killed. The message from the service was one of hope, but that proved to be short lived. In manchester, just a few weeks later, 22 people, including children, were killed and many more injured as they left a concert by the pop singer ariana grande. You had enjoyed the concert . It was really good. They got to meet before the concert. E. G. . She won a competition with her friend to meet backstage. The queen met some of those recovering in the citys childrens hospital. It is very interesting how everybody has united here . It has been amazing. Really amazing. Good. No one should have to suffer the losses you have enjoyed yet know one could have ensured them with greater fortitude. Even amid the unimaginable horror of that attack, with the killing of innocent children, we saw outstanding examples of the incredible courage. Earlyjune and nell and all too familiar scene. Prince charles accompanied by the duchess of cornwall visited the Royal London Hospital in the aftermath of the London Bridge attack. They do that month, a Community Devastated this time by fire. Later that month. We were evacuated. The flames were just unbelievable. You have done a brilliantjob. Just unbelievable. You have done a brilliant job. Two days after the g re nfell tower brilliant job. Two days after the Grenfell Tower burned, the queen and Prince William listen to some of those who tried to help. Six months later, watched by members of the royal family, School Children who lived near the tower scattered green hearts in memory of those who died. This was a National Service of remembrance, community and hope that a tragedy such as this would never be repeated. Princes william and harry were just 15 and 12 when their mother, diana, princess of wells, died. By their own admission, in the years since they had spoken very little about they had spoken very little about the impact on them off death but this year, 20 years on, they decided to open up about their own trauma and their hope was they could start and their hope was they could start a National Conversation