The top 20 most significant royal moments of 2013

On 24 January Princess Marie and Prince Joachim of Denmark's baby daughter Athena turned one.

To mark the important milestone, Athena's proud parents released a set of images of their daughter (pictured right), dressed in a pretty blue dress, happily playing with her mother.

Just one month later, on 23 February, Princess Estelle of Sweden blew out the singular pink candle on her birthday cake.

Royal watchers were entertained with a series of photos that showed a grinning Estelle tucking into the sweet treat.

Prince Harry found love in 2013 with society sweetheart Cressida Bonas.

In February the couple were pictured embracing on the ski slopes in Verbier and their relationship has gone from strength to strength ever since.

While the Leeds graduate's brother Jacobi has said that claims his sister is planning an impending royal wedding are "ludicrous", royal watchers are thrilled to see 29-year-old Harry happy and settled.

On 30 April the world watched and celebrated as The Netherlands welcomed new monarchs, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, with open arms.

Tens of thousands gathered in the festively decked-out capital of Amsterdam to welcome the country's first king in 120 years and Europe's youngest ruling royals.

During the inauguration ceremony (pictured) Willem-Alexander's fellow royals lined up to honour the new king, raising their arms in the air and cheering "hooray" three times.

Having enjoyed a close relationship with the Dutch royal family, Princess Masako of Japan made her first official overseas visit for 11 years to attend Willem-Alexander's inauguration.

Masako, 49, who is married to Japan's heir apparent Prince Naruhito, suffers from a stress-induced adjustment disorder that means she has been unable to attend many official engagements.

Joined by royals and dignitaries from around the world, the couple stepped out on the blue carpet at Amsterdam's Nieuwe Kerk to see their old friend become The Netherlands' king.

In May 'Harrymania' hit the US.

Few could deny that Prince Harry's second solo tour was a resounding success when he caused a stir at The White House, just hours after touching down in America.

"If all the women on Capitol Hill were dust bunnies, #princeharry would be a Dyson Vacuum," staff member Chris Mickey tweeted. "Every woman is gone. Every. Single. One."

During the visit Harry charmed Olympic swimmer Missy Franklin on her 18th birthday, scored the winning goal in a polo match and paid his respects to falled US servicemen at Arlington Cemetery in Virginia.

On 8 June Princess Madeleine of Sweden married her US financier love Chris O'Neill in a splendid ceremony at Stockholm's royal chapel.

The radiant bride chose a stunning silk gown by Italian fashion maestro Valentino that moved Chris to tears when he saw her walking down the aisle.

After the ceremony the newlyweds treated the excited crowds of well-wishers to not one, but three romantic kisses before heading off on their waterfront procession.

The couple toured the capital in a horse-drawn carriage before stepping onto to S/S Stockholm to let their hair down with their guests before dining at Drottningholm Palace.

Charlotte Casiraghi sparked pregnancy rumours in July when she stepped out with a fuller figure than usual at Monte Carlo's horse jumping event.

As the months went by, royal watchers were thrilled to see that Princess Caroline was expecting her second grandchild in the same year that Andrea Casiraghi's girlfriend gave birth to baby Sacha.

According to Charlotte's comedian boyfriend Gad Elmaleh, 40, the 27-year-old royal will be "the best mother in the world".

 

Three months after The Netherlands' welcomed their new monarchs, Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde took to the Belgian throne.

Following his father King Albert II's abdication, 53-year-old Philippe was sworn in on 21 July.

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde stepped out in front of their subjects for the first time on the balcony of the Royal Palace of Brussels.

The couple were joined by their four children Gabriel, ten, Emmanuel, eight, Eléonore, five and 12-year-old Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant, who is now first-in-line to the throne.

Within a month of each other Prince Haakon and Princess Mette-Marit of Norway both celebrated their 40th birthdays.

The fun-loving prince partied in style, arriving by parachute at Skaugum Palace for two day festival-themed do surrounded by family and friends, including King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of The Netherlands and Danish royals Prince Frederick and Princess Mary.

In August Mette-Marit and the rest of the Norwegian royal family donned wellies and Macs to celebrate her birthday, with an open air church service in the Queen's Park of Oslo's Royal Palace.

While the world eagerly awaited the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's baby, Prince William's cousin Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall announced that they were expecting a new arrival of their own.

"Mr and Mrs Mike Tindall are very pleased to announce that Zara Tindall is expecting a baby in the new year," read a statement from Buckingham Palace.

The little one, whose gender will be a surprise when he or she is born at the beginning of 2014, will be Princess Anne's third grandchild and the Queen's fourth great-grandchild.

On 22 July Britain's future King, Prince George of Cambridge, was born.

And just a day later he gave his first royal wave from his mother Kate's arms as she stood on the famous steps of The Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington.

"We could not be happier," Prince William, who was at his wife's side when she gave birth, told the scores of waiting fans and journalists.

Days of celebrations then ensued from Buckingham Palace and Bucklebury to Toronto and Niagara Falls.

After 18 months in coma Prince Johan Friso of The Netherlands tragically died at the age of 44.

His funeral took place on 16 August in the small village of Lage Vuursche near Hilversum.

The highly private ceremony was attended by around 80 people including Prince Friso's widow Mabel, his two daughters Luana, 8, and Zaria, 7, his mother Beatrix and his brothers King Willem-Alexander and Prince Constantijn. 

With the adults dressed in black and children in white, the Dutch royals were unified for the sombre occasion.

In August Princess Mary of Denmark was evacuated from a Syrian refugee camp in Jordan, after a demonstration among the migrants broke out during her visit.

Mary, a patron of the United Nations Population Fund, was nearing the end of her visit to the Zaatari Refugee Camp, an hour from the Jordanian capital, when security was alerted that the Danish royal had to be evacuated for her own safety.

A protest that was deemed aggressive had broken out among the migrants, who were reacting to nerve gas attacks in Syria.

It was quite a year for Monaco's Andrea Casiraghi and Tatiana Santo Domingo.

Having welcomed a son named Sacha in March, the long-term couple tied the knot on 31 August.

Bathed in sunlight Andrea, 29, wed 30-year-old Tatiana, who is from a wealthy Colombian brewing family, at around 11:45am.

The couple were surrounded by close friends and family and their Boston Terrier dog Daphne as they said their vows in the grounds of the Prince's Palace.

Three months after their spectacular royal wedding Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Chris O'Neill announced that they were expecting a baby.

Palace officials confirmed on 2 September that the couple "are delighted to announce that the princess is expecting their first child."

The new arrival, a baby girl who will be cousin to Princess Victoria's daughter Princess Estelle, is expected at the start of March next year.

At the beginning of September a statement from Kensington Palace confirmed that Prince William would be leaving the military after seven-and-a-half years of service.

He completed his final shift as an RAF search and rescue pilot at RAF Valley in Anglesey on 10 September with plans to become a full-time working royal.

The statement added that William will "continue to support the work of The Queen and the Royal Family through a programme of official engagements, both at home and overseas, with The Duchess of Cambridge."

Another stunning brunette joined the ranks of Europe's princesses when Prince Félix of Luxembourg married his German sweetheart Claire Lademacher in September.

Four days after their civil wedding in Germany, the couple headed to the South of France to say 'I do' again in a religious ceremony at the magnificent 13th century Sainte Marie-Madeleine basilica.

Félix and bioethics student Claire beamed as they exited the church to cheers from the crowd and their royal guests who included Prince Laurent of Belgium, Pierre Casiraghi and the Luxembourg royal family.

William and Kate's baby son, Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge, was christened on 23 October.

Proud parents the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were joined by senior members of the royal family including the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince Harry, the Middleton family and close friends including George's six godparents.

William's cousin Zara Phillips is the only member of the royal family who is a godparent while the other five are Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, the couple's former private secretary; Julia Samuel, a close friend of Diana's; Hugh, Earl Grosvenor, the son and heir of the Duke of Westminster; Oliver Baker, a fellow St Andrews student;  Emilia Jardine-Paterson, the Duchess' best friend from Marlborough College; and William van Cutsem, one of William's oldest and dearest friends.

Coinciding with Prince William's career change and the arrival of baby George, William and Kate moved into apartment 1A at Kensington Palace in October.

Following extensive restoration, the young family were finally able to settle themselves into the 20-room apartment, which belonged to Princess Margaret until her death in 2002.

As for the interior of the Palace, former History of Art student Kate is said to have taken desgin inspiration from Princess Mary of Denmark who showed her around the rooms at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen.

On 14 November, whilst on tour in Sri Lanka, Prince Charles turned 65 and became the oldest heir to the throne for almost 300 years.

The man of the moment seemed delighted with a white cake – decorated with his insignia – which was presented to him at a party thrown in his honour at the British High Commission in Colombo.

Once back on British soil the heir to the throne was the guest of honour, with Camilla by his side, at a glittering birthday bash held at Buckingham Palace.