From royal splits to PR crises

2020 was a tumultuous year for most people, and that's no less true for Queen Elizabeth II.

Britain's monarch has long occupied two roles -- one as the head of the state and nation, the other as the head of her own family -- and over the past 12 months she has been forced to confront crises on both fronts.

Here's a look back at one of the Queen's most challenging years to date.

A rocky start

The new year was barely underway when Prince Harry and his wife Meghan announced to the world -- and the rest of the family -- they were quitting their roles as senior royals.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said in a bombshell statement on their official Instagram account on January 8 they hoped to continue supporting the monarch but wanted to seek financial autonomy. The pair credited the Queen with providing the encouragement "particularly over the last few years" that led them to make such a dramatic announcement.

But CNN understands conversations over the couple's future were already underway and the Queen was "disappointed" that her grandson had opted to reveal as much publicly. The monarch had explicitly told Harry to continue negotiations privately and was said to been left "upset."

Harry and Meghan had hoped to carve out a role the establishment had never seen before, a hybrid position where they would choose which formal positions they would keep and which they would leave behind while they developed their own private income streams and independence. It's clear they also felt unsupported and unprotected by the palace machinery against what they felt was a constant barrage of media abuse and lies.

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