While the start of the year usually represents a gentle beginning to the royal calendar , 2024 was about to change all that. William was left in an extraordinary position. Suddenly, with three children to care for at home and no live-in staff at their Adelaide Cottage home, and with his wife and father in hospital, his future was looking decidedly different. When the Princess of Wales entered hospital on 16 January, and was then ghosted out two weeks later to disappear completely from public