hello, this is bbc news. the headlines: a british teenager has been convicted by 3 cyprus court of falsely claiming she was raped by a group of israeli tourists six months ago. her lawyers say she will apeeal. police investigating the deaths of a british father and his two children, who drowned in a pool in spain on christmas eve, say it was an accident and that the case can now be closed. dozens of fires are burning out of control across australia as temperatures exceed a0 degress in every state. the outgoing head of the bank of england, mark carney, has said the financial sector is being far too slow to curb investment in fossil fuels. the search continues for father of four and firefighter anthony knott — who's now been missing for ten days. now on bbc news, sarah campbell looks back on the key events of the year for the royal family — in review 2019: the royal year.

and just a warning this film does contain some flash photography. archie's first royal tour. the duke and duchess of sussex make headlines in southern africa and reveal the pressures of life in the royal spotlight. for me and for my wife, of course, there is a lot of stuff that hurts, especially when the majority of it is untrue. i will not be bullied into playing a game that killed my mum. a no—holds—barred interview by prince andrew fails to draw a line under his friendship with a convicted sex offender. we try and uphold the highest standards and practices and i let the side down. it's as simple as that.

mr president, i am delighted to welcome you and mrs trump. the queen hosted the us president — first for a full state visit and then again at nato's 70th anniversary. and the cambridge children enjoyed getting back to nature in a garden designed by their mother. the headlines accompanying a royal year normally revolve around babies, marriages and colourful pictures from the various countries visited by the family. this year has been somewhat different. another annus horribilis? well, only the queen can truly answer that question. and there have been significant highlights, not least the birth of her eighth great—grandchild. monday, the 6th of may and after staying tight—lipped about his wife's due date, and declining to reveal any details as to the birth plan, a clearly delighted prince harry called an impromptu press conference in the grounds of windsor castle. x marks the spot.

the royal family had gained a new member. i'm very excited to announce that meghan and myself had a baby boy early this morning, a very healthy boy. mother and baby are doing incredibly well. it's been the most amazing experience i could ever possibly imagine. how any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension. but we're both absolutely thrilled and so grateful to all the love and support from everything out there. it's been amazing, so just wanted to share this with everybody. cue the congratulations from the streets of windsor and beyond. on a visit to germany, prince charles accepted one of his grandson's first teddy bears. my best regards.

and from the new baby's uncle... obviously thrilled. absolutely thrilled. i'm looking forward to seeing them in the next few days, when things have quietened down. i'm very pleased and glad to welcome my brother to the sleep deprivation society that is parenting. there was just one thing missing — any pictures of the new baby, which had been born at a private london hospital. it would be another two days before the couple's global fan base — and curious royal watchers — would get a glimpse of archie harrison mountbatten windsor. congratulations. thank you. magic. it's pretty amazing. i mean, i have the two best guys in the world, so i'm really happy. it's great. parenting is amazing. it's only been, what, two—and—a—half days, three days. but we're just we're just so thrilled to have our own little bundle of joy. archie remained asleep throughout, unaware of his royal status

and unique place as the first anglo—american mixed—race child at the heart of monarchy. we just bumped into the duke as we were walking by, which was so nice. so it'll be a nice moment to introduce the baby to more family, and my mum's with us, as well. it's been really... another great—grandchild. a short while later, the couple posted a picture of the moment archie met his great—grandparents, the duke of edinburgh and the queen, with meghan‘s mother doria watching on. the couple chose not to give their son a royal title and, to some criticism, have kept secret details such as the names of his godparents. it wasn't until cape town, when he was four months old, that the cameras got a proper look at the seventh in line to the throne. on his first royal tour, archie was introduced to archbishop desmond tutu and his daughter thandeka. not surprisingly, all eyes

were on the baby, and the young royal didn't disappoint, taking the first of what will be many meetings with the great and the good in his stride. the presence of american—born meghan and now archie has increased exponentially the interest in the royals from across the pond. and that's a useful link, especially at a time when britain is looking to forge new relationships beyond the european union. doing her bit for brand britain, the queen has hosted not onc, the queen has hosted not once, but twice this year, the president of the united states. it was only the third full state visit by a us president during the queen's reign. long in the planning and unwanted by many, if the queen had any reservations about meeting president trump again, of course, she didn't show it. he managed to avoid breaking royal protocol this time,

just by not walking ahead of the queen as he had done on his last visit. this was a family affair with the trumps in attendance en masse. next stop, clarence house and tea with prince charles and camilla, duchess of cornwall. looks like an ice cream. the conversation did apparently take a more serious turn. mr trump said that prince charles had talked at length about climate change. also commented upon... watch the duchess of cornwall. what did prompt that conspiratorial wink to camera? that evening, pomp and pageantry were in full flow with the centerpiece of any state visit, the banquet. tails and tiaras were on display as the queen took her seat at the head of the very large table. these pictures will have done president trump's political standing at home no harm.

and this was a useful demonstration in the soft power the queen is uniquely able to wield on the uk's behalf. i'm delighted to welcome you and mrs trump to buckingham palace this evening, just 12 months after our first meeting at windsor. visits by american presidents always remind us of a close and longstanding friendship between the united kingdom and the united states. and i am so glad that we have another opportunity to demonstrate the immense importance that both our countries attach to our relationship. the state visit had been timed to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the d—day landings. britain's commemorations centred around portsmouth, where, three quarters of a century earlier, ships had set sailfor the beaches of normandy and the largest assault

by sea, air and land in history. president trump was joined by leaders from france, germany and canada, among others, to pay tribute to those who fought and those who never returned. it is with humility and pleasure, on behalf of the entire country — indeed the whole free world — that i say to you all thank you. public support for the monarchy, and particularly the queen, remains high. but, this year, perhaps more than most in recent times, has seen members of the royal family hit the headlines in the most negative circumstances. prince andrew at a regatta in devon. three weeks earlier, on the 10th of august, across the atlantic, a formerfriend of his — a wealthy financier

called jeffrey epstein — was found dead in his new york jail cell. at the time of his death, epstein had been awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking. but, years earlier, and crucially before this picture of him with prince andrew was taken in 2010, epstein had pleaded guilty to charges of soliciting a minorfor prostitution. the pressure on prince andrew to explain his friendship with epstein and why that friendship had continued, even after epstein‘s conviction and imprisonment for sex offences, led him to agree to a no—holds—barred interview with newsnight‘s emily maitlis. was i right in having him as a friend? at the time — bearing in mind this was some years before he was accused of being a sex offender — i don't think there's anything wrong then. the problem was the fact that once he had been convicted... you stayed with. .. i stayed with him.

and that's... that's the bit that... that, um, as it were, i kick myself for on a daily basis. because it was not something that was becoming of a member of the royal family. and we try and uphold the highest standards and practices. and i let the side down. simple as that. the prince was asked about the girl in this picture — virginia roberts — who was 17 in 2001, the year she says this picture was taken at the london home of ghislaine maxwell, andrew's friend and epstein‘s then girlfriend. she says she met you in 2001. she says she dined with you, danced with you at tramp nightclub in london. she went on to have sex with you in a house in belgravia belonging to ghislaine maxwell, your friend. your response? i have no recollection of ever meeting this lady. none whatsoever. the prince said he doesn't recall meeting virginia roberts and absolutely and categorically

denies any sexual contact with her. his accuser, now known as virginia giuffre, gave her side of the story to the bbc‘s panorama. he knows what happened. i know what happened. and there is only one of us telling the truth. and i know that's me. the prince leaving home in windsor after days of criticism and negative comment. so much so that this statement announcing he was stepping back from public duties for the foreseeable future seemed almost inevitable. in contrast to his television interview, he said he did regret his illjudged association with epstein and deeply sympathised with everyone who'd been affected, adding, "of course, i am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required." still to come in this look back on the royal year... rumours of a falling out between the two brothers who for so long seemed to be each

other‘s confidant and best friend. and who better to judge the duchess of cambridge‘s chelsea garden than her own three children? how many marks out of ten would you give it? ten being the highest. 20. 20 out of ten? that's pretty good. in march, the honorary guard of the revolutionary armed forces welcomed prince charles to cuba — the first official visit there by any member of the royal family. it was much commented upon that this was the heir to the hereditary british throne visiting one of the last single—party communist states. the first photo call alongside a portrait of the revolutionary che guevara. this was, at times, a slightly chaotic visit here in the heart of old havana. prince charles likes to get involved and was happy to try out this labour—intensive sugar cane juicer.

camilla joined in for a mojito cocktail—making lesson. later, they sat alongside one of cuba's most famous exports — the ballet dancer carlos acosta. in sending the royal couple to see and appreciate cuba for themselves, the british government was sending a very clear signal that britain wants to engage more fully with this island republic. this wedding, back in may, was one of the few times this year the duke of edinburgh was caught on camera. since his retirement in 2017, he's been able to enjoy a well—deserved break from royal duties, away from public scrutiny and comment. that came to an abrupt end injanuary, when it emerged that

he'd been involved in a car crash with another vehicle. the duke was helped from his land rover, which ended up on its side. the emergency services were quickly on the scene and he returned to sandringham house largely unhurt. the other vehicle contained two women and a nine—month—old child. the driver was treated for a broken wrist. questions were immediately raised about whether the duke, then aged 97, should be driving on public roads. there was further criticism when, two days after the crash, the duke was spotted on a public road driving without a seat belt. the following month, prince philip voluntarily surrendered his driving licence. a few days before christmas, and the second queen's speech of the year. the snap election meant pageantry was kept to a minimum, with the queen in a dress rather than ceremonial robes.

this was the 66th time she'd outlined her government's agenda at the state opening of parliament. my government's priority is to deliver the united kingdom's departure from the european union on the 31st of january. it was a significant year for princess charlotte, who started reception at the same fee—paying primary school as her big brother george, who just a few weeks later could barely contain his excitement as aston villa beat norwich city 5—1. 2019 was a big year for meghan, the duchess of sussex. the family moved here to windsor. she became a mother and got stuck into her new role as a working royal. in january, her first four patronages were announced. as an animal lover, a dog—and—cat rescue home was an unsurprising choice. a long—time proponent of further education,

she took over the queen's patronage of the association of commonwealth universities, including the university ofjohannesburg. a former actress, she was an obvious choice to be patron of the national theatre. what do you feel more comfortable in? i did love the pop of that coat. and empowering women has been a passion of hers since childhood — attracting her to smart works, a charity that aims to do exactly that. different continent, but, in south africa, the message was the same. the rights of women and girls is something that's very close to my heart and a cause i spent the majority of my life advocating for, because i know that when women are empowered, the entire community flourishes. and just on one personal note, can i just say that while i'm here with my husband, as a member of the royal family, i want you to know that, for me, i am here with you as a mother,

as a wife, as a woman, as a woman of colour and as your sister. it was another busy year for the cambridges. prince william travelled solo to oman and kuwait in december. and, earlier in the year, he gave his condolences in person to those affected by the massacre at two mosques in christchurch, new zealand. in a moment of acute pain, you stood up and you stood together. and in reaction to tragedy, you achieved something remarkable. i've had reasons myself to reflect on grief and sudden pain and loss in my own life. and in my role, i've often seen up close the sorrow of others in moments of tragedy, as i have today. what i have realised is that, of course, grief can change your outlook.

you don't ever forget the shock, the sadness and the pain. but i do not believe that grief changes who you are. grief, if you let it, will reveal who you are. in october, catherinejoined her husband on what was judged to have been a very successful tour of pakistan. this was the first royal visit to the country for 13 years. and alongside the usual photo calls, visits and colourful backdrops, there was a serious message. in the hindu kush region of pakistan, william and catherine were shown glaciers which stretch along to the himalayas and which are currently retreating due to global warming. catherine and i thought it was really important to come to pakistan and, again, see all the different range of environments there are in pakistan and really trying to get a feel of the country. but also to use our voice to lend our position and our visit to kind of talk about issues like climate change, issues about the environment.

and we've seen around the world now, the young are getting very engaged in what's going on. and i think it's fantastic that we can all come together and really have a very good conversation about what we need to do. and that action needs to happen very soon, because a lot of people rely on this. if we take too long about this, we will lose many of the precious things we care about. conservation was also on prince harry's agenda as he travelled across southern africa — here, planting a tree in botswana. in angola, the focus was ridding the country of landmines. these pictures so reminiscent of his mother's visit to the same area in 1997. she so famously picked her way through a minefield. 22 years later, her son walked along the same path in huambo — now a busy street with shops, houses and a school. diana's legacy is deeply felt here. to walk in her footsteps is clearly quite emotionalfor me.

but i think as much as she did then, there is still so much to do. but, without question, if she hadn't campaigned the way that she did 22 years ago, this could arguably still be a minefield. so i'm incredibly proud of what what she's been able to do, and meet these kids who were born on this street, who didn't even know that this was a minefield. the royal couple managed to shine a spotlight on places and issues of importance to them throughout their tour. but, as it came to an end, there was a new headline. they announced that meghan was taking legal action against the owners of the mail on sunday newspaper, and harry subsequently launched his own legal action against the publishers of the sun and the mirror. harry accused the british tabloid press of running a ruthless campaign against his wife. they were both interviewed for an itv documentary.

when i first met my now husband, happy because i was so happy. but my british friends said to me, "i'm sure he's great. but you shouldn't do it because the british tabloids will destroy your life." and i very naively, "i'm american, we don't have that there. what are you talking about? that doesn't make any sense. i've been in tabloids." i didn't get it. so it's... yeah, it's been complicated. part of this job and part of any job, like everybody, means putting on a brave face and turning a cheek to a lot of that stuff. but, again, for me and for my wife, you know, of course, there's a lot of stuff that hurts. especially when the majority of it is untrue. but all we need to do is focus on being real

and focus on being the people that we are and standing up for what we believe in. i will not be bullied into into playing a game that killed my mum. there certainly have been critical headlines involving the sussexes in 2019 — their use of private jets, while encouraging others to think more carefully about the climate. the use of £2.11 million worth of taxpayers' money to refurbish their new home — frogmore cottage. what's at issue here is what constitutes legitimate public scrutiny by the press. and what is unfair and possibly untrue. that may now be for the courts to decide. prince harry also revealed a distancing between himself and his brother william. when asked about rumours of a rift, he gave this answer. um, part of the...part of this role and part of this job and this family, being under the pressure that it's under, inevitably, you know, stuff happens. but, look, we're brothers. we will always be brothers. we're certainly on different paths at the moment.

but i will always be there for him as i know he'll always be there for me. we don't see each other as much as we used to, because we're so busy. but, you know, i love him dearly. and, you know, the majority of this stuff is probably. . .well, the majority of stuff is created out of nothing. but, you know, just, as i said, as brothers, you know, you have good days, you have bad days. and, finally, to one of the key events in the queen's calendar — the chelsea flower show. this year, with added royal input. catherine, the duchess of cambridge, spent months helping to design a child—friendly garden. and who best to try it out, but george, charlotte and louis. over the previous few months, the cambridge children had collected twigs, leaves and moss, which were included in the final design. george was clearly impressed. how many marks out of ten would you give it? ten being the highest. 20. 20 out of ten. that's pretty good.

a very personal project. catherine is rarely interviewed, but, on this, she wanted to speak out. there's so much amazing scientific research out there about the importance of being outside and the benefits it has, really, particularly foryoung children and laying the foundations for positive physical and mental wellbeing. and i really hope that this woodland that we've created, in a huge collaboration here, really inspires families and kids and communities in general try to get outside, enjoy nature, enjoy the outdoors and really spend quality time together. the queen was shown round and, if it seemed familiar, that will be because much of it was inspired by the gardens at sandringham. looking ahead to 2020, what part, if any, will prince andrew play in the ongoing jeffrey epstein scandal?

prince harry and meghan will launch their own charitable foundation, as well as continuing their legal action against british newspapers. and her majesty, who turns 94 in april, will lead the nation in commemorating 75 years since the end of the second world war. hello. it's been another mild day across hello. it's been another mild day a cross m ost hello. it's been another mild day across most of the uk. but in the short term we are expecting a touch of frost tonight across the northern half. scotland, northern ireland, and nordid half. scotland, northern ireland, and nor did england. the last 2a hours, we have seen this weather front streaming in the subtropics pushing mild air in our direction which has been spreading across many other parts of europe but now what

is happening, this weatherfront will be sinking southwards in the cold air that is in the north atla ntic cold air that is in the north atlantic will push into scotland and northern ireland and also the north of england. the winds will also fall light in the skies will clear so that will allow the temperature to dip away. we think in some of the major cities temperatures will be close to freezing or below force of around —3 at the lowest. in the south, it will be a good deal mild there. we are into new year's eve and this is the weather front, the weather map across europe. big high—pressure, with this rather looking area of high pressure in the middle of it. it is an odd love. it isa middle of it. it is an odd love. it is a bit of cloud and a spot of rain spending close to the isles. it means these guys may be a little bit cloudy across wales and other southern parts of england but much of the country is in for a bright if not sunny day. slightly colder in

the north two. 46 degrees there. —— 4-6d. the north two. 46 degrees there. —— 4—6d. then it is new year's eve night. what can we expect at the stroke of midnight? it looks like these guys will cloud over a little bit. the important messages it will be dry across most of the uk with light winds. about as ideal as the weather conditions get this time of the year all we can hope for. the 1st of january 2020. big high—pressure to the south of us, however we are closer to the weather front in the atlantic care. it means that it will be increasing to the rest of the week across the northwest. but still it is a dry day, the 1st of january, northwest. but still it is a dry day, the 1st ofjanuary, variable amounts of cloud around, 11 degrees in the south, here is the summary for the first few days of 2020. manly dried some rain is expected in northwestern pa rt of manly dried some rain is expected in northwestern part of the uk.

this is bbc world news today. our top stories: a man accused of stabbing five people during hanukkah in new york, is charged with federal hate crimes. his family say he suffers from mental illness. a cyprus court convicts a 19—year—old british woman of lying after telling police she'd been gang—raped by 12 men. bolivia expels mexico's ambassador and two spanish diplomats, accusing them of interfering in the country's affairs. and we speak to greta thunberg about life as a teenage activist — and the challenges ahead. i am being listened to and we, climate activists, are being listened to but that doesn't mean that what we are saying is translated into action.