Brexit, a subject which has dominated the agenda in the UK and Europe for five years, was expected to be the major event of 2020 but events have been even more tumultuous than anyone expected.
The Conservative Party's thumping general election victory in late 2019 set the stage for a smooth exit from the European Union at the end of January but even as Boris Johnson savoured his triumph the seeds of chaos were sown in the outbreak of a new disease in China.
It was Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to leave the Royal Family that dominated the early part of the year. While heavily tinged with celebrity news value, the event unsettled the British establishment, which does not like to be faced with discord.
This was swiftly followed by the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the most grave global public health catastrophe since the Second World War.
How Mr Johnson deals with the second wave, which currently threatens to spiral out of control, will form a major part of his legacy.
The job he has always dreamed of achieving has proved more demanding than he could ever have imagined.
