The UK year in pictures
- Published
A selection of some of the most powerful pictures taken by news agency photographers around the UK this year.
The year began with the then Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying people who believed the pandemic to be over were "profoundly wrong", as the UK's daily Covid infections exceeded 200,000 for the first time with the spread of the Omicron variant.
On 30 January, relatives of those killed on Bloody Sunday took part in a series of events to mark the 50th anniversary of the day 13 people were shot dead when soldiers opened fire on civil rights demonstrators in Derry in Northern Ireland.
Waves crashed against the harbour wall in Porthcawl, Wales during Storm Eunice on 18 February. Coastal areas of south-west England and south Wales, along with south-east England, had been on alert after rare red weather warnings were issued.
Protesters in London and around the globe showed their support for Ukraine after Russian forces launched a major assault on the country, firing missiles on cities and military targets.
British-Iranian nationals Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori returned to the UK after being freed from Iran. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe had been held in Iran since 2016 - accused of plotting to overthrow the country's government, which she denied. Mr Ashoori was arrested in 2017 and accused of spying, a claim he denied.
Two dancers are seen during a rehearsal as Blackpool Tower Circus prepared to reopen following a £1m renovation. The circus dates back to 1894 and is the oldest permanent circus arena in the world.
The cross on the Chevin, first installed in the late 1960s, has now become a well-known Easter symbol of hope, and was once again raised by church members and volunteers. A new cross was made in 2000, using wood from timbers salvaged from the bombed Arndale Centre in Manchester.
In April, bad weather, Easter holidays and P&O Ferries routes being suspended all led to congestion around the port of Dover, with freight lorries and heavy goods vehicles being held on the approaching roads.
That same month, a television presenter posed next to Larry the Cat outside 10 Downing Street in London. At this time, Mr Johnson was still in charge of the country, but a turbulent few months followed and he was forced to leave office in September.
Ronnie O'Sullivan equalled Stephen Hendry's modern-day record of seven snooker World Championship titles with an 18-13 win in the final against Judd Trump at The Crucible in Sheffield in May.
Thousands of Liverpool football fans lined the streets of the city to welcome home the side and celebrate their double trophy-winning season. The Reds won the FA and League Cups earlier in the season, but took part in a parade a day after losing the Champions League final in Paris.
Four days of celebrations marked Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee in June. The 96-year-old monarch was seen watching troops returning from the official Trooping of the Colour ceremony with other members of the Royal Family.
Ahead of their men's football World Cup qualifier match against Scotland at Hampden Park, the Ukrainian football team took to the pitch draped in their national flag. The 3,500 visiting supporters saw their team win 3-1 and earn a World Cup play-off final against Wales in Cardiff. The game was played while their country was engulfed in the ongoing war with Russia.
The 75-year-old Waverley paddle steamer departed from Greenock for Arrochar on 16 June, mirroring the route of her maiden voyage which took place back in 1947. The ship, described as the world's last seagoing paddle steamer is seen in Loch Long in Arrochar, Scotland.
The Liberal Democrats won the Tiverton and Honiton by-election, overturning a Conservative majority of more than 24,000. Richard Foord (right) won the Devon seat with more than 22,000 votes after the constituency saw a swing of almost 30%. He is pictured here with party leader Ed Davey and Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain.
Migrants disembark from a lifeboat on the beach of Dungeness after they were picked up while attempting to cross the English Channel. Under new government plans announced in April, some asylum seekers who crossed the Channel to the UK were to be given a one-way ticket to Rwanda. The first flight was due to leave on 15 June, the day this picture was taken, but it was blocked by the courts.
Alfa Romeo's Zhou Guanyu vaulted the barriers at the first corner during the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, after sliding upside down across the gravel trap. He was freed from the car by paramedics, and declared uninjured after a check-up at the medical centre.
Tens of thousands of people paraded through Newcastle to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. The event began with a fundraising concert on Friday followed by a march in the city centre on Saturday.
In July, the UK recorded temperatures of more than 40C (104F) for the first time. For many, staying cool was a struggle. In Leeds, a couple of residents took a paddling pool into the street to cool off.
While in London, a member of the Queen's Guard received water to drink while on duty outside Buckingham Palace in London.
England created history by winning their first major women's football tournament in a dramatic Euro 2022 final against old rivals and eight-time champions Germany at Wembley. Substitute Chloe Kelly is seen here scoring the winning goal with 10 minutes of extra-time remaining.
A different sporting event saw competitors at the World Gravy Wrestling Championships earn points for fancy dress, comedy effect and wrestling ability. The event takes part in Rossendale and raises money for East Lancashire Hospice.
The Notting Hill Carnival returned to west London's streets for the first time since 2019 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The community-led celebration of music, dancing, food and drink is rooted in Caribbean culture and has its origins in the late 1950s and 60s
The hot weather continued into August. Here a deer and its fawn cross a road shortly after sunrise, with the London skyline in the distance.
In September, Queen Elizabeth II, the UK's longest-serving monarch, died at Balmoral aged 96, after reigning for 70 years. Prior to the state funeral, thousands queued for up to 24 hours to pay their respects at Westminster Abbey. Here King Charles III, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex hold a vigil beside the coffin of their mother.
The Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited Windsor to view the tributes to the Queen, and spent time talking to the crowd. Thousands of people had gathered throughout the day outside Windsor Castle before the four arrived.
The nation paid a final farewell to Queen Elizabeth II, with a state funeral and military procession. World leaders and foreign royalty joined King Charles III and the Royal Family in the congregation at Westminster Abbey.
The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanrwst, Conwy, North Wales, changed colour from green to red at the start of autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling, but has been a tearoom for more than 50 years.
Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria leave the stage after his speech at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool. Sir Keir promised a "fresh start" for the UK, pledging to invest in the NHS and green energy, and "spread opportunity to all".
Following Mr Johnson's departure as prime minister, Liz Truss was elected to the post by Conservative Party members. Her government lasted just seven weeks, after its mini-budget sparked a financial crisis, prompting Tory MPs to force her resignation. She is pictured here with her Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng (left) while visiting a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham.
Conservative MPs selected Rishi Sunak as their new leader. After being invited to form a government by King Charles, Mr Sunak became the UK's 57th prime minister.
UK food prices rose at their fastest rate in 42 years as the cost-of-living crisis continued to squeeze household budgets. Experts said the rise in the cost of groceries has been accelerated by the war in Ukraine, which has disrupted grain, oil and fertiliser supplies from the region.
Hundreds of first-year students at the University of St Andrews took part in a giant foam fight on Raisin Monday. The day marked the end of a weekend of festivities to thank their senior students, or "parents", for mentoring them.
After Supreme Court judges unanimously rejected the Scottish government's argument that it can hold a second independence referendum, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that while this closed one door, she believes the next general election can be used as a de facto independence vote.
Schoolchildren at Rhiwbeina Primary School, Cardiff, watched as Wales's first World Cup finals match for 64 years ended with defeat against Iran in Qatar. Children in Wales were able to see the game after the Welsh government told schools they could cancel lessons to show it.
In Barnsley, a life-sized replica of the innermost coffin of King Tutankhamun by artist Amanda Stoner went on display inside a traditional red telephone box. The piece is part of Barnsley Museum's plan to showcase culture in unexpected places.
Postal workers held a series of strikes in a row over pay and conditions. They were not alone in taking to the picket line as rail staff, nurses, ambulance workers and border control officers were among others to take strike action.
Brooke, two, took part in Head Elf's Workshop at the UK's first inclusive Christmas grotto for children with a visual impairment, launched in London by sight-loss charity Guide Dogs.
As another year drew to a close, Christmas decorations lit up the street outside The Dome in George Street, Edinburgh.
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