Far from a fairytale life
The British Royal Family always seems to captivate the public with rituals, history, and charity work. Despite their privilege, they face scandals like infidelity and financial misconduct, attracting media attention.
King Edward VIII chooses love over the throne
Edward VIII became King after his father's death in 1936 but abdicated the throne within a year due to his love for Wallis Simpson, a divorced American socialite. The Church of England's disapproval led to his abdication, and they married in 1937.
British Library, Wikimedia Commons
Princess Margaret's romance with a married man
Princess Margaret was romantically linked to Captain Peter Townsend, a Royal Air Force officer and servant to the royal family. He developed romantic feelings for the princess and divorced his wife to marry her in 1953— but the Church of England regulations disallowed it. They ended their engagement in 1955.
Princess Margaret weds a photographer instead
Princess Margaret quickly married Anthony Armstrong Jones after breaking up with Townsend. Their royal wedding was televised; however, their marriage faced public mockery, with Margaret taking extended trips alone. They divorced in 1978, making Margaret the first royal to divorce since Henry VIII.
Joop van Bilsen, Wikimedia Commons
Princess Anne's shaky marriage to an Olympian
Princess Anne married Mark Phillips, an Olympic equestrian, in 1973—but their marriage was unhappy. In 1989, letters from British naval officer Timothy Laurence to Anne were leaked. She divorced Phillips in 1992 and married Laurence.
Archives New Zealand, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Sarah Ferguson's paparazzi shocker
Sarah Ferguson, nicknamed "Fergie," married Queen Elizabeth's son, Prince Andrew, in 1986. A scandal erupted in 1992 when photos showed Fergie with American John Bryan, leading to their divorce in 1996.
Queensland State Archives, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Sarah Ferguson was accused of taking a bribe
Fergie's post-divorce struggles persisted in 2010 when she was caught on video allegedly accepting a £500,000 bribe to facilitate a meeting with her ex-husband. She later apologized, acknowledging her mistake as a "serious error in judgment."
Norbert Aepli,CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Prince Andrew's connections to Jeffrey Epstein
Prince Andrew was a UK trade envoy for a decade before resigning in 2011 due to close ties with Jeffrey Epstein. Unfortunately for him, stepping down would only be the start of his personal nightmare.
Secretary of Defense, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Prince Andrew's nightmare BBC interview
In 2001, Virginia Roberts claimed Epstein forced her to have intimate relations with Prince Andrew when she was 17. Prince Andrew denied the accusations, and Buckingham Palace rejected them—but he later withdrew from royal duties. Epstein died awaiting trial.
Carfax2, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Princess Diana's alleged secret lover
In 1992, media leaked a transcript of Princess Diana talking to James Gilbey, rumored to be her lover, where he called her "Squidgy" 53 times. The scandal was dubbed "Squidgygate," and although Diana confirmed the conversation, she denied any adultery accusations.
John Mathew Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Prince Charles' leaked conversation with Camilla
After Diana's private call was leaked, Queen Elizabeth's eldest child Charles had his own call with Camilla Parker Bowles released. The transcript confirmed their romantic relationship, including a bizarre mention of Charles transforming into a tampon. Charles and Diana later separated.
Princess Diana's bombshell TV interview
In 1995, Diana discussed her struggles being a royal public figure with Martin Bashir. She revealed knowledge of Charles' relationship with Camilla and her own infidelity with James Hewitt. Following the interview, the Queen advised Charles and Diana to divorce while Charles married Camilla in 2005.
The Queen's silence following Princess Diana's death
Public anger grew as the queen stayed silent after Diana's death. She remained hidden in Balmoral with other royals, including her grandsons, princes William and Harry. She eventually gave a televised address to the nation due to public scrutiny and media pressures.
Commonwealth Secretariat, Flickr
Prince Harry's day in rehab
Prince Harry, at the age of 17, admitted to trying substances with his father. He spent a day in a London rehab center after the news got out. The royal family said he wanted to learn about the consequences of substance use.
Prince Harry's poor choice of Halloween costume
In 2005, The Sun published a photo of Prince Harry with Hitler's insigna on his arm at a costume party. The prince, who was 20 years old at the time, issued an apology, acknowledging the costume choice was offensive and embarrassing.
Prince Harry gets naked at a party in Vegas
In 2012, a British tabloid released naked photos of the prince taken by a party-goer during a game of strip billiards in his hotel suite. His security team seemed aware of the photos being taken.
Kate Middleton gets caught sunbathing topless
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge stayed at Viscount Linley's vacation home. During their stay, pictures were taken of Kate Middleton while she was sunbathing topless, and Closer Magazine published them. In 2017, Closer Magazine had to pay $118,000 to Will and Kate after losing a legal case.
Meghan Markle's father was absent at her wedding
Thomas Markle was absent from the royal wedding due to a heart attack but later had a strained relationship with his daughter, the duchess. He publicly criticized her in interviews with British tabloids.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle step down
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced plans for financial independence and a lesser role in the Royal Family, while supporting Queen Elizabeth. They said they willl split time between North America and the UK. Queen Elizabeth's statement acknowledges ongoing discussions.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's TV interview with Oprah
Oprah's interview was a two-hour primetime special filled with stunning revelations. Markle told Winfrey that Kate Middleton made her cry before her wedding. She shared that the royal family discussed Archie's skin color before his birth and denied him a title or security.
Markle also spoke about her struggles with suicidal thoughts and racism. Harry revealed his family cut off financial support and Prince Charles ignored his calls. The Royal Family expressed sadness over Harry and Meghan's struggles and promised to address the issues privately.
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