The Biggest Scandals in British Royal History

When we think of the British Royal Family, we tend to think of them at their most elegant and sophisticated. Dressed in their glittering outfits, projecting majesty and grace, we can’t help but be enchanted. However, the British Royal Family has been mired in controversy and mixed publicity multiple times throughout modern history. As befits an influential and very public family, they have found themselves in scandal more than once. Here are some of the most incredible examples from recent times.

Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein

Prince Andrew is King Charles III’s younger brother. Jeffrey Epstein was a sex trafficker who committed suicide after being arrested. That these two men had a friendship (which the Prince doesn’t deny) has led to some very pointed questions about how much Prince Andrew knew and what he might have been involved in.

Prince Andrew did privately settle a sexual assault allegation and it appears is still under investigation. The Royal Family announced he was stripped of his patronages and asked to step back from his royal duties for the foreseeable future. This is one of the most disturbing scandals involving the Royal Family to date.

Prince William’s Alleged Affair

In 2019, gossip began to circulate that William, Prince of Wales and now the next-in-line to the throne, was cheating on his wife Kate Middleton with Sarah Rose Cholmondeley (née Hanbury), the Marchioness of Cholmondeley. Sarah and Kate were previously good friends, and the rumors allegedly caused them to have a falling out.

The affair has never been confirmed; it’s been alleged that Kate and William were able to work through their differences and remain a strong couple. However, this scandal did resurface during Kate’s disappearance from public life earlier in the year, which turned out to be due to a cancer diagnosis.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Departure

In 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, shockingly announced that they would be stepping back entirely from royal duties and in fact moving to California.

Their leaving, and the interviews they gave in the aftermath, painted a picture of a deeply dysfunctional family dynamic in Buckingham Palace. Meghan alleged she suffered from racist jabs constantly from her in-laws and was even told that her and Harry’s child would not be a prince or princess because of their darker skin tone (they did not reveal which member of the Royal Family allegedly said this but did imply it was not Queen Elizabeth).

Additionally, Harry released a memoir, “Spare,” which detailed a life marked by emotional abuse in favor of his brother William. The book allegedly further strained the already-fraught relationship between the two brothers; “Spare” becoming a best-seller probably didn’t help matters.

Prince Harry’s Halloween Costume

Prince Harry has courted scandal before. In 2005, when he was 21, Harry was photographed in a Halloween costume that included a Nazi armband.

It was a shockingly poor-taste decision that caused an uproar when revealed to the public. Harry apologized immediately on the photograph’s release.

Princess Anne - the First Royal Convicted

In 2002, Princess Anne, daughter of Queen Elizabeth, became the first royal to appear in court in over a century after her English bull terrier attacked and bit two children in Windsor Great Park.

Anne was found guilty of being in charge of a dog that was dangerously out of control in a public place, making her also the first royal convicted of a criminal offense. She was forced to pay compensation to the children, as well as fines and court fees. Thankfully, the children were not seriously harmed and the dog in question was mandated to undergo more training.

Charles, Camilla, and Diana

In 1981, then-Prince Charles married Diana Spencer. While the wedding looked like a fairy tale on the outside, with the world falling in love with Diana, their marriage was allegedly rocky (at best) from the start.

Charles had basically been forced to marry Diana, even though he had been in a long-term relationship with a married woman, Camilla Parker Bowles. Because Camilla was cheating on her husband, she wasn’t considered an eligible match. Charles and Camilla never stopped seeing each other even after Charles and Diana wed, which Diana knew about from the beginning and made her miserable; she was also allegedly cheating throughout their relationship.

Diana and Charles separated in 1992, and Charles and Camilla’s relationship became public in 1993 under embarrassing circumstances. Diana and Charles’ divorce was finalized in 1996, and a year later Diana was killed in a car crash, a tragic accident that launched lots of unfounded rumors and conspiracy theories.

Remember, the royals are just like us: they make mistakes, sometimes even colossal mistakes. The major difference is that when the royals make a mistake, everyone knows about it.

References: A Brief History of the British Royal Family’s Many Controversies | Royal Family Scandals Through the Years: Love Triangles, Step Downs and More