Royal Family and its most discussed scandals
Dozens of scandals are hidden behind external conservatism, each of which Elizabeth II doesn’t care about.
Scandals and sensations happen every now and then in the family of British monarchs. No matter how Elizabeth II tried to keep up with traditions, her relatives are constantly being noticed in scandals and surrounded by the most unpleasant rumors. But which of their scandals are the most appalling?
Abdicate the throne for love? Yes, please
Edward VIII was the eldest son of George V and the main pretender to the throne. After George V passed away, Edward VIII automatically became the king. But he was on the throne for less than a year.
It’s all about love. Edward secretly met a married lady, Wallis Simpson, whose family had a dubious reputation. The young king decided to marry his beloved. And her marriage did not stop the king. He initiated an urgent divorce of Wallis from her husband.
An American woman of low origin, who had two unsuccessful marriages behind her, is clearly not the best candidate for the position of the king’s wife.
Having come to this conclusion, the ministers in November 1936 put forward an ultimatum to the king. He must either dissolve the government, which will lead to a crisis of power, or abdicate the throne. Edward VIII chose the second option.
On the night of December 11, 1936, the king made an incredibly touching speech on the radio, saying that he would not be able to rule the country without the support of his beloved.
“I found it impossible to bear the heavy burden of responsibility and fulfill the duties of the king without the help and support of the woman I love,” Edward VIII said at the time.
And then the younger brother of Edward VIII, George VI, the father of Elizabeth II, ascended the throne. And the monarch who renounced power went to travel the world with his new wife.
But the scandals related to Edward did not end there. In July 1940, he moved with Wallis to Portugal, where he kept in touch with Adolf Hitler, who promised Edward to make him king again in the event of the capture of Great Britain. As a result, George VI, the current monarch, was forced to send his troubled brother to the Bahamas.
After the end of World War II, Edward VIII and his wife returned to Europe, where he lived quite comfortably until his death in 1972. However, in the British press, Elizabeth II’s uncle still has a dubious reputation as a romantic and secret schemer.
Prince Philip’s Infidelities
The marriage of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip is considered the longest and most stable in the history of the British monarchy. Husband and wife have been together for 70 years, and for all that time they have had four children. From the outside, it seems that everything is perfect for them, but the British are sure that Prince Phillip’s reputation is not perfect.
Firstly, the parents of the future queen were against her marriage. Philip Mountbatten, although related to the Greek royal dynasty, was very poor. Stubborn Elizabeth II achieved her goal. As a result, the couple married on November 20, 1947, and five years later Elizabeth II took the English throne.
Secondly, after the coronation of his wife, Prince Phillip’s life completely changed. He became the shadow of his beloved wife, who was almost always not around. She traveled the world performing royal duties. It was then that everyone began to suspect the queen’s husband of treason.
The list of his mistresses allegedly included singer Helen Cordet, TV presenter Katie Boyle and actress Pat Kirkwood. The Queen ignored the rumors, continuing to protect Philip and appear with him at all social events. But in the end, not a single rumor about her husband’s infidelities was confirmed. The last major scandal in this couple arose many years ago because of a girl named Diana Spencer.
Prince Charles and Diana Spencer
The most famous scandal in the history of the British monarchy. It was Charles’ father Philip who insisted on his wedding to Diana Spencer. She was born to be a queen: a girl from a good family and with an impeccable reputation. A few years ago, the British press published a correspondence between Prince Philip and his daughter-in-law, which was conducted after the divorce from Charles. In it, Diana called the ex-father-in-law “dad”. They were connected by a sincere friendship, close to the relationship of father and daughter, which did not suit the cheating Charles at all.
In 1981, Elizabeth and Philip insisted that the prince leave his mistress Camilla and marry Diana. The gorgeous wedding took place on July 29, but it did not bring happiness to the young spouses. Diana felt like a bird in a golden cage. She endured her husband’s infidelity for a very long time, but eventually she could not stand it.
“Yes, I adored him. Yes, I was in love with him. But he really let me down. There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a little tight,” Diana said to the whole world.
Elizabeth II could not stand such a shame and sent her son and daughter-in-law a letter insisting on their divorce. On August 28, 1996, Diana and Charles divorced. But this did not prevent Diana, who was adored by the whole world, from traveling on a charity mission.
There were unpleasant rumors about her busy personal life for the Royal Family. That is why, when on August 31, 1997, Princess Diana died under strange circumstances, the British immediately began to blame Buckingham Palace for what happened. But after her death, it turned out that none of the many rumors were true.
Marriage of Charles and Camilla
Apparently, the love of the Prince’s life was and remains Camilla Parker Bowles. The relationship with her began long before the appearance of Diana in Charles’ life. But even after Lady D’s death, the Queen was not satisfied with her son’s chosen one.
After the tragic death of Princess Diana in 1997, a powerful wave of universal hatred hit Camilla. Fleeing the country would’ve been a reasonable idea. It was her, whom people blamed in Lady D’s death. As a result, Parker Bowles turned into a person who was hated by the whole of Great Britain.
But this did not prevent Prince Charles from marrying Camilla in any way. The wedding ceremony took place in 2005. The Queen was not present at the celebration. There are still rumors in Buckingham Palace that Elizabeth II is still dissatisfied with her son’s wife. Therefore, there are rumors about the transfer of the crown to Prince William, bypassing his father.
But, one way or another, Camilla was able to achieve her goal. She became the official wife of the Prince and Duchess of Cornwall. Although it turned into decades of suffering and the death of Lady Diana.
Prince William’s Infidelities
Prince William has long been considered the most eligible bachelor in the world. His affair with Kate Middleton began in the early 2000s, but the couple constantly broke up. It was said that Kate caught the prince cheating several times. She was able to find the strength to forgive the chosen one for frequent spree and achieved the official registration of marriage.
Now the Duchess of Cambridge is considered the main favorite of all Englishmen. She is beautiful, comes from a good, though not noble, family and has an ideal reputation. But this does not prevent William from periodically stirring up rumors about his affairs on the side.
For instance, in the spring of 2017, the prince unexpectedly went to a ski resort with friends. There he was spotted in the company of model Sophie Taylor. Everyone expected that there would be a scandal upon the Prince’s return. But Kate, like a real wise woman, chose not to discuss what was happening. At least publicly.
Instead of the expected divorce in the fall of the same year, another news thundered. Kate and William are expecting their third child. Now the long-awaited peace has been established in the family of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Provocative pictures of Kate Middleton
Duchess Kate is impeccable and is a favorite of English citizens. But popularity often turns into unpleasant consequences. So, the Duchess of Cambridge is followed everywhere by dozens of photographers who want to make bright or scandalous shots with her participation.
Kate’s outfits often brought surprises to annoying paparazzi. Pictures regularly appear on the Web showing Middleton in light dresses with a skirt raised from a strong wind.
And then in 2012, a number of English tabloids published nude photos of the Duchess of Cambridge. Then Kate and William were vacationing at a country villa in Provence, and the paparazzi managed to take pictures of topless Middleton sunbathing.
As a result, angry William sued the publications that published the scandalous photos. Then the Royal Family managed to defend their honor by suing newspapers for more than 100,000 euros.
Prince Harry’s drunken antics
The younger prince has repeatedly found himself in the epicenter of the loudest scandals. For example, the young man was having fun in Las Vegas.
Harry drank a lot, used illegal substances and was photographed naked in the company of models. The incident became one of the most notorious scandals in the history of the royal family. In 2005, the young man participated in a costume party, at which he was seen in the likeness of a Nazi uniform with a swastika on his sleeve.
The scandalous photos caused an unprecedented resonance in the press, and the prince had to apologize to his fellow citizens. “Prince Harry apologizes for the inconvenience he caused. He understands that it was a bad choice of costume,” the official statement of Buckingham Palace said.
Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding
In 2016, Harry began an affair with actress Meghan Markle. Everyone started saying that the situation with Edward VIII was repeating itself. The divorced American actress was far from the best candidate for the place of the prince’s bride. Rumors regularly appeared in the media that Elizabeth II was against this relationship, not to mention the wedding. But the stubborn (apparently grandmother-like) prince insisted on his own.
As a result, on November 27, 2017, the lovers’ engagement, and on May 19, 2018, the most discussed wedding in the UK took place. The British criticized the bride’s too modest dress, Megan’s pre-wedding conflicts with her relatives, as a result of which only the bride’s mother was present at the celebration.
Anyway, Harry looked incredibly happy next to his chosen one. During the official ceremony, the lovers constantly talked and smiled at each other.
“You look great. I’m so lucky,” Harry whispered to Meghan in front of the altar.
Now the Duke and Duchess of Sussex regularly appear at social events together. And more recently, the couple pleased the world with the news that they became the parents of a boy.
Royal Granddaughters
The daughters of Elizabeth II’s second son and granddaughter, Eugenie and Beatrice, have been considered almost the most controversial members of the Royal Family for many years. The fact is that both granddaughters are exempt from performing official royal tasks, do not represent the crown, do not do charity work, but live in luxury.
Both sisters adore exotic vacations, chic outfits and attend social events. The British are outraged that Eugenia and Beatrice live at the expense of the crown, and that is financed from taxes and the state budget. That is why all the whims of girls turn into a real scandal. The British are not satisfied with the fact that Prince Andrew’s daughters have several guards, whose salaries are also paid from the treasury.
The sisters are also known for their love of parties in expensive clubs. But Elizabeth II continues to indulge their whims. The Queen’s confidants claim that the Queen simply adores all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, so Beatrice and Eugenie get away with a lot.
