Royal Family Scandals Through the Years: Love Triangles, Step Downs and More

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Royal Family Scandals Through the Years: Love Triangles, Step Downs and More

What really goes on behind palace doors? The British royal family may appear prim and proper to the public, but they've faced their fair share of controversies over the years. Fans began to take notice of the royals' scandalous behavior when Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana announced their separation in 1992 after 10 years of marriage. At the time, the parents of Prince William and Prince Harry had both admitted to having extramarital affairs. In November 1995, Diana famously spoke out about her rocky relationship with the Prince of Wales, who sparked a romance with former flame and now-wife Duchess Camilla. "There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded," she told the BBC at the time. Less than one year later, Charles and Diana made their divorce final. In August 1997, the avid philanthropist was tragically killed in a car crash in Paris. Royal divorces haven't been unheard of — but Harry shook up the palace with a wholly unexpected announcement in January 2020. The former military pilot and his wife, Meghan Markle, stated at the time that they would be stepping away from their responsibilities as senior members of the royal family. Throughout their highly publicized relationship, which began in 2016, the Suits alum was the target of harassment both online and in the British media. [jwplayer EdIMTpuc-l3ahXupL] Harry previously addressed the toxic treatment in October 2019. "I have been a silent witness to her private suffering for too long. To stand back and do nothing would be contrary to everything we believe in," he said in an emotional statement at the time. "There comes a point when the only thing to do is to stand up to this behavior, because it destroys people and destroys lives. Put simply, it is bullying, which scares and silences people." The Invictus Games founder referenced his mother's death, explaining that what he fears most is "history repeating itself." When the couple made their exit permanent in February 2021, Harry opened up about the toll royal expectations took on his mental state. "It was never walking away, it was stepping back rather than stepping down," he said during a special segment on The Late Late Show With James Corden. "It was a really difficult environment as I think a lot of people saw. We all know what the British press can be like. It was destroying my mental health. ... I did what any husband and what any father would do which is [say], 'I need to get my family out of here.'" Scroll down for a brief history of some of the British royal family's most scandalous moments. [podcast_block]

Credit: Shutterstock (3); Thorpe/MEGA; Shutterstock

Royal Family Scandals Through the Years: Love Triangles, Step Downs and More

What really goes on behind palace doors? The British royal family may appear prim and proper to the public, but they've faced their fair share of controversies over the years. Fans began to take notice of the royals' scandalous behavior when Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana announced their separation in 1992 after 10 years of marriage. At the time, the parents of Prince William and Prince Harry had both admitted to having extramarital affairs. In November 1995, Diana famously spoke out about her rocky relationship with the Prince of Wales, who sparked a romance with former flame and now-wife Duchess Camilla. "There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded," she told the BBC at the time. Less than one year later, Charles and Diana made their divorce final. In August 1997, the avid philanthropist was tragically killed in a car crash in Paris. Royal divorces haven't been unheard of — but Harry shook up the palace with a wholly unexpected announcement in January 2020. The former military pilot and his wife, Meghan Markle, stated at the time that they would be stepping away from their responsibilities as senior members of the royal family. Throughout their highly publicized relationship, which began in 2016, the Suits alum was the target of harassment both online and in the British media. [jwplayer EdIMTpuc-l3ahXupL] Harry previously addressed the toxic treatment in October 2019. "I have been a silent witness to her private suffering for too long. To stand back and do nothing would be contrary to everything we believe in," he said in an emotional statement at the time. "There comes a point when the only thing to do is to stand up to this behavior, because it destroys people and destroys lives. Put simply, it is bullying, which scares and silences people." The Invictus Games founder referenced his mother's death, explaining that what he fears most is "history repeating itself." When the couple made their exit permanent in February 2021, Harry opened up about the toll royal expectations took on his mental state. "It was never walking away, it was stepping back rather than stepping down," he said during a special segment on The Late Late Show With James Corden. "It was a really difficult environment as I think a lot of people saw. We all know what the British press can be like. It was destroying my mental health. ... I did what any husband and what any father would do which is [say], 'I need to get my family out of here.'" Scroll down for a brief history of some of the British royal family's most scandalous moments. [podcast_block]

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King Edward VIII Abdicates the Throne

Months into his royal reign in the 1930s, Edward VIII proposed to American divorcée Wallis Simpson — and it didn't sit well with the government. When he realized that he wouldn't be able to marry the socialite and continue in his role as king, Edward VIII decided to ditch the throne. He was succeeded by his younger brother George VI, father of Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret.

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Princess Margaret's Controversial Love Life

Queen Elizabeth II’s younger sister fell head over heels for a divorced man, Peter Townsend, who was 16 years older than her. Townsend proposed, but the Church of England refused to recognize the potential marriage at the time. Members of the government also weren't happy with the proposal, forcing Margaret to choose between love and life as a royal. She ultimately turned Townsend down in 1955 and married Antony Armstrong-Jones five years later.

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Princess Anne's Attempted Kidnapping

In 1974, driver Ian Ball overtook Anne's vehicle when she was returning to the palace from a charity event. Wielding two guns, Ball exclaimed that he intended to kidnap the princess and hold her for ransom. She eventually escaped, but not before one of her bodyguards was shot amid the chaos. Ball was arrested and pleaded guilty to attempted murder and kidnapping. He was sentenced to life in a high-security psychiatric facility due to his history of mental illness.

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Prince Charles' Love Triangle With Diana and Camilla

The Prince of Wales married Diana in 1981, but things quickly took a turn for the royal couple. Diana was recorded allegedly admitting that she was "deeply in love with someone" who worked in the palace, and Charles later began having an affair with former girlfriend Camilla. In 1992, Charles and Diana officially announced their separation. Three years later, the Princess of Wales famously told the BBC that "there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded."

Her divorce from Charles was finalized in August 1996, one year before she tragically died in a car crash in Paris. Charles went on to marry Camilla in 2005.

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Prince Harry's Nazi Armband and Vegas Adventure

The Duke of Sussex was labeled as the rebellious royal before he settled down with Meghan in 2018. He was forced to issue a public apology in 2005 after photos leaked of him wearing a swastika armband at a party. "I am very sorry if I caused any offense or embarrassment to anyone. It was a poor choice of costume and I apologize," he said in a statement at the time.

The controversy didn't stop there. Seven years later, naked pictures emerged from Harry's Las Vegas getaway, reportedly taken during a strip billiards game. The scandal prompted St James's Palace to contact the Press Complaints Commission before the snaps made their way to British tabloids.

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Princess Anne Fined After Dog Bites Kids

In 2002, the queen's daughter pleaded guilty to a criminal offense after her dog attacked two children. She was ordered to pay £500 compensation (nearly $700) to the victims, along with a separate £500 fine and £148 in court fees. It was reportedly the first time a senior royal family member had appeared in court in over a century.

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Prince Charles Bad-Mouths Reporters

While posing for a photo with his sons at a Swiss ski resort in 2005, Charles was caught slamming a question about his impending wedding to Camilla. "These bloody people. I can't bear that man. He's so awful, he really is," he muttered to Harry and William.

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Princess Michael of Kent Wears Racist Brooch

The wife of Prince Michael of Kent sparked controversy after the queen's 2017 Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace when she was spotted wearing an accessory that could have been seen as a slight toward Meghan, the first high-ranking biracial royal. "Princess Michael is very sorry and distressed that [the brooch] has caused offense," a spokesperson stated at the time.

It was not her first racially charged incident either. In 2004, the princess allegedly told a group of Black diners in New York City to "go back to the colonies." She subsequently apologized in an ITV interview, claiming, "To call me racist: it's a knife through the heart because I really love these people."

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Thomas Markle's Staged Pap Pics

Shortly before she was due to tie the knot in May 2018, Meghan's father was caught staging photos with the paparazzi. At the time, an insider told Us that Meghan was "disturbed" and "disappointed" by the stunt. Thomas announced through TMZ five days before his daughter's wedding that he would no longer attend, claiming he suffered a heart attack. Meghan's soon-to-be father-in-law, Charles, was the one to walk her down the aisle.

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Prince Andrew's Step Back

The Duke of York found himself at the center of controversy in November 2019 due to his association with late sex offender Jeffery Epstein. As the scandal continued to raise eyebrows, Andrew announced that he was stepping away from his royal duties "for the foreseeable future." At the time, Andrew had denied Virginia Roberts' claims that she was forced to have sex with him three times between 1999 and 2002, claiming that "it just never happened."

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Prince William's Affair Rumors

In 2019, the Duke of Cambridge was accused of having an affair with Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley, who was a close friend of his wife, Duchess Kate. At the time, a source exclusively revealed that Kate wasn't pleased when she caught wind of the "hurtful" rumors. However, the drama ended up changing the couple for the better.

"It forced her and William to sit back and examine their relationship, which they realized they should have been doing more often," the insider said of the pair, who tied the knot in April 2011. A separate source insisted that William and Kate were "still going strong" and "love each other dearly."

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Step Down

Less than two years after their May 2018 royal wedding, the Sussexes announced that after "many months of reflection and internal discussions," they planned to step down from their senior royal duties. "We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages," they noted via Instagram at the time. Two months later, they settled down in California with their son, Archie.

The move sparked a major conversation about life within palace walls — but a source revealed in January 2020 that the couple "made their statement without the official blessing of the queen." In February 2021, it was confirmed that the pair would no longer be working members of the British royal family.

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Samantha Markle's Tell-All Book

Meghan's estranged half-sister, Samantha Markle, spilled plenty of alleged family secrets in her February 2021 memoir, The Diary of Princess Pushy's Sister Part 1. "There's a lot to learn — the good, the bad and the ugly," the writer told Us exclusively more than three years after she announced her book plans. In the first installment, Samantha recalled her half-sibling's "demanding" attitude as a teenager and last conversation with the former actress, claiming that Meghan "had changed" once she stepped into the royal spotlight.

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Meghan Markle's Alleged Bullying

In March 2021, as Harry and Meghan prepared to tell all in a televised CBS interview, a report from The Times claimed that the Duchess of Sussex mistreated her royal staffers ahead of her January 2020 exit. Allegations even went so far as to accuse Meghan of bringing her aides to tears. At the time, a rep for the California native told Us that "the duchess is saddened by this latest attack on her character."

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'Concerns' Over Archie's Skin Tone

During their eye-opening March 2021 interview on CBS, Harry and Meghan opened up about some "really hard" discussions that occurred before they welcomed their son, Archie, in May 2019. "They didn’t want him to be a prince or a princess, which would be different from protocol," Meghan explained, recalling that they were given "no explanation" about declining to give the new member of the royal family the recognition of a title or the privilege of security.

"I heard a lot of it through Harry and other parts through conversations with family members. It was a decision they felt was appropriate," the duchess continued. "All around this same time, we had in tandem the conversation of he won't be given security, he's not going to be given a title, and also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he's born."

When Harry joined his wife for the second half of the interview, he refused to name the family members who allegedly voiced those concerns. However, it was later revealed on CBS This Morning that neither the queen nor Prince Philip were present for those conversations.

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Prince Andrew Loses His Patronages

In January 2022, Buckingham Palace released a statement about the Duke of York’s work with the royal family amid his ongoing sexual assault lawsuit. “With the queen’s approval and agreement, the Duke of York’s military affiliations and royal patronages have been returned to the queen,” the statement read. “The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and defending this case as a private citizen.”

The news came five months after Virginia Giuffre filed a lawsuit against the prince for alleged sexual abuse and emotional distress. Andrew’s Los Angeles attorney Andrew Brettler argued during an August 2021 court hearing that the claims are “baseless, nonviable and potentially unlawful.”

Two months after Giuffre filed a U.S. civil sexual assault lawsuit against him, the British police announced that, after reviewing a document tied to the case, they would not act against Andrew. The case in the U.S., however, is still ongoing with a judge ruling in January 2022 to dismiss Andrew’s legal team’s request to throw out the lawsuit due to Giuffre’s alleged lack of credibility.

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Lady Susan Hussey Resigns

In November 2022, Prince William's godmother and one of King Charles III's top team members resigned from her royal post amid allegations of racism.

"We take this incident extremely seriously and have investigated immediately to establish the full details," a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace asserted in a statement. "In this instance, unacceptable and deeply regrettable comments have been made."

The controversy began when activist Ngozi Fulani claimed via social media that she was asked racially insensitive questions about her background by "a member of staff, Lady SH," during a royal event. The palace stated that The Firm "reached out to Ngozi Fulani on this matter and are inviting her to discuss all elements of her experience in person if she wishes."

According to the spokesperson: "In the meantime, the individual concerned would like to express her profound apologies for the hurt caused and has stepped aside from her honorary role with immediate effect. All members of the Household are being reminded of the diversity and inclusivity policies which they are required to uphold at all times."