There have been numerous scandals swirling around the British royal family over the last century. Hence, we decided to handpick the biggest British royal family scandals you should know about.
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The Squidgygate Scandal
This happened in 1989 when the British intelligence listening station listened to Princess Diana’s personal call. Lady Di has been seeing a man, James Gilby, while she was still being married to Prince Charles. Princess Diana spoke with her lover for 30 minutes during which he said “I love you” 53 times. These tapes were released in 1992 and based on Gilby’s nickname for Diana, ‘Squidgy,’ the scandal became known as Squidgygate.
Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ Divorce
This is another scandal which completely shocked the world. Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ marriage was tumultuous and ended with a divorce in August 1996. They were separated for four years before getting divorced.
The Camillagate Scandal
Prince Charles is part yet of another scandal in 1992, which involved Camilla Parker Bowles, the woman who is now his wife. The scandal broke after a private telephone call between the two lovers was being tapped. This was a rather unusual and explicit conversation during which Prince Charles said that he wanted to be Camilla’s tampon. Hence, the scandal was named ‘Camillagate’ or ‘tampongate.’
Princess Margaret Wasn’t Allowed to Marry the Man She Loved
Princess Margaret, the sister of Queen Elizabeth II, fell in love with a divorced man, Peter Townsend. However, she wasn’t allowed to marry a divorcee and received an ultimatum. Hence, if she decided to marry Peter, she would have been excluded from the royal family. So, she decided not to marry the man of her choice, but married another man years later.
Princess Margaret Got Divorced
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This is another scandal which involves Princess Margaret. She married to Anthony Armstrong-Jones in 1960. However, this was a rather unhappy marriage accompanied by abuse and infidelity and had to end with a divorce. So, Princess Margaret divorced her husband in 1978 and never married again.
Prince Harry and His Controversial Nazi Costume
When Prince Harry was 20, he decided to dress up as a Nazi for Halloween. So, he wore a complete Nazi uniform, including the swastika armband. However, this wasn’t accepted well by the public and he had to apologize for his poor costume choice.
King Edward VIII Gave Up the Crown for Love
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King Edward VIII, Queen Elizabeth’s uncle, abdicating the throne was probably one of the biggest scandals ever in the British Royal family. She decided that the love of his life, Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American, was worth it. This decision affected the royal family and Elizabeth’s father, Prince Albert, became the new King of England.
Prince Harry’s Naked Party in Las Vegas
This scandal has made the headlines in August 2012. There were pictures of Prince Henry playing pool naked and standing in front of another naked man.
Lady Diana and Her Interview
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Diana’s tell-all exclusive interview had been yet another scandal which strongly hit the family. In 1995, she gave the interview the BBC while no one else from the family knew about it. In this interview, she shares private information, about her life as a princess and her marriage.
Princess Anne’s Husband Has a Child in New Zealand
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Queen Elizabeth’s only daughter, Princess Anne, married Lieutenant Mark Phillips in 1973. However, he had a child in New Zealand after a one-night stand. The couple separated and divorced in 1992. Mark’s daughter lives in New Zealand now and has a child of her own.
Princess Anne Married Her Mom’s Employee
Timothy Laurence, one of Queen Elizabeth’s employees, was Anne’s lover. The affair began while she was still married to Mark Phillips. The lovers married in 1992, after her divorce, in a quiet ceremony.
Topless Photos of Kate Middleton
The Duchess of Cambridge sunbathed topless while on vacation with her husband in Provence. They probably thought they were alone, but there were pictures published. However, the photographer and magazine publisher were charged by the French officials.
Photos of Sarah Ferguson While Sunbathing Topless with Financier
Even though this happened while Duchess Sarah Ferguson was separated from her husband, Prince Andrew, it still was a scandal for the royal family. There were photos of Sarah sunbathing topless with John Bryan. The photos showed John kissing her feet.
Sarah Ferguson Was Accused of Bribe
This is another scandal involving Sarah Ferguson. She was caught on tape offering help to her ex-husband for about $700,000. She was dealing with financial struggles at the time, which she later explained.
Source: cheatsheet.com
