Scandalous Royal Family Moments That Stunned Everyone

The Royals have made news headlines with weddings, babies, a jubilee, and landmark anniversaries. However, there have also been a number of scandals to rock the family.

Royal scandals aren't a new occurrence and over the centuries the royal family has faced everything from a queen who never married to rumored infidelities. However, more recent scandals have been highly publicized. Here are six modern-day royal family scandals that left everyone stunned.

Princess Margaret's Love Life

The first of a slew of modern-day scandals, Princess Margaret's affair with the married Peter Townsend rocked the royal family. Townsend eventually divorced his wife in 1952.

He went on to ask for Margaret's hand, but the backlash from the public took its toll on their relationship. Then in 1960, Margaret married Anthony Armstrong Jones but eventually divorced him after they were both unfaithful.

The Annus Horribilis

1992 was a year filled with scandal for the family of Queen Elizabeth II. The year has been dubbed "annus horribilis" (horrible year). Three of the Queen's four children (Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, and Princess Anne) decided to end their marriages in 1992.

Adding to the scandal, Princess Anne remarried in the same year even though her ex-husband was still alive. This was the first time a British monarch's child remarried after divorce.

Messy Prince Charles and Lady Diana Divorce

From the start of their relationship, Prince Charles and Princess Diana appeared to be under immense strain. The couple separated in 1992.

However, the truly scandalous part of their divorce was their public jabs at one another's infidelities. Diana even famously said, "there were three in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded."

Prince Charles Marrying Camilla

While the rumor mill always hinted the two were already together, the world was still shocked when Prince Charles married Camilla Parker-Bowles in 2005. The pair had been in love long before he married his ex-wife, Diana.

The move was the first time a future King remarried. Not to mention, Camilla's ex-husband was also still alive.

Prince Andrew Steps Down From Royal Duties

In 2019, Prince Andrew, who had been known as the Queen's favorite son, found himself in the center of an international scandal because of his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. The constant questions and criticism about his friendship saw the prince agree to an interview with Newsnight's Emily Maitlis.

However, his decision backfired when his answers caused massive outrage and the Queen effectively fired him from his roles. Andrew was forced to step back from all official duties and revealed he was cooperating with investigators, including the FBI. The Queen even canceled plans for his 60th birthday party amid the scandal.

Meghan Markle & Prince Harry's Debacle

From before their wedding day, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry frequently found themselves on the receiving end of criticism from the general public. After months of struggling to fit into their royal roles, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced in January 2020, that they were "stepping back" from senior royal duties.

“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.”

the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said on @sussexroyal, their official Instagram account.

Reports claim that the pair didn't just catch the public off guard. They reportedly never informed the Queen before making their announcement.