Epic Royal Family Scandals And Secrets

2

11. Prince Harry’s Teacher Claims She Helped Him Cheat

One of Prince Harry’s teachers from Eton College, Sarah Forsyth, claims that she and another teacher helped him cheat in his A-level art course because he was such a weak student. According to her, she wrote the text to an AS-level project and that another teacher at the school, Mr. Burke, worked on some of Prince Harry’s artwork that was featured in newspapers. Harry denied the allegations.

3

10. Kate Middleton’s Wardrobe Malfunctions

Kate Middleton wears a lot of dresses with full skirts while performing her various royal duties. During her and Prince William’s tour of Canada in 2011, the Duchess of Cambridge had one her first wardrobe malfunction when her yellow Jenny Packham dress blew up and exposed her butt. A similar thing happened when she visited a charity, Place2Be, in 2013 and when she toured New Zealand in 2014. In both incidents, she was photographed with her skirt blowing up. In 2016, she had another wardrobe malfunction during an appearance in India where she was helping Prince William honor India’s war victims. Her ivory colored dress made headlines as it kept blowing up, threatening to expose her underwear.

4

9. Prince Harry Dressed like a Nazi

Prince Harry found himself at the center of a controversy in 2005 when he was spotted sporting a Nazi armband at a party. Jewish groups and lawmakers criticized the prince, with one group urging him to visit the Auschwitz death camp. Harry apologized for his choice of costume, but opposition politicians weren’t satisfied and demanded that he apologize in person.

5

8. Squidgeygate

While she was married to Charles, Diana had an affair with a close friend, James Gilbey. A passionate call between these two lovers from 1989 was published by The Sun in 1992, which became known as “Squidgeygate,” as his pet name for her was Squidgy or Squidge and he called her that roughly 53 times in the recorded conversation. British intelligence agency GCHQ was reportedly responsible for recording the conversation.

6

7. Sarah Ferguson’s Photographed Getting Her Toes Sucked

Just six months after separating from Prince Andrew in 1992, Sarah Ferguson – Duchess of York – was caught on camera sunbathing topless and getting her toes sucked by her financial advisor while on vacation in France. The incident was a huge embarrassment for the royal family and Prince Philip has reportedly never forgiven Ferguson for it.

7

6. Prince Andrew Dated an Adult Film Star

In 1982, Prince Andrew began dating a Kathleen “Koo” Stark, an American-born actress who had appeared in a softcore porn film when she was 17 called Emily. When it was revealed that she was Andrew’s girlfriend, nude images of her were splashed all across the tabloids. Then it was disclosed that Andrew had already taken the actress to Balmoral Castle to meet his family. In response to the media coverage, Buckingham Palace released a rare statement. “We do not know if the Queen was aware of the girl’s acting career before she was invited to Balmoral.”

8

5. Camillgate

In 1992, an intimate telephone conversation between the Prince and Parker-Bowles from 1989 was leaked to Today and the Mirror newspapers, which became known as “Camillagate.” The conversation, in which Charles was caught saying he wanted to be reincarnated as Camilla’s knickers or tampon, seriously damaged Charles’ reputation, as it seemed to prove that he had been cheating on Diana throughout their marriage. He denied the allegations, claiming that he only rekindled his relationship with Parker-Bowles after his marriage had “irretrievably broken down” in 1986.

9

4. Princess Diana’s Tell-All Interview

Princess Diana gave a bombshell interview to Martin Bashir for the BBC current affairs show Panorama where she discussed Prince Charles’ affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles and her struggles with bulimia, depression and self-harm. She also expressed her doubts about Charles’ suitability for kingship. After this interview, Queen Elizabeth demanded that Diana and Charles divorce.

10

3. Captain Mark Phillips’ Love Child

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s only daughter Princess Anne had a rocky relationship with Captain Mark Phillips. Before they separated in 1989, they were living separate lives and were both rumored to be dating other people – he was linked with British TV personality Angela Rippon, stable girl Zena Pilgrim and Toronto PR consultant Kathy Birks, while Anne was reportedly involved with the Queen’s equerry, Commander Timothy Laurence. What was the nail in the coffin for the couple, however, was the news that Phillips had fathered an illegitimate child with a New Zealand woman.

11

2. Princess Margaret’s Relationship with Peter Townsend

Princess Margaret had an affair with Peter Townsend, who was 16 years her senior, when she was reportedly just 17 and while he was working for her father as an equerry. Although they wanted to get married, they were ultimately unable to do so because he was divorced and the Church of England – which Queen Elizabeth is head of – forbid it. Parliament informed Margaret that if she were to marry Townsend, she would have to forfeit her royal rights and income, renounce her claim to the throne and would also have to leave England for at least five years, so she decided to put her duties to the commonwealth ahead of her love for Townsend.

12

1. The Abdication of King Edward VIII

Edward VIII’s brief reign as King of England lasted less than a year and nearly resulted in a constitutional crisis because of his desire to marry his twice-divorced American mistress, Wallace Simpson. Since she had two failed marriages under her belt, she was deemed socially and politically unsuitable to be a queen consort. Edward’s refusal to end the relationship led to his abdication in 1936. The following year, they were married and then embarked on a jet-setting life in Paris.

Want exclusive Royals content (news, fashion, lists & more) delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for our Exclusive Fame10 Royals Email!

Cate

Cate has a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature and has been the Managing Editor of Fame10 for more than 6 years. Despite having a love for the works of Thomas Hardy, Leo Tolstoy and Lord Byron, she also has an intense fascination with pop culture. When she isn’t writing for Fame10, she’s planning her next big adventure in Southeast Asia.