Ahead of King Charles' coronation, a look at scandals, controversies of Queen Elizabeth II's reign

Younger sister Margaret

Princess Margaret, the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth, was at the centre of several scandals that shook the monarchy at the beginning of her reign. 

Margaret, a rebellious beauty, was forced to renege on a 1955 engagement to Group Captain Peter Townsend, a handsome air force officer because the rigid customs of the day thought him unfit because he was divorced. 

Instead, she wed Anthony Armstrong-Jones, a society photographer who adopted the name, Lord Snowdon. After a liaison with the landscape gardener Roddy Llewellyn, who was 18 years her junior, that marriage collapsed.
 

(Photograph:Reuters)

Greek Prince Philip

There was some controversy around her choice to wed the Greek Prince Philip. 

While Philip had distinguished himself during the Second World War in the British Royal Navy, he had sisters who were wed to Nazi-supporting German aristocracy. Because of this, no one from his German family was invited to their wedding. 

He was plagued by rumours that he was having extramarital affairs throughout her early years as monarch.

When Mike Parker, the queen's private secretary, was forced to resign after his wife filed for divorce while Philip was on a solo tour of the Commonwealth in 1957, it sparked questions about the monarch's spouse. 

In an unusual statement at the time, the queen's spokesman declared, "It is quite untrue that there is any rift between the Queen and the Duke."
 

(Photograph:Reuters)

Diana and Camilla

The failed union of her eldest son Charles and his first wife Diana, as well as his relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles, his first love with whom he had an affair and eventually married after Diana's death, were the biggest scandals of her reign. 

Following their 1981 nuptials, Charles and Diana's relationship broke down at the end of the decade and into the 1990s, and the couple was frequently featured in tabloid publications' unpleasant stories. 

The relationship between Diana and Charles was irreparably damaged, according to a 1992 book by journalist Andrew Morton, who later acknowledged Diana as his primary source. The book also detailed Diana's struggles with eating disorders and her attempts at suicide.

Newspapers later that year released quotes from a recorded phone discussion between Diana and James Gilby, who referred to her as "Squidgy." Then, in 1993, a reporter overheard a conversation between Charles and Camilla on the phone during which the prince expressed his desire to return as her tampon. 

Diana said she had an affair with military officer James Hewitt and that there had been "three of us" in the marriage—a reference to Camilla—in TV interviews they both made after their divorce.
 

(Photograph:Reuters)

'Annus horribilis'

The queen referred to 1992 as "annus horribilis" in a speech at its conclusion. 1992 is not a year that I will remember with pure joy, she stated. 

Diana's residence in Windsor Castle experienced a significant fire, and Charles and Diana legally split. However, their union was not the only one to dissolve that year.

The Duke and Duchess of York, Prince Andrew's second son and his wife Sarah Ferguson, parted ways as well. On the front page of a newspaper, "Fergie" was seen topless getting her toes sucked by wealthy American businessman John Bryan beside the pool of a French mansion. 

Three years after their separation as a result of rumours about their love connections to other people, Mark Phillips, Princess Anne's mother of over 20 years, and daughter Princess Anne divorced him in an official manner in April. In December 1992, Anne wed navy commander Timothy Laurence.
 

(Photograph:Reuters)

'Airmiles Andy'

Because of his playboy lifestyle, British tabloids dubbed Prince Andrew "Airmiles Andy" or "Randy Andy" as he fell further down the line of succession. 

Three years after Jeffrey Epstein's initial conviction for child sex offences, his association with him gained notoriety in 2011, leading Andrew to resign from his position as Britain's travelling trade envoy. 

Virginia Giuffre claimed in court filings that she was forced to have sex with the prince as a minor four years later. Although Andrew refuted the allegations, they persisted.

Epstein committed suicide in prison in 2019 while being detained on sex-trafficking accusations, which raised more doubts. Andrew gave a terrible interview to the BBC in an attempt to redeem his name; as a result, he was compelled to resign from his royal duties and companies started to distance themselves from him. 

Giuffre accused Andrew of assaulting her sexually and physically and filed a lawsuit against him in 2021. He lost both his "His Royal Highness" title and his military ties in January of the following year. 

In order to avoid the public humiliation of a trial, Andrew settled the claim in February 2022 without admitting any guilt. He agreed to pay an unknown amount.
 

(Photograph:Reuters)

The 'Megxit'

Prince Harry, the queen's grandson, was portrayed in the media as a royal wild child when he was younger. He acknowledged using marijuana and drinking when underage in a pub, fought with photographers outside a nightclub in London and outraged many by dressing as a Nazi officer at a costume party. 

But thanks to his laid-back demeanour and military experience, he rose to become one of the most well-liked royals, and his 2018 wedding to American actress Meghan Markle was hailed as the model for a new, contemporary monarchy. 

Unhappy with the intrusion and media focus on their lives, they declared in January 2020 that they would resign from their royal responsibilities, dealing a severe blow to the institution.

After relocating to Los Angeles, they launched a vicious attack on the royal family and Buckingham Palace in a TV interview with American broadcaster Oprah Winfrey in March 2021. They made accusations of racism and claimed that Meghan had been driven to the verge of suicide. 

Harry also stated clearly that Charles and William's older brother was trapped.

(Photograph:Reuters)

British royals earned more than £1bn from controversial estates

According to an investigation by The Guardian, the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall, which have long been the subject of debate over whether the public should receive their profits, have generated over £1 billion ($1.25 billion) in income for King Charles and the late Queen Elizabeth II. These duchies manage a vast portfolio of real estate, including hotels, offices, farmland, shops, and medieval castles, as well as luxury properties in London. The Duchies also have investment portfolios, but they do not pay capital gains tax or corporation tax. Last year, the royal mother-son duo earned a revenue of £41.8 million ($52.17 million), and the value of the Duchy of Lancaster is currently £652 million ($813.78 million)

(Photograph:X)