On Thursday, Queen Elizabeth passed away at the age of 96. She was commended by many for her commitment to duty, However, scandals during her reign frequently cast a shade. Here are a few notable ones.
Scandals during the long reign of Queen Elizabeth
During the long reign of Queen Elizabeth II, several scandals arose. Princess Margaret, her younger sister was the center of many that shook the monarch during her early days. Margaret, a rebellious beauty was forced to cancel her engagement to Group Captain Peter Townsend. The airforce officer was considered unfit due to his status as a divorce. She later wed Anthony Armstrong-Jones, a society photographer. However, following a liaison with Roddy Llewellyn, a landscape gardener 18 years younger, her marriage collapsed.
Additionally, Queen’s choice to wed Greek Prince Philip also sparked controversy. While the Greek Prince made a distinguished name during the second world war, he had a sister who married into Nazi-supporting German aristocratic families. Due to this, people from the German side of his family were not invited. Additionally, the queen’s private secretary, Mike Parker was focused to resign after his wife filed for divorce while Philip was on a solo tour. The event sparked several questions and doubts about rifts.
More controversies and scandals
Other top scandals include the failed union between prince Charles and his first wife Diana. Additionally, his relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles also sparked controversies. The royal couple was regularly featured in unpleasant tabloid publications.
On the other hand, Prince Andrew owing to his playboy lifestyle was dubbed “Airmiles Andy” or “Randy Andy”. His association with Jeffrey Epstein who was convicted for child sex offenses also led to him resigning as the nation’s traveling trade envoy. Later Epstein’s suicide in prison raised more doubts. He later lost his military ties and royal title as Virginia Giuffre claimed she was forced to have sex with him when she was a minor.
Queen Elizabeth’s grandson, Prince Harry was initially portrayed by the media as a royal wild child. However, through his laid-back nature and military experience, he rose and grew up to become a well-liked royal. His wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018 was hailed as a model for a new and contemporary monarch. However, the couple declared resigning from their royal duties in 2020 as they were unhappy with the media focus and intrusion.
