The Royal Family is preparing to privately commemorate the second anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s death this Sunday.
Despite maintaining their usual royal duties and charity work, the years following the late Queen’s passing have been some of the most challenging for the monarchy.
From explosive books to revealing interviews, the family has navigated numerous obstacles during King Charles‘ reign, with the senior members remaining resolute in their commitment to their roles.
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Here are eight of the most tumultuous scandals the family has weathered in the two years since Queen Elizabeth’s death.
(Image: PA)
Where is Kate?
Arguably one of the biggest scandals this year, and since Queen Elizabeth’s death, is the social media storm that engulfed The Princess of Wales, according to The Express.
After announcing that the princess would be taking a break from Royal duties to recuperate from a scheduled surgery, the public took to X, previously known as Twitter, with a slew of conspiracy theories.
The question, ‘Where is Kate?’, became a global talking point as speculation ran rampant. A Mother’s Day photo shared by Kate featuring her and her children only fuelled the rumours further when it appeared to have been edited, leading to newspapers retracting the image.
The princess eventually put an end to the gossip by releasing a video message revealing her cancer diagnosis.
(Image: X/CBS Sunday)
Netflix’s Harry & Meghan
Just months after the Queen’s passing, another bombshell rocked the nation when Harry and Meghan launched their docuseries, Harry & Meghan.
In the Netflix series, the couple delved into their romance and their decision to step away from royal duties in 2020. Each of the six episodes contained allegations aimed at Harry’s family, particularly his brother Prince William.
Harry alleged that during a meeting in early 2020 about the Sussexes’ decision to step back from royal duties, William had chosen to “scream and shout” at him.
He stated: “It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me, and my father say things that simply weren’t true, and my grandmother quietly sit there and sort of take it all in.”
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Omid Scobie’s EndGame book
Scandal struck again with the release of Omid Scobie’s ‘Endgame’. The 2023 bombshell book paints a worrying picture of the monarchy’s downfall post-Queen Elizabeth and appeared to favour Harry and Meghan.
Adding fuel to the fire, the Dutch version named the two royals who allegedly had made racist remarks about Harry and Meghan’s son Archie before the tot was even born. This spurred on a social media storm against the Royal Family.
(Image: PA)
Prince Harry’s Spare
Prince Harry’s explosive 2023 memoir, Spare, further shook the Firm’s foundations, revealing the tensions between Princes Harry and William.
Harry recounts a rough-and-tumble with his brother back in 2019 that left him literally bowled over. In his own words, Harry shared the violent moment when tensions boiled over: “He set down the water, called me another name, then came at me. It all happened so fast. So very fast. He grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and he knocked me to the floor. I landed on the dog’s bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me.”
Left on the ground, taking stock of what just went down, Harry recalled getting to his feet to respond. He wrote: “I lay there for a moment, dazed, then got to my feet and told him to get out.”
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Prince Andrew
Purportedly the late Queen’s favoured son, Prince Andrew and his ties with Jeffery Epstein have been plaguing the rooyals since the scandal first emerged, during Queen Elizabeth’s reign. Since her death, he has caused fresh headaches by refusing to vacate Royal Lodge, despite orders from King Charles himself.
In a bold move, it’s rumoured that the King is stripping away security at the residence, hoping to nudge Andrew towards a humbler abode.
Yet, despite the domestic squabble, Prince Andrew brazenly joined the traditional Christmas Sandringham walkabout last year, hinting at a return to the royal inner circle.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Meghan’s Coronation snub
It was confirmed this year, that despite high tensions, both Harry and Megan were invited to attend the King’s Coronation. However, the pair left the Palace hanging, only confirming their attendance, a couple of weeks before the event.
Only Harry made the Coronation, with Meghan choosing to stay stateside with their children. The Sussex’s spokesperson announced: “Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that the Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6th May. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.”
(Image: Getty Images)
Angela Kelly’s eviction
After Queen Elizabeth died, it appeared that King Charles wasn’t keen on Angela Kelly, Queen Elizabeth II’s former dresser and close friend, remaining in her Windsor home. Instead, he gifted her a home further away and told her to not speak about her friendship with the former monarch.
Archie and Lilibet’s titles
In line with the Buckingham Palace rulebook, when Charles became king, his grandchildren, Archie, now four, and Lilibet, now two, should have been bumped up to Prince and Princess as royal grandkids. However, no decision was announced following Charles becoming King.
Yet on March 8, Meghan and Harry threw another curveball, when they called their daughter ‘Princess Lilibet’ while announcing her christening.
The Sussexes appeared set on bestowing the titles onto their children, and for them to be recognised as proper royals, arguing the titles are their birthright.
While it was reported that King Charles hadn’t decided whether or not to grant Archie and Lilibet their titles three months into his reign, it appears he has gone ahead with the titles, as the two children are now listed as ‘Prince’ and ‘Princess’ on the royal website, taking their spot as number six and seven in line for the throne.
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