The accusations made by the former dukes of Sussex have triggered public scrutiny towards the royal family. They exposed what many consider the dark side of the monarchy.
Enrique and Meghan’s accusations of racism at a Buckingham Palace concerned about the skin color of her son Archie, made during an explosive television interview in which she also said she had suicidal thoughts after feeling harassed, are the last scandal in the long list in the credit of the British monarchy.
Edward VIII, love before duty
Giving priority to love over duty, King Edward VIII caused a real earthquake by abdicating in 1936, after 326 days of reign, to marry Wallis Simpson, an American plebeian two sometimes divorced, rejected by the Anglican Church, of which he was the head.
He was succeeded by his brother, King George VI, father of the current Queen Elizabeth II, and the ex-sovereign was repudiated.
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Broken hearts and infidelities
Nicknamed the Rebel Princess, Margaret, younger sister of Elizabeth II, shook the traditions and conventions imposed by a royal family that prevented her from living her great love.
She married in 1960 Antony Armstrong-Jones, a somewhat bohemian fashion and film photographer, after being forced to give up her relationship with divorced military man Peter Townsend.
The couple divorced in 1978, after the umpteenth scandal caused by their infidelities.
“Annus horribilis”
1992 was an “annus horribilis” for the queen, facing the marital problems of three of her four children. The hardest separation was that of the Crown Prince, Charles, and Princess Diana, after eleven years of tumultuous marriage. They divorced four years later.
That same year, Prince Andrew, her second son, broke up with Sarah Ferguson, photographed with her breasts uncovered in the south of France next to her financial adviser licking her toes. They divorced in 1996.
The sovereign’s only daughter, Princess Anna, divorced her first husband, Mark Phillips, three years after their highly publicized breakup in 1989.
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Diana’s death
The queen was heavily criticized for her lack of compassion when, in 1997, the “village princess”, Diana, mother of William and Henry, died in a car accident. Adored by the masses, two years earlier she had denounced on television the infidelity of her husband, heir to the throne.
Messages near the Alma Bridge, to honor the memory of Princess Diana on the anniversary of her death. Photo: AFP
While the mourning people laid millions of flowers in front of the gate of Buckingham and Kensington palaces, Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth entrenched themselves in their Scottish castle of Balmoral.
Despite the wave of outrage that swept the country, the sovereign did not leave her silence until the eve of the funeral, when she gave an exceptional televised speech.
The Andrew scandal
Prince Andrew’s friendship with American financier Jeffrey Epstein took its toll on him when the latter, accused of sexually exploiting minors, committed suicide in prison.
An American, Virgina Roberts, claimed that she was forced by Epstein to have sex with Andrew, which he denies.
But when he tried to defend himself on the BBC, the prince gave a disastrous picture, with unconvincing court denials, no signs of remorse and no empathy for his friend’s victims.
Many of the companies and universities with which he collaborated decided to dispense with it and had to retire from public life.
The resounding Megxit
Enric and Meghan announced on January 8, 2020, to everyone’s surprise, that they were stepping down from their actual duties. The couple, who had brought a fresh air to the monarchy, said they wanted to be financially independent and move to North America, first Canada and soon after California.
His departure was called “Megxit” by the British press.
A photo taken in Melbourne on March 9, 2021 shows front-page headlines reporting on the story of the interview given by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wife of Prince Harry of Britain, Duke of Sussex, to Oprah Winfrey, which aired on the American CBS station. Photo EDH / AFP
After a one-year temporary deal, Buckingham last month ordered the couple to permanently relinquish their honorary titles and sponsorships. Shortly afterwards, news broke about an old allegation of harassment of an ex-employee when, in 2018, they were still living in the palace and the announcement of the royal house that he will investigate.
In an interview with American television star Oprah Winfrey and broadcast on March 7, Meghan said she had suicidal thoughts at the palace and was denied psychological support arguing that it would damage the institution’s image.
The extortionist, who is mestizo, also claimed that when she was pregnant, people in the royal house were worried about the skin color her son Archie, who will turn two in May, would have.