Royal family's biggest scandals
- They are gracious, elegant and educated but the British royal family's reputation is far from clean. Whether it be Sarah Ferguson's financial woes or Prince Harry's deference for Nazi uniforms, they've had their fair share of family drama. Learn more about at some of their juiciest scandals.
- Sarah Ferguson has had more than her fair share of scandals. She caught major headlines in 1992 when topless pics of the newly separated Duchess of York emerged. The picture shows a half nude Fergie with financial adviser, John Bryan, sucking the Duchess' toes in front of her two small daughters. (WENN.COM)
- In 1993, a sex scandal of another sort erupted when a late night phone call between Prince Charles and his now wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, was leaked to the media. The public got a taste of the smitten lovers' conversation when the prince said he wanted to be reincarnated as Camilla's tampon. (AFP/Ben Stansall)
- Prince Philip has put his foot in his mouth numerous times, his insights are now known as 'Philipisms.' One of his more notable verbal blunders came on a trip to China in the '80s when he told British school kids that "You'll get slitty eyes if you stay too long."
In 1993, while visiting Hungary, he couldn't keep his comments to himself when he said to another Brit "You can't have been here that long — you haven't got a pot belly." (WENN.COM)
- The Duke of Edinburgh's offending quips don't stop there. While touring a company in Scotland in 1999, he commented on a badly wired fuse box saying, "It looks as though it was put in by an Indian."
Meanwhile, he managed to crush the dreams of a 13-year-old boy in 2001, when he told him that he was too fat to be an astronaut. The Duke's verbal blunders have even inspired a book of quotes titled, "Duke of Hazard: The Wit and Wisdom of Prince Philip." (WENN.COM)
- In 2002, Princess Anne had a reason to pout, when she became the first royal in 350 years to be convicted of a crime. "Princess Sourpuss" found herself in trouble when her English bull terrier escaped from her arms in Windsor Great Park. The dog attacked two boys, biting one and scratching another. She pleaded guilty to the charges and faced fines and a warning to keep her pups under control in public. (Anwar Hussein Collection/WENN.COM)
- Prince Harry is known for indulging in underage drinking and using marijuana, but the party boy made headlines in 2005 when he donned a Nazi uniform to a costume party. The prince later issued a public apology saying it was a "very stupid thing" to do. (QMI Agency files)
- In 2010, Fergie's financial woes were brought into the limelight when she was caught trying to sell access to her ex-husband for $735,000. In a secret video filmed by the News of the World, the Duchess of York promised to introduce an undercover reporter to Prince Andrew, and appeared to have received an advance payment of $40,000. (WENN.COM)
- Both Princess Diana and Prince Charles took a beating when the royal couple's marriage began to break down. The media had a field day with leaked letters and phone calls that exposed Diana's jealousies and depression. In the end, both admitted to having affairs. By December 1995, Queen Elizabeth II had had enough and wrote letters to each of them demanding a divorce. The divorce was finalized in August 1996 but the drama didn't end there.
Diana was linked to a number of men including her riding instructor James Hewitt, Pakistani surgeon Hasnat Khan and later Egyptian multi-millionaire Dodi Fayed, who died alongside her in a car crash in August 1997. (Anwar Hussein/WENN.com)
- Queen Elizabeth II was under fire after Diana, Princess of Wales, died in a car crash August 1997. The Queen remained at her summer home and didn't appear in public until five days after the crash, when she gave a televised speech expressing her regrets.
She was also slammed by media when the flag at Buckingham Palace was not lowered to half mast to mark Diana's death. Tradition states that the Queen's flag, the Royal Standard, is only flown when she is home. After public outcry, the Union Jack was flown at half mast on the day of Diana's funeral. (File photo)
- Prince Andrew has been criticized for his friendship with American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. British newspapers recently published photos of the prince with his arm around a young woman who claims to be one of Epstein's underage victims. There has been no suggestion that Andrew was involved in inappropriate relationships.
The prince's ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, said she was unaware of Epstein's history when she became friends with him. She said she plans to return the $22,000 Epstein lent her to settle a debt. (Reuters/TOBY MELVILLE)
- Prince Harry also grabbed Canadian headlines when he dropped into a Calgary bar in 2007 and partied late with a young bartender. The "Prince Charming" even planted a kiss on her cheek before returning to Canadian Forces Base Suffield, where he was stationed for military training. (REUTERS/Russell Boyce)
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