With social media, we learn all about the most embarrassing moments quickly. But have you ever wondered about those crazy scandals throughout history? We’ve scrounged a few of the forgotten royal scandals that shocked the world. From love affairs to magical rumors, these are the most bizarre forgotten royal scandals that you need to know.
6. Queen Elizabeth’s 1992 ‘Annus Horribilis’
Some forgotten royal scandals are pretty recent, like Queen Elizabeth’s worst year in 1992. It was so bad that she called it her “annus horribilis”, or horrible year. She called it this because the marriages of three of her four children ended, there was a fire at her home, and the publication of a racy book and leaked phone conversations from Princess Diana and Prince Charles added scandal. Definitely not the best year.
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5. The Queen of Denmark and the Physician
One of the forgotten royal scandals that you should know is about Caroline Matilda, a teenage British princess who was married off to King Christain VII of Denmark. It was a great marriage until he had his violent tempers and fits of madness. Not only did the marriage fall apart, but so did the King’s mental state. A German doctor named Johann Struensee helped with his sanity and was such a constant that he and Caroline Matilda had an affair. Unfortunately, it didn’t end well as Struensee was executed and Matilda was divorced and exiled to Germany.
4. Louis XIV’s Reign with Black Magic
Known as the Affair of the Poisons, this is one of the forgotten royal scandals that caused major concern during the reign of King Louis XIV in France. Between 1677 and 1682, several prominent members of the aristocracy were implicated and sentenced on charges of poisoning and witchcraft. The scandal was so bad that it reached into the inner circle of the king, and led to the execution of 36 people.
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3. 1783 Painting of Marie Antoinette
It’s well-known that any little thing can cause a scandal if enough people are watching. And for Marie Antoinette, it was easy to cause a scandal. Unfortunately, there were many in her lifetime, but one forgotten royal scandal was her painting in 1783. Called Marie Antoinette with a Rose is housed in the Palace of Versailles and is famed for her wearing a gaulle, or chemise a la reine, which was lighter than the highly structured garments in French society and court, causing shock to the world.
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2. The Death of Amy Robsart in 1560
One of the forgotten royal scandals is the death of Amy Robsart in 1560. Queen of Elizabeth I of England never married, though Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, her Master of Horse was her favorite in court. However, he was married. Unfortunately, the rumors of their affair spread, especially after Dudley’s wife, Amy Robsart, was found dead at the foot of the stairs in her mansion with a broken neck. Weirdly enough, Dudley didn’t attend his wife’s funeral.
1. Edward VIII’s Abdication in 1939
Probably the most forgotten royal scandal ever in history revolves around King Edward VIII of the British Empire. In 1936, a constitutional crisis arose when he proposed to marry Wallis Simpson, an American socialite who was divorced from her first husband and was in the process of divorcing her second. The proposal was opposed by the governments of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth with religious, legal, political, and moral objections. But his refusal to give her up eventually led to his abdication, or relinquishing his authority, in December 1936.
