Moments that rocked the family

Controversy etched into royal history

December 1936

King Edward VIII signed written abdication notices so that he could marry Wallis Simpson, the American socialite who was divorcing her second husband

April 1953

Captain Peter Townsend, a divorcé, proposed to Princess Margaret, but Church of England rules forbade the marriage and the engagement was called off two years later

August 1992

Audio tapes of Diana, Princess of Wales talking intimately to her alleged lover James Gilbey were released by a tabloid newspaper

November 1992

The Queen described 1992 as her “annus horribilis” after Prince Andrew’s separation, Princess Anne’s divorce, and a fire at Windsor Castle

November 1995

Diana, Princess of Wales gave an interview to the BBC’S Martin Bashir about her relationship with Prince Charles and the reasons behind their separation

August 1996

The divorce between Charles and Diana was finalised

August 1997

Diana, Princess of Wales was killed in a car accident in the Pont de l’alma tunnel in Paris after the vehicle she was travelling in, driven by a drunk driver, was pursued by paparazzi photographers

September 1997

In an unprecedented address to the nation, the Queen gave a speech on the eve of Diana’s funeral and said “no one who knew Diana will ever forget her”

November 2002

Princess Anne became the first member of the Royal family convicted of a criminal offence after her dog was found to have been dangerously out of control

January 2005

Prince Harry apologised after the publication of a photograph showing him dressed up in a Nazi costume at a private party

November 2019

Prince Andrew denied knowing of Jeffrey Epstein’s predatory activities during hteir friendship and attempted to explain a stay at Epstein’s mansion in a Newsnight interview

January 2020

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back from their roles as working royals after they announced their intention to leave senior positions via social media