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Since the House of Windsor was founded in 1917, the royal family's private lives have often drawn headlines
Some notable scandals include King Edward VIII's abdication, Princess Margaret's affair and divorce and a wave of royal marriages ending in the 1990s
In February 2026, ex-Prince Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, following his alleged relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein
Ex-Prince Andrewwasarrestedon Feb. 19 on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The development is the latest in a long line of high-profile headlines involving theBritish royal family.
Over the last century, the House of Windsor has repeatedly seen private matters play out publicly.King Edward VIIIstunned the world when heabdicated the British throneto marry American divorcéeWallis Simpsonin 1936, and a series ofroyal divorces— including that ofPrincess DianaandKing Charles— dominated the news cycles in the 1990s.
In recent decades, Andrew has emerged as one of the royal family'smost controversial figures. In 2019, he was accused of sexual abuse by one of convicted sex offenderJeffrey Epstein's alleged sex trafficking victims.
Though he denied the allegations, Andrew wasstripped of his royal patronages and titlesby 2025.
Here are the most notable royal family scandals the House of Windsor has had to navigate over the years.
King Edward VIII's abdication
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Edward had been king for less than a year when he announced that he was leaving the throne to marry Simpson. His younger brother,King George VI(who wasQueen Elizabeth's father), then acceded to the throne.
"I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as king as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love," Edward — who was named Duke of Windsor and allowed to keep his title of His Royal Highness — said on the radio the day after signing his abdication papers in December 1936.
The following year, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor were married.Bridesreported that no royal family members attended the wedding and that Simpson was never granted the title of Her Royal Highness, despite Edward's wishes.
Princess Margaret's affair and subsequent divorce
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BothPrincess MargaretandAntony Armstrong-Joneswere accused of infidelity throughout their 18-year-long marriage. However, it was the Countess of Snowdon's infamous, multi-year affair with British garden designerRoddy Llewellynthat captured global attention.
In 1976, photographs of Princess Margaret and Llewellyn made front-page news and led to her announcing her separation from Armstrong-Jones months later. The former couple, who welcomed two children, finalized their divorce two years later. According to TIME, it marked the first royal marriage in the immediate family to end in 400 years.
Prince Andrew's controversies, including his affiliation with Jeffrey Epstein and subsequent arrest
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In recent years, Andrew has faced a large amount of scrutiny. Queen Elizabeth andPrince Philip's son was first embroiled in controversy in 2010, when his alleged connection to Epstein became public.
He was named in a civil suit against the late financier and convicted sex offender in 2015, in which a woman namedVirginia Giuffreaccused him of sexually assaulting her three times when she was 17.
He stepped back from his public role following hisinfamous BBC interviewin November 2019, in which he discussed his relationship with Epstein, who haddied by suicidemonths earlier. Andrew denied ever meeting Guiffre, who filed a lawsuit against the ex-prince in 2021. She laterdied by suicidein April 2025.
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By 2022, Queen Elizabeth hadstripped Andrewof all his military affiliations. King Charles followed suit three years later, renouncing his royal titles and honors, including the title of prince.
Though he was arrested in February 2026 on suspicion of misconduct in public office andcould face life in prison, he has yet to be charged with a crime.
Princess Anne, King Charles and Prince Andrew's divorces in 1992
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The '90s were a turbulent time for the royals' marriages. Princess Margaret's historic separation years earlier paved the way forPrincess Anne, Prince Charles and then-Prince Andrew to also leave their marriages. The three siblings' mother, Queen Elizabeth, described 1992 as "annus horribilis."
That year, Andrew separated from his wife of six years,Sarah Ferguson. The former Duke of York remained close to his ex-wife, with whom he sharestwo children. They continued tolive togetherfor years even after their divorce was finalized in 1994.
Princess Anneseparated from her first husband,Captain Mark Phillips, in 1989 and finalized their divorce in 1992. It was later revealed that they had both been unfaithful, and Anne went on to marry her husband,Timothy Laurence.
That same year, Diana and Charles announced their separation after both were unfaithful during their 14 years of marriage. In 1995, they finalized their divorce.
Diana tragicallydied in a car accidentin 1997, and Charles married the futureQueen Camillain 2005.
They were officially crownedKing and Queen consortin May 2023, followingQueen Elizabeth's deathin 2022.
King Charles and Princess Diana's tumultuous post-separation years
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The years betweenDiana and Charles' separation and divorcewere marked by frequent tabloid coverage — starting with the infamous "tampongate" in January 1993.
Transcripts of a 1989 six-minute phone conversation between Charles and Camilla were published by the U.K. paperThe People, perThe Sunday Mirror. In it, Charles joked about wanting to be reincarnated as a Tampax tampon so he could "live inside" Camilla's trousers. The details of how the publication received the transcript remain unclear.
In 1994, the now-king publicly admitted to having been unfaithful to Diana in a televised interview with ITV, perThe New York Times. He claimed that his infidelity began after their marriage "became irretrievably broken down."
The following year, he went public with Camilla when they attended a high-profile party together.
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