Prince Harry & Kate MiddletonMax Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
Over the past few decades, the British royal family has often taken over the media time and time again. And while some of those times were to celebrate major accomplishments, like when Kate Middleton welcomed her first son Prince George in 2013 or when Meghan Markle and Prince Harry got married in 2018, a lot of royal coverage has been negative too.
In fact, looking at the past 50 years, royal life has been quite scandalous. In 1974, an attempted kidnapping of Princess Anne left the whole family in a frenzy over their safety. Twenty or so years later, Princess Diana‘s infamous Panorama interview in 1995 showed how miserable the People’s Princess had been in the spotlight, especially considering King Charles III‘s long-spanning affair with Queen Camilla.
And, in 2024, Middleton, who is currently undergoing cancer treatment, found herself in a full media frenzy when her absence from public events spiraled into full-blown conspiracy theories.
To check out all the biggest royal family scandals in the past five decades, from Prince Harry to Prince Andrew, scroll below.
Photo : Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
Kate Middleton’s Disappearance
Kate Middleton’s name was on the internet’s lips at the beginning of 2024 when her “scheduled abdominal surgery” resulted in an unexpectedly long step back from public duties. While Middleton recovered alongside her family, conspiracy theories about Middleton’s whereabouts and diagnosis were at an all-time high.
Those were only exacerbated on Mother’s Day when Middleton posted a picture with her three kids Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5. on Mother’s Day. The photo, which was flagged by internet sleuths and media outlets as being photoshopped and altered, only increased public concern for her wellbeing.
Then, on March 22, the Princess of Wales set the record straight in an at-home video on social media. “It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family, but I’ve had a fantastic medical team who have taken great care of me, for which I am so grateful,” Middleton said in her video statement. “In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous.”
“The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present,” she continued, revealing her cancer diagnosis for the first time. “My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.”
Since then, while internet users have quieted down with their speculation, we have yet to see Middleton resume her public duties.
Read More – All of the Biggest Royal Family Scandals in the Past 50 Years [Article From 22/8/25]
