Royal Marriages That Made Headlines For All The Wrong Reasons

It seems as though we have a fascination with royal weddings and the marriages that follow. Perhaps it's because we dreamt of being princesses when we were younger and now live vicariously through the royals. We love to see lavish weddings, filled with impeccable wedding dresses, extravagant cakes, and beautiful florals. But, it's not always a fairytale for the royals. 

There are some royal marriages that have seen their fair share of scandal. We're not only referring to the British royal family, either. Scandal happens to know no bounds. From secret (or not-so-secret) affairs to divorce rumors, these marriages made headlines for all the wrong reasons. 

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's marriage made headlines for all the wrong reasons and even led to the couple taking legal action against media outlets. The couple became engaged in 2017 and married in 2018. Even their wedding made headlines because Markle's father was noticeably absent. This sparked rumors that Markle was ashamed of him, and the father and daughter have since been estranged. 

Of course, Prince Harry and Markle eventually decided to leave the royal family in 2020. During an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, Markle (who is biracial) made claims that the royal family made racist remarks and she felt a lack of support from them. Specifically, she reported that an unnamed member of the royal family expressed concerns over the color of Markle and Prince Harry's unborn child's skin. Perhaps the family tensions were one of many reasons the couple decided to break out on their own. 

Recently, Prince Harry and Markle's marriage has been in the headlines due to rumors of an impending divorce. According to Heat, an insider says that Prince Harry and Markle are living separate lives. The insider claims that Markle is focused on building her lifestyle brand, As Ever, while Prince Harry has been working on his charity, Invictus. However, his professional life seems to be moving at a slower pace than his wife's. The couple is apparently facing financial strain due to their living expenses and slower-than-anticipated professional growth.

King Charles III (formerly Prince Charles) and Princess Diana's relationship was subject to scrutiny from the very start. Their relationship seemed to be more about duty than love, as Charles was pressured by his family to marry. Even during their televised engagement announcement, Charles seemed to lack enthusiasm when asked if the two were in love. Furthermore, it eventually came to light that Charles had an emotional attachment to someone else. 

In 1992, the couple had formally separated. Then, in 1995, Princess Diana did an explosive interview with Panorama, in which she alluded to Charles' affair with Camilla Parker Bowles. She stated, "There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded." She also admitted to having an affair with James Hewitt. It seems as though they were never truly in love with each other, as they both had eyes for other people. Diana even spoke about her declining mental health during the Panorama interview. The couple divorced the following summer, after being separated for four years.

When Prince William and Kate Middleton got married in 2011, they were pure couple goals. However, certain red flags soon came to light. Former royal photographer Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital that although there were rumors that Prince William had angry outbursts (a far cry from the happy marriage they portrayed in public) and that the relationship was strained, their marriage is now stronger than ever. He attributed that to Middleton's battle with cancer, serving as a reminder to Prince William how important she is to their family unit.

There were also rumors that Prince William was having an affair with Rose Hanbury. The rumors began in 2019 when In Touch first reported that William might be romantically involved with Kate's friend, which caused a confrontation between Middleton and Prince William. According to Harper's Bazaar, these reports were never confirmed.

Andrew got off on the wrong foot with his engagement to Sarah Ferguson. According to Cosmopolitan UK, he did not ask his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, for permission prior to proposing to Ferguson. Nevertheless, the couple got married in July 1986 and had their two daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie. In 1992, they announced their separation, and Ferguson made headlines for an infamous scandal. Paparazzi photos surfaced of her having her toes sucked by American financial adviser, John Bryan, by the side of a swimming pool, and it rocked the royal family.

Ferguson was essentially shunned by the royal family, and according to royal biographers, Prince Philip and Princess Margaret told her she had "done more to bring shame on the family than could have ever been imagined." In 1996, their divorce was finalized, but the couple remained close friends. So close, in fact, that they went on vacations together and even continued living together at Royal Lodge in Windsor. In 2019, Andrew's reputation came under fire when he was linked to Jeffrey Epstein, and Ferguson remained loyal to him. The pair were eventually stripped of all royal titles. 

Critics may be surprised that Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia celebrated 10 years of marriage in 2025. That's because many didn't think Sofia was suitable to be a royal, given her past as a glamour model and a reality TV dating contestant. Sofia had appeared on "Paradise Hotel," where she shared a kiss with an adult film star—hardly appropriate behavior for a future royal! Although Prince Carl Philip and Sofia met at a nightclub and seemed to come from completely opposite backgrounds,  love has clearly prevailed.

According to Hello! Magazine, the prince and princess opted to have their wedding guests donate to charity instead of showering them with lavish gifts. The donations went towards children in care and educational settings. The royal couple now share three beautiful children of their own (all boys) and seem to be doing well. 

Prince Albert, also known as the playboy prince of Monaco, married Charlene Wittstock in July 2011. Their marriage was riddled with scandal before it started. There were reports by CBS News that Wittstock attempted to flee three times before the wedding after discovering Albert had a third illegitimate child. The first time she attempted to flee was when she was in Paris for a wedding dress fitting. Her passport was allegedly taken away from her, but that did not stop her from attempting to flee two more times—in May 2011 during the Formula 1 Grand Prix and in late June when she was caught attempting to board a one-way flight to South Africa. 

Today, Prince Albert and Wittstock are still married, and they seem to be holding up quite well, despite rumors of an impending divorce. Fox News reported that Wittstock declared her love for the Prince during a public speech at a gala for Monaco's Red Cross. She said: "Albert, you know that I am always by your side...We are standing with you, with all our hearts, to protect Monaco and its future under your leadership. We love you, we support you, and we thank you for being there for all of us." How sweet!