1992 and the year of scandals for the Royal Family

Elizabeth has never had a personal scandal or even controversy in her lengthy life, either before or after her time as Queen. Since she was a young princess serving in the Second World War, her entire life has been devoted to duty. Sadly for Her Majesty, her family cannot be claimed to have the same advantage. Margaret, Elizabeth's sister, had a famous divorce, multiple sex scandals, and a highly publicized private life that fed both American and British tabloids with story material. In the British media, Andrew, Elizabeth's son, was referred to as "Randy Andy" decades before he was linked to Jeffery Epstein and accused of abusing children because of his outspoken actions. Due to his declining reputation, he was eventually relieved of his royal duties.

However, it was Her Majesty who dubbed 1992 as Annus Horribilis, declaring it "not a year on which I shall look back with unadulterated joy," due to the strained relationship between her son Prince Charles, his wife Princess Diana, and the intruders into their marriage. Following a tabloid-fueled incident in which both parties were connected to outsiders, her daughter Anne and her husband, Captain Mark Phillips, separated that year. The Duchess of York, then Sarah Ferguson, and her husband, the aforementioned Randy Andy, created a number of racy press tales with accompanying pictures that eventually caused them to separate and get divorced. The split of Diana and Charles was then marked by the disclosure of the Princess of Wales's chats with James Gilbey.

Another recording the next year, featuring private and uncomfortable talks between Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles, added to the outcries and criticism of the royal family's conduct. While the majority of the world regarded the Windsors' actions to be abhorrent, Her Majesty maintained the fabled British "stiff upper lip" and survived the crisis. Since then, further scandals have broken, but Elizabeth has persevered despite them.

• Year: 1992