Top 10 Most Controversial Royal Weddings

Before he married former Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock, Monaco’s Prince Albert II had a reputation as a womanizer, fathering two children with two different women out of wedlock. During their ceremony on July 2, 2011, Charlene was noticeably emotional but maybe not for the reasons one would expect. Prior to the wedding, she allegedly tried to leave the country multiple times and go back to her native South Africa. The rumored reason was that she discovered her future husband possibly had an affair and another child during their five-year relationship. In the subsequent years, Albert and Charlene had two children together and still spark speculation about the state of their marriage.

While attending Tokyo’s International Christian University, Princess Mako of Akishino met fellow student Kei Komuro. They began a long distance relationship and although he proposed in 2013, they didn’t announce their engagement until 2017. The couple intended to get married in 2018 but had to postpone due to a financial scandal between Kei’s mother and her ex-fiance. Since the Imperial House of Japan is held to a high moral standard, the public already disapproved of Princess Mako marrying a commoner and giving up her title. Kei’s direct connection to controversy only made the people of Japan criticize him more. Despite this, they finally married in October 2021. Shortly after, the newlyweds moved to New York where Kei worked at a law firm.

In June 1965, Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands announced the engagement of their daughter Princess Beatrix and German diplomat Claus von Amsberg. While the family and the States-General officially approved the marriage, the public did not feel the same. The backlash stemmed from Claus’ German heritage and former membership in the Hitler Youth during World War II. A petition opposing the union gained around 300,000 signatures, and Dutch citizens, including religious figures, protested during the wedding on March 10, 1966. Things became violent when a smoke bomb went off as Beatrix and Claus rode in the Golden Coach. But eventually, the Prince of the Netherlands earned acceptance and even popularity for his contributions.

Anyone who’s seen “The Crown” remembers the drama surrounding Princess Margaret’s relationship with Captain Peter Townsend, former equerry to her father, King George VI. He was sixteen years her senior, a father, and most scandalously, divorced. Knowing a marriage would never be approved, they had to end their love affair. But soon, Margaret began a secret relationship with husband-to-be photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones. Though he was considered “bohemian,” he was liked among the family. On May 6, 1960, just three months after they announced their engagement, the pair married in the first televised royal wedding. The newly-titled Countess and Lord of Snowdon had two children together. But after years of infidelity on both sides, the couple divorced in 1978.

After ending his controversial relationship with American actress Koo Stark, Prince Andrew married fellow Brit and childhood acquaintance Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson on July 23, 1986. However, they separated in 1992, the same year a rather scandalous photo of Fergie with another man hit the tabloids. While they officially divorced in 1996, they maintained a close relationship, reportedly even still sharing a home together. Amid allegations of assault and his connection to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced Prince Andrew attempted to retreat from the spotlight. However, Fergie, who was caught in a “cash for access” scandal in 2010, regularly makes television appearances regarding her writing, philanthropy, and life as an estranged royal.

The decades-long on-and-off relationship between Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles began in the early 1970s. But since she wasn’t considered an acceptable addition to the royal family, they were married other people, Camilla to Andrew Parker Bowles in 1973 and Charles to Lady Diana Spencer in 1981. The two allegedly rekindled their romance during their respective marriages, stirring up plenty of controversy, especially when their intimate phone conversations leaked. By the late 90s, both had divorced their spouses. Given their scandalous history, they married in a decidedly subdued civil ceremony on April 9, 2005. Even after gaining the title of Queen Consort at King Charles’ coronation in May 2023, Camilla still has to overcome her image as the woman who hurt the People’s Princess.

King Henry VIII and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, were unable to conceive a male heir to the throne. He began a secret tryst with Anne Boleyn, one of her ladies-in-waiting and the sister of his former mistress, Mary. Henry formally married Anne in 1533, and soon she gave birth to his child. But as a Roman Catholic, he couldn’t get approval for an annulment from Catherine. This obstacle was the catalyst for the English Reformation and the founding of The Church of England. Anne ruled as the Queen of England until 1536 when the marriage was annulled, and Henry had her executed for suspected infidelity.

There isn’t a royal couple more talked about than then-Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, whose tumultuous relationship has been repeatedly documented. The two began dating in 1980, though they were acquainted three years earlier when Charles dated her older sister Sarah. After roughly six months, he proposed to Diana, and on July 29, 1981, they had what was dubbed the “wedding of the century.” However, reality was no fairytale, as Charles allegedly told his wife-to-be that he didn’t love her the night before their I-do’s. Leading up to the big day, Diana also reportedly struggled with an eating disorder and had reservations about the marriage, largely due to Charles’ relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles. The Prince and Princess of Wales famously divorced in 1996.

Since they were first romantically linked in 2016, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been at the center of royal family drama. The couple announced that they were engaged in November 2017. And it didn’t take long for the British tabloids to scrutinize the biracial American actress and divorcée. The ceremony, which took place on May 19, 2018, was more modern and diverse than traditional royal weddings. Michael Curry, bishop of the Episcopal Church, delivered a sermon, notably quoting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The absence of Meghan’s father, Thomas Markle, also made headlines before and after the wedding. From no longer being “working royals” to the media attention around the estranged Markle family, controversy still surrounds the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Prince Ernst August Jr. of Hanover & Ekaterina Malysheva (2017)
The Hanoverian Patriarch Opposed His Son’s Nuptials Over a Property Dispute

Princess Stéphanie of Monaco & Daniel Ducruet (1995)
Grace Kelly’s Daughter Had 2 Children with Her Bodyguard Before Marrying in 1995

Prince Carl Philip of Sweden & Sofia Hellqvist (2015)
Sweden’s Future Princess Was Criticized as a Reality Starlet with a “Party Girl” Past

Princess Anne & Sir Timothy Laurence (1992)
Stolen Letters Suggest the Pair’s Romance Started While She Was Still Married

The marriage of King Edward VIII and American divorcée Wallis Simpson wasn’t just highly controversial, it made history. They met in 1931 when he was the Prince of Wales and she was still married to her second husband Ernest Simpson. Despite warnings to be discreet, Edward and Wallis vacationed together and attended various royal events. Edward ascended the British throne after his father’s passing in January 1936. However, since his desire to marry Wallis was unacceptable to, well, everyone, his brief reign ended in December when he famously abdicated. As we’ve discussed, the monarchy was and still is strongly against the dissolution of marriage. Wallis’ divorce wasn’t finalized until May 1937, a month before tying the knot with Edward in France.

What controversial royal union shocked you the most? Let us know in the comments below.