Everyone needs a little escapism from time to time, and you can always count on royal families around the world to provide a perfect mix of fairy tale stories and glamorous weddings alongside intrigues and scandals proving that everyone is human, even if they have blue blood.
From the Cinderella who became one of the most hated figures in the kingdom, to the king who spent time in strip clubs, to the princess who tried to escape three times before her wedding these are the palaces where we would love to be a fly on their velvet curtains.
We are at the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, and one of the most interesting topics in the world remains royalty but even this area adapts to modern times, at least when it comes to scandals. The British royal family still leads significantly, with the main figure in recent years being the American wife of Prince Harry, who managed to separate him from his family, country, and royal duties.
But she is not the first nor the last to appear in British tabloids from the king who gave up the throne for love, to other royals who struggled with depression and turned to medication and alcohol, to a prince accused of sexual assault.
Above all shines the princess with her sensational interview revealing her troubled relationship with her husband and his affair with a mistress, as well as her tragic death in a car accident.
The latest controversy she faces involves serious allegations, not for the first time, about how she treated her staff.
In a failed attempt to change her intimidating image, some staff members approached a magazine to say she is “the best boss ever, giving her team flowers and fresh eggs from her own coop, making them feel nurtured.”
However, the praise achieved the opposite effect.
“She is completely ruthless.
She walks like a dictator in heels, giving orders and barking at people,” said one former employee, with another adding, “She is charming when everything goes her way, but a monster when it does not.”
The British royal family is far from the only one making headlines not only in positive contexts.
In Norway, the eldest daughter of the king tells that she disappointed her family and country at birth when everyone expected a male heir.
Two years later, her brother was born, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
“I had a great childhood, I was very happy and not jealous at all,” she said.
“The issue first came up when I was a teenager, and Norway had a female prime minister.
I remember she came to our home and had a discussion with my grandfather about changing the system so I could be queen.
They asked me what I wanted and I answered that I was only 15 and had no idea about these things.”
It seems everyone benefited from the fact that she gave up the throne, especially after her recent marriage to a shaman.
In 2019, the couple went on a spiritual journey, and in 2020 the former princess caused a stir by opening a school for channeling, claiming on its website that she can read people’s emotions and communicate with angels.
Another scandal shocked the Norwegian palace last summer when her eldest cousin was arrested for allegedly assaulting his partner in Oslo.
The young woman was taken to the hospital with a concussion and released the next day. He was held in custody for 30 hours.
“I caused bodily harm and damaged property after an argument and under the influence of alcohol and cocaine,” he said, adding that he has struggled with mental health issues his entire life.
“I want to take responsibility for my actions and apologize to my girlfriend.
This should not have happened.”
He is expected to serve a one-year sentence for the assault.
In Sweden, the king inherited the throne in 1973 at age 27 and married a woman he met at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
A journalist later published a book detailing the king’s inappropriate behavior, including attending sex parties and strip clubs during the 1990s behind his wife’s back.
“He did everything aristocrats tend to do,” the journalist said.
“Expensive vacations, global flights, lavish parties, spending time with many women when his wife was not around.
The Swedish people seem very tolerant, probably because they do not see him as an adult.”
The king initially denied the allegations, later saying it depends on the definition of “sex parties” and “strip clubs,” adding that there are many speculations in the book he cannot comment on.
Even the king’s children have been involved in scandals the eldest daughter suffered from anorexia as a teenager, a son’s name was linked to a nude model, and the youngest, interested in skiing and art, postponed her wedding multiple times before marrying a British-American businessman in 2013.
In Monaco, the prince has ruled since his father’s death in 2005.
Known for a playboy image and relationships with famous women in the 1990s, he met his Olympic swimmer partner, and they officially became a couple at a Winter Olympics ceremony.
The princess tried to escape three times before their wedding, which cost 53 million pounds, and reports suggested they spent their first night in separate rooms.
In 2014, they had twins.
Rumors about a secret child surfaced in 2020, which the royal couple denied. The princess was hospitalized for extreme fatigue and an infection in South Africa and later returned to Monaco amid ongoing rumors about her mental and physical state.
In Dubai, the princess also tried to escape from a polygamous ruler amid allegations of violence.
She sought asylum in Europe with her children.
In 2019, she officially requested asylum in the UK, claiming her husband might abduct her and the children.
Her lawyers revealed she withdrew 32 million dollars from her children’s bank accounts before leaving.
In March 2020, a UK court ruled against the ruler and ordered child custody arrangements.
In December 2021, the Supreme Court awarded the princess 554 million pounds.