Royal families are admired for their grandeur, elegance, and traditions. Yet behind palace walls, scandals have surfaced that shocked citizens and grabbed global headlines. With Norway’s crown princess’s son recently charged with 32 offences, from assaults to violence, here are six royal scandals that shook the world.
Norway Royal family’s Marius Borg Høiby scandal
Norway is in the global spotlight after Marius Borg Høiby, the 28-year-old son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, was charged with 32 criminal offences. These include four counts of rape, domestic violence, assault, and other serious crimes. Prosecutors claim he raped four women, some while they were asleep and secretly filmed the assaults without consent. He is also accused of abusing a former girlfriend, making death threats, vandalism, violating restraining orders, and committing traffic offences.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s marriage troubles
The British royal family’s most famous scandal was the troubled marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Their separation, public interviews, and revelations about infidelity shocked the world and forever changed the image of the monarchy.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal exit
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to step down from royal duties in 2020 created a global media storm. Their candid interviews about life inside the monarchy revealed tensions that shook the British crown.
King Juan Carlos of Spain’s abdication
Spain’s King Juan Carlos I was once admired for leading Spain to democracy, but financial scandals and controversies around his personal life forced him to abdicate in 2014. His fall from grace was one of Europe’s biggest royal scandals.
Prince Andrew and the Jeffrey Epstein scandal
Prince Andrew’s ties with Jeffrey Epstein caused one of the British monarchy’s biggest scandals. Virginia Giuffre accused him of sexual assault as a teenager, which he denied. His awkward BBC interview made headlines, and the backlash forced him to step down, lose titles, and settle the case out of court.
These scandals prove that behind the crowns and royal titles lie human stories of mistakes, pressures, and controversies, reminding the world that even royals aren’t immune to scandal.