When the palace decides to keep a lid on things, the world takes notice. Below we count the top 10 times the British royals chose silence over publicity – from concealed pregnancies to covert political ties. Buckle up for a whirlwind tour through the most jaw‑dropping cover‑ups ever recorded.
Top 10 Times the Royals Hid Secrets
10 Diana Threw Herself Down Stairs While Pregnant With Prince William
English journalist Andrew Morton sat down with Diana for her 1992 biography ‘Diana: Her True Story’, securing a promise that certain topics would stay under wraps. Decades later, after Diana’s tragic death, transcripts from those interviews revealed a startling confession: while four months pregnant with William in 1982, she deliberately hurled herself down a staircase.
Diana explained that she felt utterly ignored by Charles, who was openly involved with Camilla Parker‑Bowles. In a moment of desperation, she told Morton she was sobbing uncontrollably, and Charles dismissed her pleas, saying he was heading out riding. Fueled by anguish, she leapt down the stairs, sustaining bruises but insisting the baby would survive.
The interview tapes, released posthumously, captured Diana’s raw words: “I told Charles I felt so desperate and I was crying my eyes out,” she said. “He said I was crying wolf. ‘I’m not going to listen,’ he replied. ‘You’re always doing this to me. I’m going riding now,’ so I threw myself down the stairs.” The revelation painted a stark picture of a royal marriage strained to breaking point.
9 King Edward VIII Was a Nazi Sympathiser
Edward VIII, the uncle of Queen Elizabeth II, holds the record for one of the briefest reigns in British history – a mere 326 days in 1936 before abdicating to marry Wallis Simpson, a twice‑divorced American. After stepping down, he embarked on a controversial tour of Nazi Germany, meeting Adolf Hitler in a move that raised eyebrows across the British establishment.
Defying the advice of his government, Edward’s visit was framed as a diplomatic gesture against the spread of communism in Eastern Europe, yet his warm reception by the Nazi regime hinted at deeper sympathies. Detailed accounts of dinner meetings and private conversations with Hitler surfaced in Andrew Morton’s 2015 book ‘17 Carnations: The Royals, the Nazis and the Biggest Cover‑Up in History’, exposing a covert friendship that British officials attempted to suppress.
According to historians, Hitler even entertained plans to reinstall Edward as a fascist monarch should Germany triumph in the war, a chilling what‑if scenario that underscores the depth of Edward’s alignment with the Nazi cause.
8 Prince Charles Dated Diana’s Sister First
Before the fairy‑tale romance with Diana began, Prince Charles reportedly had a brief fling with her older sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, in 1977. During that period, Charles was said to have pursued roughly twenty women, searching for a suitable partner to fulfill royal duties.
The relationship with Sarah reportedly lasted anywhere from a few months up to nine, ending on a sour note. In an interview, Sarah described the affair as “platonic” and famously declared she would not marry Charles even if he were “the dustman or the King of England”. According to her, Charles later confronted her, calling her actions “stupid”, which marked the final break.
Sarah later reflected on her role, labeling herself “cupid” for inadvertently introducing Diana to Charles, a twist that adds another layer to the royal love‑triangle saga.
7 They’re Not Royals?
Richard III reigned from 1483 to 1485, a reign that ended with his death at the Battle of Bosworth. In 2012, his skeletal remains were unearthed beneath a Leicester car park, confirming the long‑lost king’s identity.
DNA analysis of the bones, however, revealed a “false paternity event”: the genetic markers did not align with the expected paternal lineage, suggesting Richard may not have been biologically linked to the Plantagenet line. This discovery opens the possibility of an undisclosed affair somewhere in his ancestry, potentially breaking the assumed royal bloodline.
While definitive proof remains elusive, the notion that a centuries‑old monarch might have been born outside the royal family adds a tantalizing twist to England’s dynastic history.
6 ‘Camillagate’
Just weeks after Charles and Diana announced their split in 1993, a leaked transcript from a 1989 bedtime chat between Charles and Camilla surfaced, exposing the intimacy of their relationship at a time when both were still married.
The two had originally met in the early 1970s, briefly dating before Charles joined the Royal Navy. Their friendship later reignited, evolving into a romantic liaison while Charles remained wedded to Diana. The recorded conversation, lasting six minutes, revealed candid remarks, including Charles’s desire to “live inside her trousers”, prompting the sensational nickname “Camillagate” – or “tampon‑gate” as some tabloids dubbed it.
Charles later admitted that his marriage to Diana had “irretrievably broken down” in 1986, paving the way for his rekindled romance with Camilla, which ultimately culminated in their 2005 marriage.
5 Princess Margaret Fell In Love With a Married Man
Princess Margaret, the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II, became enamoured with Group Captain Peter Townsend, a war‑hero and royal equerry, during the late 1940s. Townsend, though respected, was already married, creating a scandalous obstacle for the princess.
The romance blossomed when Margaret was in her twenties and Townsend had been appointed Comptroller of the Queen Mother’s household after King George VI’s death in 1952. Margaret claimed she fell for Townsend during a 1947 South African tour, where they shared horseback rides.
After Townsend’s divorce in 1952, he proposed to Margaret the following year. However, the age gap, his two children, and the need for Queen Elizabeth’s consent complicated matters. Ultimately, the relationship remained secret, never culminating in marriage, and faded under royal pressure.
4 Princess Anne’s Husband’s Lovechild
Princess Anne married Olympic gold‑medalist Mark Phillips in 1973, a union that lasted nearly two decades. During their marriage, Phillips reportedly fathered a child with New Zealand art teacher Heather Tonkin, a fact concealed from the public for years.
The affair came to light amid Anne’s divorce proceedings. Though Phillips denied paternity, a 1991 court‑ordered DNA test confirmed he was the father of Tonkin’s daughter, Felicity, born in 1985. Phillips allegedly paid a modest annual sum for child support while remaining absent from his daughter’s life.
Tonkin publicly asserted her desire for Phillips to acknowledge and financially support Felicity, highlighting the hidden dimensions of royal family dynamics.
3 ‘Squidgygate’
In 1992, The Sun released recordings of a private phone call between Princess Diana and her longtime friend James Gilbey, a Lotus salesman. The conversation, captured during a period when Diana’s marriage to Charles was unraveling, revealed a surprisingly affectionate tone.
Gilbey repeatedly referred to Diana as “Squidgy”, a nickname he used fourteen times, while Diana addressed him as “darling” fifty‑three times. The tapes, dubbed “Squidgygate”, sparked intense media scrutiny, feeding the public’s appetite for royal drama.
Although the exact nature of their relationship remains debated – some label it a “dalliance”, others an affair – the leaked recordings undeniably added fuel to the fire of the royal divorce saga.
2 King George & Queen Mary’s Son Had Epilepsy
King George V and Queen Mary, who reigned from 1910 to 1936, kept a significant secret regarding their youngest child, Prince John. Diagnosed with epilepsy at a young age, John was largely hidden from public view, omitted from official photographs and excluded from major ceremonies such as his parents’ coronation.
Beyond his seizures, there were concerns that John displayed signs of autism, leading the royal household to deem him “not presentable” for public occasions. It wasn’t until he was about eleven that the family began to limit his public appearances more deliberately.
John’s health deteriorated, and he succumbed to his condition at the age of thirteen in 1919. Only after his death did the royal family acknowledge publicly that he had battled epilepsy for most of his short life.
1 Prince Andrew’s Friendship With Sex Offender Jeffrey Epstein
Prince Andrew’s association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has become one of the most publicized royal scandals. Though the friendship began no later than 1999 – introduced by Epstein’s former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell – Andrew maintained the connection even after Epstein’s 2008 conviction and 13‑month prison sentence.
In 2019, Epstein was arrested again on federal charges of sex trafficking minors, and he died in custody a month later. A leaked photograph showed Andrew alongside Epstein in 2010, and a later image linked Andrew to Virginia Roberts Giuffre, an alleged victim of Epstein’s trafficking network.
While Andrew has never faced criminal charges, the revelations forced him to step down from all public duties in late 2019, casting a long shadow over the modern royal image.