King Charles and Princess Kate’s 2024 annus horribilis may have surpassed the Queen’s 1992 fiasco. Queen Elizabeth II had a year from hell.
1992 Was The Queen’s “Annus Horribilis”
Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, and Princess Anne all got divorced, and scandals rocked the royal family. Also, a devastating fire destroyed part of Windsor Castle, and the public turned against the royals.
Royal author Andrew Morton wrote the book Diana: Her True Story,” which divulged Charles’s affair with Camilla Parker Bowles.
The scandals were tabloid fodder and brought negative publicity to the monarchy. Four days after the fire at the castle, the Queen gave her famous “annus horribilis speech.”
The Queen never referred to her family personally, but what she talked about was obvious.
She started,
“1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure.”
The Queen continued,
“In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an ‘Annus Horribilis.’ I suspect I am not alone in thinking fso.”
“Indeed, I suspect that there are very few people or institutions unaffected by these last months of worldwide turmoil and uncertainty,”
She exclaimed.
The year 2024 has been a tumultuous one. King Charles and Princess Kate were both diagnosed with cancer, Prince Andrew and the King are at war over the Royal Lodge, and Prince Harry couldn’t be more estranged from his family.
King Charles And Princess Kate’s Cancer Diagnosis
In February, the King announced he was diagnosed with cancer. He had gone to the hospital for a corrective prostate procedure, as an incidental finding revealed an undisclosed form of cancer.
Thus began “Operation Delphinium,” a plan courtiers devised to support the King and reassure the nation. As of now, he’s still undergoing treatment, and his doctors are optimistic about his progress.
Princess Kate also had to contend with her cancer diagnosis. In January, Kate had to have abdominal surgery, and the doctors found an undisclosed form of cancer. No one knew about her condition until March.
Kate wanted to keep her health status private, but the public and the press hounded her until “Kategate,” which was a string of conspiracy theories surrounding her absence, was born.
The conspiracy theories included everything from a bad haircut to languishing in a coma as the reason for her being out of public view.
Kate released a Mothering Day photograph with her and her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, by her side.
News agencies went berserk and issued a kill notice on the photograph, which means it was removed from circulation, as there was much fuss over her editing or doctoring the picture. Kate was even bullied on social media.
Shortly after, Kate announced her cancer diagnosis to the world. Everyone felt foolish about the rumors and the negative attention placed on Kate. The Princess of Wales announced she was cancer-free in September.
Prince Harry Caused Significant Stress
When Prince Harry found out about his father’s cancer diagnosis, he flew to the UK to visit with him. However, there was no reconciliation between the estranged royals, as the King allotted one-half hour for his younger son.
Harry’s shenanigans caused the family great and apparent stress, and his father was told to limit his stress. Harry didn’t get to see Kate either.
Since Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped down as working royals in January 2020, they have publicly aired their personal grievances against the royal family. It led to a separation between Harry and other members of the royal family and damaged relationships that may never be repaired.
Speaking of damaged relationships, Prince Andrew has thoroughly p***ed off the King with his insistence on staying at Royal Lodge.
The King wanted the Duke of York to move to a humbler residence, Frogmore Cottage, which was Harry and Meghan’s home before they moved to California.
Prince Andrew’s Royal Lodge Controversy
Andrew has lived at Royal Lodge for twenty years. When he stepped down as a working royal, he should have also been forced to relinquish Royal Lodge.
However, being the Queen’s “favorite son,” she allowed him to continue to live there. Rumors are running rampant concerning how Andrew has managed to afford his stay at the cushy mansion.
In addition to his past association with known sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Andrew has now been linked to alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo.
There has been speculation that the disgraced Prince has had business dealings with Tengbo and that Andrew could be boosted financially.
In August, King Charles fired Andrew’s security team outside the Royal Lodge and cut off his allowance, so any money Andrew receives must come from another source. Andrew’s continued presence at the Royal Lodge is an embarrassment to the royal family.
Several honorable mentions contributed to this year’s annus horribilis: Princess Anne’s head injury from a horse, Prince Andrew again with “Scoop” and “A Very Royal Scandal,” Camilla’s bout with pneumonia, and Thomas Kingston’s death.
Let’s hope 2025 brings peace and positivity to the royal family, who have endured a year that can only be described as one for the history books.
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