Life has its ups and downs for everyone, but not everyone has to experience their downs in the public eye. For Queen Elizabeth II, thinking back over her year as she does when she addresses the public each Christmas is a reflection of not just her life, but the monarchy as a whole.
Having been on the throne for over 60 years, she’s had her fair share of good and bad years, but none compare to 1992. And now, this year may top that awful year to become the worst year yet for the Queen.
1992 was called annus horribilis
In an address given on the 40th anniversary of her succession, the Queen admitted that “1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure.” While nothing that happened reflected on her, things did happen to affect the monarchy and cause her to be fatigued and worn down by all the events surrounding her. It was a year that would test the moral fiber of the royal family and cause their popularity to decrease. From failed marriages to scandals that made headlines, the troubles wouldn’t end without a massive fire that crippled Windsor Castle.
In 1992, three royal marriages would end: Prince Charles and Princess Diana officially separated, with a tell-all book giving intimate details of Diana’s life and what it was really like inside the palace; Princess Anne would get divorced from a cheating Captain Mark Philips and get remarried in the same year; Prince Andrew’s estranged wife Sarah Ferguson was caught with her financial advisor topless and getting her toes sucked. The image of the royal family was tarnished, and the Queen could not help it recover without time.
2019 may be far worse for the royal family
While 1992 seems like one of the worst years for Queen Elizabeth II and the royal family as a whole, it wasn’t the only year that would be remembered for not-so-great things. More bad things happened in 2019 than in 1992, and they occurred in an age of social media and modern living where hiding behind closed doors is no longer an option. The Queen was definitely feeling the heat.
In January, her husband, Prince Philip, was involved in a car accident that would end with him turning in his driver’s license and driving privileges. He got off with a warning for not wearing a seat belt, and he was fortunately uninjured. And while he did apologize to the women who were injured in the accident, his response to the whole ordeal was seen as arrogant, and it did not go over well with critics.
By far one of the worst stains on the year was when Prince Andrew’s connections to U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein came to light. While he has denied any link to criminal involvement or knowledge of Epstein’s wrongdoings, the public still wanted answers, and the accusations haven’t gone away. Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s accusers, said that in 2015 she was forced to have sex with the Prince three times. Even the TV interview he did to try to overcome the scandal was seen as a disaster, and he was forced to step down from his royal duties.
Prince Harry and his brother Will parted ways in March, splitting their shared staff to go about their own business. There was thought to be a rift between them, possibly caused by the wives. While Harry did eventually confirm that a rift did happen, he didn’t blame it on the wives, instead saying that brothers will be brothers. This lead to Harry and Meghan taking a break at the end of the year to get out of the spotlight for a bit.
The break wasn’t a huge surprise, especially since Harry and Meghan had been dealing with criticism surrounding their lives. Because of this, the couple ended up taking legal action against several tabloids in October. Harry felt it was too close to the treatment that led to his mother’s death in 1997 – so much so that the couple went public with their feelings, something that royals typically never do.
2019 for Queen Elizabeth II
While the year was mostly tarnished by media scrutiny of their lives, the Queen came out pretty well. She did find herself mixed up in a political tangle over Britain’s exit for the EU, where she had her move to suspend parliament ruled unlawful by Britain’s Supreme Court. It ended up causing the monarchy to look weak and outdated and had people saying the institution was not necessary. But the Queen has proven that the monarchy is strong and can come out on top as it has done for over 1,000 years.
Moving forward is what anyone wants to do when they have a terrible year. Just move on into 2020 and not look back. Unfortunately, for the Queen and the royal family, their past lingers in the memory of the public and history.
Let’s hope that moving forward to better times is possible, especially since she may not have that much longer on the throne as the Queen of England. And while it may seem that she’s lost control of the royal family, the public is quick to defend her. Stay tuned to Cheat Sheet to see what 2020 holds for Queen Elizabeth II.
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December 26, 2019 at 10:50AM
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2019 Is the Worst Year for Queen Elizabeth's Personal Life - Showbiz Cheat Sheet
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