10 of the Most Shocking Royal Family Feuds in History
Updated: Jul. 24, 2023
Executions, cheating, lies, and hate. A day in the life of a royal is never dull.
Matilda vs. the people
At the age of 58, King Henry I appointed his daughter, Matilda, the heir to the throne of England and Normandy once he passed. But, it was 1126—and the people weren’t very happy about the new heir because they had never had a woman ruler. The king’s death led to a 19-year civil war that eventually ended in a peace treaty. Even though there’s sometimes drama, the royal family must always follow these etiquette rules.
George II vs. Prince Frederick
George II and his son Prince Frederick seemed to have hated each other since day one. Frederick grew up away from his father in Hanover and by 1737, they were barely on speaking terms. George II ignored his son and Frederick didn’t talk to his mother. Because of the family drama, the prince was forced to smuggle his pregnant wife away from the court in fear of his father forcing her to stay there. This is how much the current British royal family is actually worth.
Queen Victoria vs. Princess Beatrice
Princess Beatrice was Queen Victoria’s youngest daughter. In 1884, she traveled to Germany and fell in love with a young man that she wanted to marry. However, the queen did not approve of the match and refused to speak to her daughter, except in writing, for the next seven months. They eventually made up on Christmas day.
Queen Elizabeth I vs. Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots, also known as Queen Elizabeth’s cousin, had a very complicated life. She inherited Scotland’s throne after the death of her father and after multiple marriages, turmoil in her kingdom, and conflicts over religion, she found herself on death row. Queen Elizabeth said that the rival queen’s death was vital for the safety of England and gladly signed the execution papers of her cousin.
Princess Diana vs. Prince Charles
The feud between Princess Diana and Prince Charles got pretty nasty. Soon after they got married in 1981, they started having marital problems, eventually separating in 1992. After their divorce, Diana gave the press recordings that revealed infidelity and her attempt to take her own life. These are secrets no one knew about Princess Diana until after her death.
Princess Diana vs. Queen Elizabeth II
Obviously all of the drama between the Prince and Princess of Wales didn’t make Queen Elizabeth very happy. Princess Diana would reveal much more information about her rocky relationship with Prince Charles during interviews. Extremely upset, the queen sent a letter to Diana requesting that she divorce her son, which was eventually granted in 1996. If you’re a little bit confused by all the names, this easy chart explains the entire royal family tree.
Prince Philip vs. Sarah Ferguson
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson had a very clean split in 1996, even remaining close to raise their daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. However, Prince Andrew’s father, Prince Philip, wasn’t happy with the divorce and never forgave Sarah. He couldn’t get past all of the unwanted tabloid attention she gave to the family.
The Royal Family vs. Charles Spencer
Charles Spencer, Princess Diana’s brother, gave the eulogy at her funeral. Instead of honoring his sister’s life, as he should have, he talked about how the press harassed his sister and also said unkind words about the royal family, causing problems between the two families for years. You will never, ever hear the royal family say these eight words.
Camilla Parker Bowles vs. Kate Middleton
The book Game of Crowns by Christopher Anderson revealed that Prince William’s stepmother, Camilla, wanted Will and Kate to break up, allegedly asking Prince Charles to convince William to break things off with Kate because she didn’t like how the public was falling in love with Kate and not her. When Will and Kate got back together, the public seemed to like her even more and that allegedly annoyed the Duchess of Cornwall.
The Royal Family vs. the press
The feud between the royal family and the press has been ongoing. One of the most complicated relationships the family has endured with the press was with Princess Diana, with the press being blamed for her untimely death in 1997. Next, check out the things you didn’t know about the British royal family.
[Sources: english-heritage.org, cheatsheet.com]
Originally Published: September 05, 2018
