The main scandals of the British royal family over the past year are named

While “The Firm” (as Britain’s ruling family is known) are no different from any other normal family – apart from their tiaras, magnificent palaces and royal jewels, of course – they also have their share of family dramas. The American edition of the New York Post, which closely followed what was happening in the overseas United Kingdom, tried to collect the most memorable stories of the British royal family in 2023.

While Meghan Markle and Harry’s feud with the clan was still ongoing, their fractured relationships with Kate Middleton and Prince William also remain on thin ice, writes the New York Post.

So, what will 2023 be remembered for in the history of the British monarchy?

* “Spare” hits bookshelves

Bombastic in its scandalous potential, Prince Harry’s 400-page book of memoirs, The Spare, was published in January and was full of juicy stories about his life as a member of the royal family.

Excerpts from the book include chapters in which Harry calls William, 41, his “arch enemy,” the story of how the Prince of Wales physically attacked him because of Markle and more.

The Duke of Sussex’s book includes one passage where the founder of Invictus Games outrageously admitted that he was raised as a “backup” for William, and another where Harry revealed that he lost his virginity behind a bar in his youth.

He further recalled that he “begged” his father not to marry Queen Camilla because Harry believed she would turn into his “evil stepmother.”

In addition, Harry even mentioned his private parts 15 times, at one point noting that the condition of his penis “fluctuated between extremely sensitive and borderline bruised” after a 200-mile journey in March 2011 as part of the charity group Walking with the Wounded .

* The infamous “Worldwide Solitude Tour”

Shortly after the release of the memoir “Spare,” the animated comedy series “South Park” filmed an episode in February that poked fun at Harry and Meghan Markle’s desire for privacy. This episode was about cartoon characters who want to stay away from the limelight, but still participate in various talk shows. Although they resemble the prince and the Suits star, they are not given official names on the show.

* Meghan and Harry were kicked out of Frogmore Cottage.

The couple, who rebelled against the royal family and fled to America, were evicted from their home in Windsor by King Charles III, and Harry and Meghan finally vacated the premises in June. The monarch began eviction proceedings for the couple just a day after Harry’s shocking memoir The Spare hit bookshelves in January.

A source told Page Six in March that the monarch was considering giving Frogmore to her brother, Prince Andrew.

Harry and Meghan sent their belongings to their California home in Montecito. Now they no longer have anywhere to stay when they visit the UK and instead have to stay with friends or rent in a hotel.

*Princess Eugenie’s second child

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s youngest daughter, Princess Eugenie, announced she was pregnant with her second child in January. And on May 30, she gave birth to her husband Jack Brooksbank’s son, Ernest George.

* Lilibet’s christening

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry christened their daughter, Lilibeth Diana, on March 3. But the royal family could not (or did not want, which seems to be more correct) to attend the celebration.

Although the lovebirds reportedly invited 75-year-old Charles III, Queen Camilla, and Prince William and Kate Middleton, they never showed up for the joyful event. As a result, between 20 and 30 guests attended the intimate party at the home of the Dukes of Sussex in Montecito. After the ceremony, those present were treated to lunch and an afternoon of dancing.

Buckingham Palace confirmed that Lily and older brother Archie were officially given the titles “prince” and “princess” at the time. Despite the announcement, children were free to use them as soon as their grandfather, King Charles III, ascended the throne in September 2022.

*Coronation of King Charles III

When Queen Elizabeth died at the age of 96 in September 2022, Crown Prince Charles immediately ascended to the throne as King Charles III. The monarch was crowned in an official divine ceremony on May 6, 2023 with all the pomp.

He was crowned with his family in Westminster Abbey – the rebellious Harry even traveled across the ocean for this momentous event. Even though Harry arrived alone – without Meghan Markle – he was denied prime seats and sat several rows behind William, Kate Middleton and their children Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte. He was then driven straight to the airport to return to the US after the ceremony – suit rack in hand.

* Car chase involving Harry and Meghan

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were involved in a “near-disastrous car chase” in May while they were in New York for the Women of Vision Awards with Meghan Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland.

The couple claimed they were followed by paparazzi for more than two hours in an SUV around 10pm after the event. Moments later, Harry and Meghan jumped into a yellow taxi in hopes of escaping photographers who were trying to catch up with them.

“Last night, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Miss Ragland were involved in a near-disastrous car chase by a group of extremely aggressive paparazzi,” their spokesperson said in a statement. While the NYPD said the incident was under investigation, officers also downplayed the couple’s claims, describing a somewhat chaotic but generally controlled scene.

“The NYPD assisted a private security team protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex,” a law enforcement official said. – There were many photographers who made it difficult to transport them. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have arrived at their destination and there have been no reports of confrontations, summonses, injuries or arrests in connection with this.”

A senior source added to this information that “there were no reported collisions or calls to 911” and that the chase “definitely did not last two hours.”

*Prince Harry’s phone hacking case

In June, Harry appeared in court in London to give evidence against the British tabloid Daily Mirror. He accused the newspapers of hacking his phone, invading his privacy and claimed that journalists carried out “vicious, persistent attacks” on him and Meghan Markle.

In December, the prince won a damages case against the newspaper after the High Court ruled in his favor.

“This case is not just about hacking. This is a systemic pattern of illegal and appalling behavior, followed by subterfuge and destruction of evidence, the shocking extent of which can only be revealed in these proceedings,” Harry said in a statement after the ruling.

“The path to justice can be slow and painful, and since my lawsuit was filed almost five years ago, defamatory stories and scare tactics have been used against me and at the expense of my family. So, as I also learned through this process, patience is, in fact, a virtue. Especially in the face of vendetta journalism,” continued the youngest son of the British king.

* Games of the Unconquered

Meghan Markle took center stage at the Invictus Games in September. She joined her Harry at a Paralympic-themed sporting event in Dusseldorf, Germany. Harry founded the games in 2014 for wounded servicemen and women to compete in a series of sporting events. He also appeared to lash out at his family over their decision not to allow him to wear a military uniform during Queen Elizabeth’s funeral last year during the closing ceremony in his speech.

* New season of “The Crown”

In another blow to the royal family, the sixth and final season of Netflix’s The Crown premiered in early fall. The final episodes recreated Princess Diana’s untimely death in 1997 (and introduced her ghost), as well as how “the firm” dealt with the conflicts of the early 2000s.

It is reported that Harry’s friends may have “looked first [сезон]to protect him from anything he might not want to see,” an insider told The Telegraph in November.

*Harry’s birthday call to his father

Last year, on November 14th, Britain’s King Charles III turned 75 years old, and in an attempt to relieve some of the stress, Prince Harry called his father on his special day. While the monarch threw a big party at Clarence House with his family, Harry and Markle decided not to attend the family celebration.

It was later reported that Charles III was “disappointed” that news of their phone call became public.

“He is trying very hard to focus on his social life and although of course, as a loving father, he is very happy to talk to his estranged son, he was not the one to report this to the press,” said royal expert Rafe Haydel -Manku.

According to Haydel-Manku, the monarch reportedly shifted the blame for the news leak to Harry’s camp.

* Omid Scobie’s scandalous book “Endgame”

Royal expert Omid Scobie’s book Endgame was published on November 28 and was full of debunked alleged secrets about the Windsor family. In one of the biggest sensations, two members of the royal family were exposed as those who questioned the skin color of Meghan Markle and Harry’s son Archie before his birth in 2019.

Scobie then accused the Dutch translation of his new book of accidentally naming alleged senior royals who made the “racist” comment. He wrote in the English publication that he was unable to name the members of the royal family accused by the former actress because of libel laws. But according to leaks, the two participants in question were then-Crown Prince Charles and Kate Middleton.

Prince William and Middleton later ignored reporters who shouted at them to answer the allegations as they walked the red carpet at the Royal Variety performance on November 30.

As a difficult year for the family came to an end, royal expert Nick Bullen told Fox News that Kate and William were simply “tired” of the Harry-Markle drama. “The anger is gone,” he said. “A lot of the warmth has gone out of it. It’s just a feeling of, ‘What, really? Again?”

*Prince Louis was missing a finger

Two days before Kate Middleton’s third annual Christmas concert at Westminster Abbey, where Prince Louis mischievously blew out Charlotte’s candle, William and Middleton released their holiday card on Dec. 10. And jokes quickly began to spread, with many joking that she looked like a photo from a department store catalogue. Eagle-eyed fans also noticed that the card had a major Photoshop glitch as one of little Louis’ fingers looked missing. Kate and William were reportedly “embarrassed” by the fiasco.

“The Christmas photo released by the royal family shows a poor Photoshop job in which Prince Louis appears to be missing a finger,” said “Weekend Update” host Colin Jost.

“And it’s nice,” Yost, 41, added. “Meghan Markle said she has a finger they can use if they need it.” He then showed a fake photo of the former actress showing her middle finger.