When it comes to scandals and controversies in the royal family, things can get pretty sticky — especially when these scandals have to do with affairs. Over the years (and by years, we mean actual centuries), there have been a lot of secret relationships and flings going on behind the scenes that may have resulted in children being born … as much as the royal in question may not have wanted anyone to find out about it. Some of them didn't actually discover that child's existence until many, many years later themselves, which is wild to think about.
Believe it or not, there are more than a few royals who have reportedly had secret children. Some of these reports — like one involving Prince Charles — are based in claims that haven't exactly been substantiated by a DNA test, whereas others are rumors from history books about men who lived centuries ago. Others have actually been confirmed, and it's really interesting to see how differently certain royals have handled it when life and their former flames have thrown them this unexpected curveball.
Read on for all the royals who may have been hiding a pretty big secret in their families. Though most of the royals on this list are long gone, some of them are still alive and coping with their family's surprise in the best way they can.
We may never know the truth about all of the situations on this list, but it's definitely interesting to think about what could be going on beyond the palace walls that we have no idea about.
King Albert II
Back before he was married to Queen Paola in 1959, King Albert II of Belgium was rumored to have had an affair with Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps. When a woman named Delphine Boël came forward — claiming to be their love child — he denied everything. However, King Albert did end up taking a paternity test, and that left him with no choice but to admit he did have a daughter who he didn't know about.
Prince Carlos
When Prince Carlos was discovered to have a son, Hugo Klynstra, everyone found out that the boy was the product of a casual, no strings attached relationship with a friend before Carlos married Princess Annemarie. Although Carlos didn't want him to, at age 18 Hugo was able to claim his title, as well as his father's family name — though it's not clear if he'll actually become a part of the royal family.
Marina Ogilvy
Princess Alexandra's daughter, Marina Ogilvy, became pregnant before she was married — a major no-no in the royal family. Her baby's father was her boyfriend, Paul Mowatt, and they got married before their child was born, a girl they named Zenouska (shown above). It hasn't turned out to be that big a scandal, though, because they're still invited to family events for the British royals.
King Leopold III
Though it was never confirmed, there were rumors that, back in the 1930s, Belgian King Leopold III fathered a child out of wedlock with a speed skater named Liselotte Landbeck. Because he had other affairs, this may not be the only child he had who was unaware of his parentage.
Hmm.
Princess Louise
Princess Louise is best known for being Queen Victoria's daughter, and even though this dates back to the 1800s, there's a chance she had a kid who she kept a secret. As the Magellan Times reported, an adoption that happened involving the son of the OB who worked with the royal family made people wonder if that baby was actually Louise's … and the royal family was attempting to cover it up.
King Henry VIII
For even more of a throwback, let's take it back to King Henry VIII's time in the 1500s. Back then, he admitted that he'd fathered a son with the woman he was having an affair with, Elizabeth Blount, while married to Catherine of Aragon. He gave him a title and everything, but bexause the boy died at age 17, he never had the chance to assume the throne.
Princess Thyra
Even though her parents were attempting to find her a suitable match, Princess Thyra of Denmark fell in love with a military man on the down low. The secret relationship led her to being pregnant out of wedlock, which her family disapproved of. Her parents made her give birth in secret, and the baby was placed for adoption.
King James IV
After assuming the throne at the age of 15, King James IV became known for his affairs. Though it hasn't been confirmed, it's estimated that he had at least eight children out of wedlock, which meant that none of them were able to be an heir to the throne. He had six more children when he was married to Margaret Tudor.
King William IV
Even though King William IV was married, he still had an affair with an actress named Dorothea Jordan. With her, he had 10 children out of wedlock — and all of them joined the royal family tree — but unfortunately, none of them were eligible to rule. That's how Queen Victoria, his niece, ended up assuming the throne instead.
Prince Charles
Of course, this particular rumor has never officially been substantiated, but a man named Simon Dorante-Day is convinced that he's the love child of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles, conceived before they were married and then put up for adoption. There is speculation that Megxit was simply a cover-up to keep people from finding out about his true parents.
Very interesting …
Prince Albert II
Prince Albert has actually had multiple children out of wedlock. His daughter, Jazmin Grace Grimaldi, was conceived while he was on vacation in the French Riviera after Albert had a fling with a woman he met there. His son, Alexandre, was the product of a secret relationship he had with a woman named Nicole Coste in 2003.
Mark Phillips
Princess Anne's ex-husband, Mark Phillips, was the subject of a scandal when a woman named Heather Tonkin said that not only did they have an affair while Anne and Mark were still married, but that he had also fathered her daughter, Felicity. Supposedly, a DNA test confirmed that Felicity is his daughter, but as far as public knowledge goes, he hasn't tried to contact her.
Prince Bernhard
Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands actually admitted himself that he had fathered two daughters out of wedlock: Alicia de Bielefeld, and Alexia Grinda. But that wasn't all. After his death, a possible third daughter of Bernhard's was discovered, though it's never been confirmed if she's actually of his lineage or not.
It's definitely interesting to think about.
King Alfonso XII
The news of Alfonso XII's affair didn't come out until many, many years later — not until after his death, when his son, Leandro Ruiz Moragas, came forward in 2003, revealing that his parents were Alfonso and an actress named Carmen Ruiz, who Alfonso had slept with in 1929. His identity was proven, and Leandro was able to use his title.
King Edward VII
King Edward VII was known for being a playboy and having multiple affairs throughout his life, so there are plenty of rumors and theories that he had fathered children as a result of those affairs who nobody knows about. Of course, these children have never been confirmed, but given his history, it wouldn't be surprising if we found out these rumors were true someday.
Ernst II
Ernst II was known for his sexual exploits as well, and eventually, his affairs left him with a venereal disease that made him infertile. Passing on that disease to his wife, Princess Alexandrine, when they got married 1842 is thought to have made her infertile as well. Before that, Ernst was rumored to have fathered children out of wedlock who are still secret to this day.
King Louis XIV
Though the exact numbers aren't known, King Louis XIV of France is thought to have had many affairs while married to Marie-Therese, and as a product of those affairs, he may have as many as 12 children outside of his marriage in addition to the six he had with his wife. Many of these children died in childhood, but some were part of the royal family as adults.
King Charles II
King Charles II was known for his multiple affairs, and having a large number of children outside of his marriage. The king went the extra mile to acknowledge them and make sure they were a part of the royal family, which was pretty uncommon at the time. In fact, Charles II had an estimated 13 children out of wedlock while he was married to the King of Portugal's daughter.
Phillip III
Phillip III's track record for affairs is a pretty remarkable one, going just by numbers. Back in the 15th century, Phillip, who was known as the Duke of Burgundy, is known to have had at least 24 mistresses and 18 children out of wedlock — though it's totally possible that these numbers are actually higher in reality, which is hard to process.
