Part of being royal is knowing that people are going to talk about your personal life — and boy, have the rumors about the British royals been flying over the last couple of years. It makes sense — the family is fascinating, and with all the drama that's been unfolding, who wouldn't want to know the sordid, behind-the-scenes details about what happens inside those palace walls?
Whether it's about Queen Elizabeth's health, or Prince William and Kate Middleton's marriage, or whether Meghan Markle was ever really pregnant with Archie (yes, that's one of them), the rumor mill has been working overtime when it comes to those who belong to — and those who have walked away from — the Firm. And let's be real, Prince Andrew's most recent scandal hasn't exactly helped matters!
Here are 16 persistent rumors about the royal family that are super scandalous. We doubt they'll ever address most of these, but it's fun to wonder what they're not telling us.
Charles Isn't Harry's Biological Father
Thanks to Prince Harry's red hair, some people are convinced that Prince Charles isn't actually his father. As the rumor goes, some believe that one of Princess Diana's suitors, James Hewitt, is Harry's actual biological father — and royal watchers have been comparing photos of the two for years.
William's Supposed Affair
One of the biggest rumors involving the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's relationship is that William cheated on Kate with one of her best friends. The lady in question is Rose Hanbury, and in 2019 there was buzz that William had an affair with her while Kate was pregnant with Prince Louis. William has denied the rumors, though, even taking legal action against the tabloids that reported the news.
Meghan Was Never Pregnant
It seems like any time a celebrity is pregnant, there are people who believe she's faking it and using a surrogate in secret, and Meghan Markle was no exception. Plenty of critics thought the Duchess of Sussex faked her pregnancy with Archie, strapping on a carefully crafted bump to look like it was the real deal.
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
Camilla & Charles Have a Love Child
Did Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, somehow have a secret love child? That's what a man named Simon Dorante-Day seems to believe. Adopted by a family the Queen knows, 55-year-old Simon now lives in Australia — and he has a theory that, given his resemblance to the Clarence House couple, he's actually royalty himself.
Andrew's Exploits
Currently in the middle of a major legal battle due to his ties to convicted financier Jeffrey Epstein, the rumors about Prince Andrew have been all over the place. He's been formally accused of sexual assault, with conspiracy theories that have spiraled from there. At this point, it seems like he may have to testify in the ongoing case involving his accuser, Virginia Giuffre.
The Queen Is Secretly Dead
Since news first broke in fall 2021 that the Queen was in poor health, there have been a lot of rumors that things are much worse than Buckingham Palace is letting on — and some even have theories that Queen Elizabeth is dead already and that the royals are waiting until after her Platinum Jubilee in February 2022 to announce it.
Diana's Secret Daughter
There are actually multiple rumors about the royal family and their supposed secret children — and even Charles and Diana reportedly had one before William was born. According to the Daily Mail, Diana was ordered to undergo tests to see if she was fertile before she and Charles could wed, and after their engagement, the embryos that were taken from her via IVF were stolen by a doctor, implanted into his wife, and a baby named Sarah was born. Wild!
Kate Used a Surrogate
Meghan isn't the only one accused of secretly using a surrogate. After Kate had given birth to Princess Charlotte, a Russian newspaper (via Daily Mail) claimed she couldn't possibly have been pregnant with how good she looked after birth, posing for photos outside of St. Mary's Hospital with her newborn.
Kate & Meghan Don't Get Along
The rumors about Meghan and Kate's feud have been flying practically since she and Harry got engaged, and they haven't slowed down since. Of course, from all appearances, it seems like they've always gotten along as well as two different women who happened to marry into the same family possibly could — but don't tell the rumor mill that!
Kate Doesn't Get Along With Beyoncé
Apparently, not only does Kate not get along with Meghan, but she also has a beef with Beyoncé. This rumor began when William and Kate decided to announce her third pregnancy on the same day as Queen Bey's birthday to steal her thunder, but we doubt they considered the timing that deeply.
Diana's Car Crash Was No Accident
There are a lot of conspiracy theories about Diana's 1997 death, though this is the biggest. Despite the fact that the car crash that took her life was ruled an accident, many people believe that Diana was killed on purpose — and that her death was potentially orchestrated by the royal family.
When Archie Was Really Born
Since Meghan and Harry kept their son Archie's birth so private, many royal fans have their doubts about when it actually happened. Officially, Archie's birthday is reported as May 6, 2019, but some believe that he was born as long as two weeks before that so Meghan could keep prying eyes away for as long as possible.
Charles Will Never Be King
This might be a bit of wishful thinking from royal watchers who want the crown to go straight to William after Elizabeth's death, but many believe Charles will never be king. As Reader's Digest explained, they think his low approval ratings mean that there's a plan in place to skip over him in the line of succession.
Harry Married an American To Take Over the World
There are probably a lot of reasons why Harry wanted to marry Meghan, but was world domination one of them? One theory (originally in the form of a tweet) stated, "Prince Harry's kids will be Americans. What if one grows up to be president and is in line for the throne at the same time? Brits are playing long-ball here, but it's a smart move. They want America back, and this is how they'll do it."
Diana Was Pregnant When She Died
Another rumor about Diana's death is that she was pregnant when she was killed in the car crash in France. As Reuters reported, this particular theory says that the royal family plotted to kill Diana because she was expecting a baby with boyfriend Dodi Al Fayed. Yikes.
The Turnip Toffs Scandal
As Grazia reported, there's a group of friends in Sandringham who pal around with the royals, including William and Kate, and they're known as the Turnip Toffs — and this includes Rose Hanbury, William's alleged lover. Kate is believed to have pushed Rose out of the group, possibly after hearing the cheating rumors, and this may have caused a big rift among the formerly close friends.
