Scandalous Royals from George III to Charles III

Scandals about the royals have always been more than just fodder for the tabloids. They tell us a great deal about the power of public opinion, especially as Britain became an increasingly democratic nation, and how the royals have carefully crafted an image that balances their special status with a veneer of “ordinariness.”  

Julie Taddeo, research professor of history at the University of Maryland, discusses several royal-family scandals from the reigns of the 18th century’s "Mad King" George to the most recently crowned monarch. She highlights the scandals that circulated around Charles III during his days as Prince of Wales and those involving his sons and daughters-in-law, particularly how “Megxit” echoes scandals past. The death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 severed the nation’s most important tie to its imperial history and sense of greatness. Taddeo speculates if and how the monarchy can survive in a post-Brexit world under the rule of an elderly king.

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