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Princess Anne had an alleged affair with Scotland Yard Detective Sergeant Peter Cross, when he worked as her personal bodyguard in the 1970s.
Sarah Ferguson has been linked to Texas businessman Steve Wyatt. It has been speculated that her alleged affair was a catalyst for her divorce from Prince Andrew.
Camilla might have been Charles' most famous mistress, but reportedly she wasn’t the only one. Dale "Kanga" Tryon is also said to have been “the other woman.”
The two met when Charles was a bachelor (though Tyron was married), but their relationship is said to have continued well into Charles' marriage with Diana. Dale Tryon’s son, Charles, is the King’s godson.
Then, in 1992, the paparazzi snapped John Bryan sucking Ferguson’s toes during a vacation in the South of France.
The phone call scandal became known as “Squidgygate” or “Dianagate.” During the phone calls, Princess Diana can also be heard expressing fears of pregnancy to her friend, though it’s unknown whether she was referring to Charles or somebody else. An affair was always been denied by the two.
In 1990, a telephone conversation between Lady Di and her friend James Gilbey was published by tabloids. The conversations went: "Squidgy, kiss me. Oh, God. It's so wonderful, isn't it, this sort of feeling. Don't you like it?"
But there’s a twist: Prince William reportedly once dated one of Ropner's exes, too. Whether this actually happened or not we’ll probably never know.
The couples became friends, and at one point rumors of an alleged affair between Prince William and Rose Hanbury surfaced. It was even speculated that Prince William spent Valentine's Day with David Cholmondeley's wife, and not with the Princess of Wales. The rumors, however, have never been confirmed, and indeed Prince William and the royal family have denied the allegations.
Prince William and his then-girlfriend Kate Middleton were apart sometime between 2007 and 2008. It is said that during that period the now-Princess of Wales got involved with a friend of Prince William's named Henry Ropner.
A few years back, there were rumors of an affair between Prince William and a woman named Rose Hanbury. Some time ago, Rose Hanbury and her husband David Cholmondeley (who is currently Charles III’s lord-in-waiting) moved to Houghton Hall in Norfolk, which is close to Anmer Hall, where the Prince and Princess of Wales spend weekends and vacations.
Princess Margaret eventually married photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960. But was she ever unfaithful? That’s been the subject of much speculation. The Princess and Rolling Stones front man Mick Jagger were close friends, and it has been rumored that the two were romantically involved at some point.
The Queen’s sister was a controversial royal. Princess Margaret famously fell for Royal Air Force Officer Captain Peter Townsend, who was married at the time. Townsend eventually divorced his wife, but the couple never got the happy ending they desired.
Prince Harry is said to have met model Sarah Ann Macklin at a party, exchanged numbers, and reportedly went on a number of dates with her.
The only man close enough to the Queen, who was allegedly more than a friend and horse racing manager, was Henry Herbert, 7th Earl of Carnarvon, best known as Lord Porchester, or “Porchie.”
This relationship is, of course, rumored. Other than the friendship between the two, nothing has ever been proven. Porchie's son George Herbert described their relationship as “a very equal friendship ranging over many interests.”
The late Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Elizabeth II were married for 74 years. Prince Philip is said to have had an affair with singer and actress Pat Kirkwood shortly after the two met in 1948. The alleged infidelity, however, has always been denied.
But perhaps one of the most persistent affair rumors is the one with Penelope "Penny" Knatchbull, Countess Mountbatten of Burma, who’s the wife of Norton Knatchbull, the grandson of Prince Philip's uncle, Louis Mountbatten.
Prince Michael, first cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II and the husband of Princess Michael of Kent, is said to have had an affair with one Marianne Krex.
It turns out his wife wasn’t free from allegations of infidelity either. Princess Michael of Kent is said to have been involved with both Russian businessman Mikhail Kravchenko and oil tycoon Ward Hunt.
Sources: (The List) (BBC) (Town & Country Magazine) (The Telegraph) (The Washington Post) (Grazia)
In 1986, Mannakee was taken out of Diana's security team and tragically died in a motorcycle accident a year later. Despite Diana's suspicions, an inquiry found no evidence of foul play.
"I was only happy when he was around," confessed Princess Diana on a tape recorded by her voice coach in 1992.
Charles’ affair with Camilla might get all the attention, but sometime in the mid 1980s Lady Di and bodyguard Barry Mannakee grew closer.
“The Duke of Edinburgh has had affairs ... full-blown affairs and more than one," wrote biographer Sarah Bradford in her 2011 book ‘Elizabeth II: Her Life in Our Times.’ But is that so?
Reportedly, Prince Harry was pursuing another woman when he met his future wife, Meghan Markle.
Camilla and Charles were romantically involved periodically both before and during each of their first marriages. They were married in 2005, and Camilla became Queen Consort in 2022, upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II. She was crowned Queen Camilla in 2023.
This royal couple needs no introduction. The story between the two is pretty well-known. Camilla and the then-Prince of Wales, Charles, first met at a polo match in 1970.
But Kirkwood was not the only woman allegedly tied to the Prince. Others include TV personality Katie Boyle, singer Hélène Cordet, actress Merle Oberon, novelist Daphne du Maurier, Princess Alexandra aka Lady Ogilvy (pictured), and the Duchess of Abercorn.
Another rumor is that Zara Tindall is in fact the lovechild of Princess Anne and Peter Cross. Like many other rumors, this speculation is unfounded.
It's safe to say that members of the British royal family have a hard time keeping their privacy, and this includes, of course, their love lives. But while some affair rumors have been proven to be true, others remain purely speculative. Or are they?
In this gallery, we delve into the history of rumored affairs in the British royal family over the last several decades. Click on and get to know all the real and rumored affairs of the British royals.
The affair rumors of the British royal family
From the late Princess Diana to Princes William and Harry
CELEBRITY Kate middleton
It's safe to say that members of the British royal family have a hard time keeping their privacy, and this includes, of course, their love lives. But while some affair rumors have been proven to be true, others remain purely speculative. Or are they?
In this gallery, we delve into the history of rumored affairs in the British royal family over the last several decades. Click on and get to know all the real and rumored affairs of the British royals.