Long History of Royal Scandal Has Plagued the Queen

May 4, 2007 — -- The very proper Queen Elizabeth has had to endure her share of public scandal -- from the exploits of her grandchildren to the very public breakups of her children's marriages.

But the Windsor legacy of scandal predated Elizabeth's reign.

"People forget that she came to the throne because of a scandal," said royal biographer Robert Lacey.

Queen Elizabeth is, after all, an accidental queen, following the most memorable royal upheaval in modern history.

Edward VIII gave up the throne in 1936 to marry an American woman, Wallis Simpson. His brother, Elizabeth's father, King George the VI, reluctantly took his place.

Thrust into the spotlight in her teenage years after her father's death, Elizabeth's coronation was one of the most watched events in British history, and she quickly won the love and respect of the British people.

But another scandal soon hit close to home.

"Her own sister, Princess Margaret, fell in love with a divorced man, which was considered absolutely scandalous at the time," said Ingrid Seward, editor in chief of Majesty Magazine.

There was more turbulence to come for the next generation. The world watched and initially celebrated when Queen Elizabeth's son, Prince Charles, picked a bride, the shy Diana Spencer.

But the couple's blissful exterior hid a deeply troubled union. Within months after the marriage, whispers surfaced that Charles was still in love with another woman, the married Camilla Parker Bowles.

Diana was well aware of the relationship.

"Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded," Diana told Martin Bashir in an interview.

In 1992, Prince Andrew's marriage to spunky redhead Sarah Ferguson was crumbling as well, making that year one of the lowest points for the queen.

When Charles and Diana spoke publicly about their marriage and Charles confessed to his affair, it was unlike anything the monarchy had ever seen.