The eight royal scandals to shake the Firm since Queen Elizabeth’s death

The second anniversary of the Queen Elizabeth's death is on Sunday, with the Royal Family set to mark the occasion privately.

Although the family have been continuing on as usual with royal engagements and charity work, the years since the late Queen’s death have been among some of the hardest for the monarchy.

From bombshell books to tell-all interviews, the family have faced a number of hurdles under King Charles' reign, with the senior members of the family still determined to carry on as usual.

Under King Charles, senior members of the Royal Family continue to undertake official engagements to support and raise awareness of important causes across the country and the world.

The Express has now looked back at some of the most turbulent scandals the family has faced in the two years since the late Queen’s death.

1. Where is Kate? Photo kill order and absurd rumours

Perhaps one of the biggest scandals this year and since the death of Queen Elizabeth is the social media whirlwind that surrounded The Princess of Wales. After confirming the princess was going to take some time away from royal work to recover after a planned surgery, members of the public took to X, formerly known as Twitter, with a number of conspiracy theories.

Where is Kate? became a daily trending topic of discussion across the globe as the rumour mill went wild. A photograph released by Kate of her and her children on Mother’s Day then spurred these rumours further after it appeared the photo had been edited, with newspapers issuing a kill notice on the picture.

This was eventually tamed by the princess releasing a video messaging announcing she has been diagnosed with cancer. A number of celebrities including Blake Lively came forward to apologise for joining the Where is Kate? frenzy.

2. Harry and Meghan's Netflix docuseries

Just a few months after the late Queen’s death, another equally big hit sent shockwaves through the nation as Harry and Meghan released a docuseries.

In this, the couple shared insights into their love story and why they decided to leave the Royal Family in 2020. Each of the six episodes had some accusation targeted at Harry’s family, especially at his brother Prince William.

Harry claimed that William had decided to "scream and shout" at him during a meeting in early 2020 over the Sussexes's decision to step back as working royals.

He said: "It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me, and my father say things that simply weren’t true, and my grandmother quietly sit there and sort of take it all in."

3. Omid Scobie’s EndGame book

Another scandal involving both the Royal Family and Harry and Meghan was the release of Omid Scobie’s book Endgame. The book, released in 2023, provided an insight into the supposed decline of the monarchy since the late Queen’s death and was said to be written in a way that favoured Harry and Meghan.

As scandalous as the book was, the Dutch version created chaos for the family as it named two working members of the Royal Family who were allegedly responsible for making racist comments about Meghan Markle’s child Archie before he was born. This led to a social media storm against the royals.

4. Harry’s bombshell book

Another bombshell book released in 2023 put another strain on the Royal Family and further escalated the risk between Prince Harry and his brother Prince William.

In the book, Harry also recalled a physical encounter that he had with William in 2019, whereby he got hurt.

Describing the confrontation at his London home, Harry says William referred to Meghan Markle as "rude" - leading to a physical attack by his elder brother.

Harry said: "He set down the water, called me another name, then came at me. It all happened so fast. So very fast. He grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and he knocked me to the floor. I landed on the dog's bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me.

"I lay there for a moment, dazed, then got to my feet and told him to get out."

5. Prince Andrew

Although the Prince Andrew situation surrounding his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein was ongoing when Queen Elizabeth was alive, Prince Andrew has been an ongoing cause of concern for the royals ever since.

Most recently, the disgraced prince has refused to leave Royal Lodge, despite being instructed to his brother The King. It has now been alleged that the King is removing the security at the royal residence in the hope that Andrew will give in and relocate to a smaller home.

However, despite a feud over housing, the prince seems to be putting himself back into the spotlight as he was part of the annual Christmas Sandringham walkabout last year, suggesting he is redeveloping some form of presence in the family.

6. Meghan snubbed the Coronation

It was confirmed earlier this year that, despite tensions at an all-time high, both Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were invited to the King's Coronation.

But the couple reportedly left the Palace hanging after failing to offer a quick response over whether or not they would attend, with them finally revealing their decision just a few weeks before the event.

Harry attended the Coronation solo, with Meghan deciding to skip the King's big day.

A statement released by the couple, via their spokesperson, read: "Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that the Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6th May. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet."

7. The eviction of Angela Kelly

Another scandal since the late Queen’s death was the eviction of her dresser and best friend Angela Kelly.

King Charles reportedly wanted her out of her Windsor home and instead gifted her a home away from the area.

She was also reportedly instructed not to discuss her close friendship with Queen Elizabeth II any longer.

Although not a scandal, the Royal Family have also faced plenty of heartbreak since the late Queen’s death.

This year, both King Charles and The Princess of Wales have been diagnosed with cancer. They are both still continuing treatment, with Kate signed off royal duties for the time being.

Thomas Kingston, the husband of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent's daughter Lady Gabriella Kingston, passed away earlier this year at his parent’s house.

The death sent all the family into shock.

After a tough year, it is believed the family will be remembering the late Queen on the anniversary of her death in private.