Royal Family Members That Are Nothing Like They Seem

The British royal family is synonymous with dignity, nobility, and decorum. Without a doubt, the many members of the regal clan enjoy the innumerable perks that come with being central to a grandiose institution, one that reflects the quintessential image of Great Britain. The pomp and pageantry of the various ceremonies the royals participate in, which have been enacted since the very formation of the esteemed institution, regale spectators, who flock from all over the world to catch a glimpse of Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.

But throughout the years, the royal family has been rocked by numerous scandals and misfortunes. From the tragedy of Princess Diana to the recent horrifying revelations regarding Prince Andrew, many of the family's key players are far from what they seem. How these individuals appear in public and how they conduct themselves in their personal lives are often diametrically opposed. Although a private family, every so often all it takes is a slip of the tongue or a kiss-and-tell story to resonate the truth of the secretive Firm.

To delve into the true personas of the royal family members is to unlock a box of secrets, with tales of inspiration, personal sacrifice, and shocking deceit. Some royals develop pristine reputations that are completely antithetical to who they really are. Meanwhile, others are derided and viewed as unsavory characters, while actually being nothing of the sort. Keep reading to find out which royal family members are nothing like they seem.

Prince Charles loves to portray himself as a devoted conservationist and climate action advocate. He was also praised for condemning the U.K.'s role in imperialism in 2021. However, his compassionate pursuits, while admirable, cannot shield him from criticism. For instance, his aforementioned anti-slavery remarks were sullied by allegations that he was in fact the person who questioned whether his grandson Archie would have dark skin. In his book "Brothers and Wives: Inside the Private Lives of William, Kate, Harry, and Meghan," royal author Christopher Andersen named Charles as the person who uttered the racist remark, though the Prince of Wales firmly denies this, per Page Six.

Charles apparently cheated on Lady Di with his now-wife Camilla Parker Bowles (read the Esquire transcript of their toe-curling phone sex conversation at your own peril, including one particularly graphic tampon metaphor) and pretty much admitted that he never really loved his sadly departed ex-wife. During a 1981 interview in which the newly engaged couple was asked whether they were in love, Diana replied, "Of course," while Charles coldly uttered, "Whatever love means."

Moreover, he allegedly contributed to Diana's eating disorder by making fatphobic jibes about her weight mere days into the couple's engagement. As the Princess recalled in a recording, "Bulimia started the week after we got engaged. My husband put his hand on my waistline and said, 'Oh, a bit chubby here, aren't we?' And that triggered off something in me."

If you are struggling with an eating disorder, or know someone who is, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).

Much has been made of Prince Harry's intellect or supposed lack thereof. In the British satirical sitcom "The Windsors," Harry is depicted as an illiterate prince whose favorite reading material consists of children's coloring books. These myths largely stem from his less than impressive performance at school, but Harry proves that one doesn't need a college degree to be intelligent. 

Since leaving royal duties behind, Harry has given numerous inspiring speeches and interviews, showcasing his undeniable eloquence. In particular, his insight into bullying during Dax Shepard's "Armchair Expert" podcast attracted immense praise. "Hatred is a form of projection –- we're not born to hate people," he told Shepard. "It manifests itself over a period of time, and of course it can come from unresolved pain ... but ultimately, there's a source to it." When dealing with internet trolls, Harry revealed that he thinks about what might be spurring their bad behavior and tries to "have some compassion for them." 

Moreover, interviewing BLM activist Patrick Hutchison for GQ, Harry was brave enough to acknowledge both his race and class privileges. "Unconscious bias, from my understanding, having the upbringing and the education that I had, I had no idea what it was. ... And then, sad as it is to say, it took me many, many years to realise it, especially then living a day or a week in my wife's shoes," Harry revealed.

It may appear that Prince Andrew is filthy rich, but that simply isn't the case. He lives the life of a billionaire, yet he receives around $360,000 a year, per The Sun. Although that's a substantial amount of dough, it's certainly not enough to explain the means of his billionaire swag, which includes yachts, a ski chalet worth around $17.3 million, swanky vehicles, and designer watches. So how exactly is he sustaining this life of luxury?

According to an investigation by the Daily Mail, Andrew's dodgy dealings with multimillionaire tycoon David Rowland may explain his mysterious wealth. During "official trade missions meant to promote UK business," the Prince allegedly ended up secretly "plugging a private Luxembourg-based bank for the super-rich, owned by Rowland and his family." But there's more to Andrew's shady dealings. His ex-wife was severely in debt at one point and it was partly paid off by convicted pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, per the Evening Standard.

Andrew was frequently photographed with Epstein, with whom he has admitted he was friends. During a disastrous Newsnight interview, Andrew addressed rumors that he sexually abused girls who had been trafficked by Epstein, claiming that one accuser was lying because he supposedly has a rare medical condition in which he cannot sweat. He also said that he "never [has] really partied." However, the Daily Mail published photos and videos of Andrew partying with women while "looking decidedly sweaty."

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

The man who would be king, but then wasn't. Edward VIII reigned for just 325 days before his brother George VI, Queen Elizabeth's father, took over in 1936. Famous for abdicating to be with the woman he loved, the American socialite Wallis Simpson, Edward was no admirable king of kings. It has now been revealed that he was a Nazi sympathizer who encouraged an adolescent Queen Elizabeth and her sister Princess Margaret to do the Nazi salute.

The Sun first published footage of the queen and Margaret being taught how to perform the "Sieg heil" pose as children by their Uncle Edward. The Queen Mother can also be seen joining in with the shocking shenanigans. As The New York Times highlights, Edward actually met Hitler in 1937 and posed for a friendly snap with him. The publication notes that "the visit to Germany, a deep embarrassment to Edward's brother, King George VI, served to confirm Hitler's view that the Duke of Windsor was an advocate of the Nazi cause and could be of future use."

There was even a Nazi plot to try and bring Edward back on the throne, as reported by The Guardian. While his little brother George was soothing the nation during wartime with his inspiring speech, Edward was reportedly corresponding with the Nazis via problematic telegrams, which he later claimed were "complete fabrications." But if screenshots had existed back in the 1940s, perhaps the former King would have been swiftly canceled.

With her elegant attire and graceful demeanor, the stunning Princess Margaret expertly played the part of a dignified royal in photo ops, but behind the scenes, she was highly troubled and led a turbulent life. A party girl, she gained a reputation for drinking hard and eventually developed health problems. When she was still a teen, the Princess began smoking. Her habit was exacerbated by her father's death in 1952, which was "also smoking-related," as reported by Wales Online.

Her party girl ways were largely shaped by the royal hierarchy, which placed Margaret firmly below her bethroned elder sis. "Margaret often felt that she was in Elizabeth's shadow," royal biographer Andrew Morton explained to Vanity Fair. "She was four years younger, and tried to make up for the age difference by wearing the same clothes and doing the same things as her older sister, but there was a hierarchy and Margaret always came behind the Queen."

As for her love life, she had the hots for a hunky writer, Roddy Llewllyn, who began dating Margaret when he was 26 and she was 43, as Llewllyn told The Telegraph. She is also rumored to have had an affair with rocker Mick Jagger. "She found him sexy and exciting. If you saw them laughing together, dancing, the way she'd put her hand on his knee and giggle at his stories like a schoolgirl, you'd have thought there was something going on," an insider told Jagger biographer Christopher Andersen, per the Daily Mail.

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

The disconnect between Lady Di's public and private life is truly astonishing. One of Princess Diana's most noble acts was her embrace of AIDS patients at a time when homophobic falsehoods surrounding the virus were shamefully widespread. 

Margaret Heagarty cared for children with AIDS in a New York hospital and recalled a poignant encounter between Diana and a patient. "She did it spontaneously," Heagarty told The New York Times. "But she also did the human thing. He was 5 or 6 years old, and she just picked him up and hugged him." Considering that there was so much misinformation disseminated about the disease during the '80s and '90s (many people erroneously thought they could catch the virus merely through being in the presence of a sufferer), Diana actually making physical contact with AIDS patients was testament not only to her compassionate nature but also to her commitment to causes deemed taboo for many parochial royals.

She also loved pop music. As DJ Pat Sharp told Entertainment Daily, "It's strange, but she just seemed like a pop fan, which you wouldn't expect her to be being a royal." Moreover, Diana enjoyed hanging out in gay clubs with her pal Freddie Mercury, according to the book "The Power of Positive Drinking" (via Tatler).

Additionally, her taste in food was equally plebeian (in the best way possible). In an interview with Marie Claire, the royal family's chef, Darren McGrady, revealed that Diana loved taking her sons to McDonald's.

On the surface, Prince Michael of Kent, who is the queen's first cousin, seems like a respectable businessman. As his official website highlights, he gives money to numerous reputable charities and served his country in the armed forces.

But an exposé by The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches revealed that he is far from the man he presents to the public. According to the investigation, he was selling Kremlin access. Undercover reporters (under the guise of representing a fictitious organization) caught Michael in a compromising position whereby he claimed he could enable access to the higher echelons of the Kremlin. He then said that, for a fee of $200,000, he would give the bogus organization his royal seal of approval.

"I've been connected with Russia for a long time," Michael told the reporters, before his pal, the Marquess of Reading, interjected, "If I can say this ... We're talking relatively discreetly here because we wouldn't want the world to know that he is seeing Putin purely for business reasons, if you follow me." When a reporter mentioned that it seemed rather unusual that Michael is friendly with Putin, considering the U.K.'s strained relationship with Russia, the Marquess went on to claim that Putin "regards Prince Michael as a friend of Russia." 

Following the exposé, Michael staunchly denied that he had a close friendship with Putin, claiming that he hadn't met up with him in 18 years.