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Prince Harry and Meghan ‘divorce’ rumours: Which British royals have called it quits before?

Rumours of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle mulling a separation refuse to die down. Divorce is not uncommon in the British royal family, with several couples choosing to go their own ways than live unhappily ever after

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FP Explainers|May 31, 2023, 20:47:45 IST
It seems that controversies cannot bid adieu to Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle. The Sussexes’ marriage has once again become fodder for gossip, with abundant reports making the rounds about the royal couple allegedly wanting to call it quits.The Duke and Duchess, who are parents to two children – Archie Harrison and Lilibet "Lili" Diana, have not addressed these rumours so far.Perfect marriages are a utopia and the British royal family is well aware of that. As speculations around Meghan and Harry’s marriage refuse to die down, let’s take a look at other royals who decided to go their separate ways. King Henry VIII and Catherine of AragonKing Henry VIII, who ruled from 1509-1547, found his own church in order to leave his wife and marry his lover.After falling in love with his mistress Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII wanted to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon.This was at a time when divorce was considered taboo by the Catholic Church.So, the king found his own religion and that was how the Church of England was born, reported Insider.He later beheaded Catherine for allegedly cheating on him.King Henry VIII went on to have four more wives over the course of his life.Princess Victoria Melita and Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of HesseIn 1894, Queen Victoria’s granddaughter Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was married to Ernest Louis of Hesse.However, the princess was in love with her first cousin Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia.As per Vanity Fair magazine, Ernest – who was also Princess Victoria’s first cousin – told her on their wedding night he “was not attracted to her.”Their relationship was anything but happy and the couple finally divorced in 1901.Princess Victoria eventually tied the knot with her love Duke Kirill, noted Cosmopolitan magazine.Princess Margaret of England and Antony Armstrong-JonesQueen Elizabeth’s sister Princess Margaret tied the know with photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960.However, their marriage was full of allegations of infidelity. During a holiday in Mustique, when Princess Margaret was told that Armstrong-Jones was moving out of Kensington Palace, she said, as per Vanity Fair: “Thank you, Nigel. I think that’s the best news you’ve ever given me.”The pair ended up getting divorced in 1978.Prince Charles and Princess DianaThree out of the four children of the late Queen Elizabeth II have divorced their partners, including King Charles III.The then Prince Charles and Princess Diana, Harry’s parents, had a tumultuous relationship.[caption id="attachment_12673992" align="alignnone" width="640"]prince charles and princess diana Prince Charles and Princess Diana had a tumultuous relationship. Reuters File Photo[/caption]Charles was in love with Camilla Parker Bowles, his now-wife, when he married Diana in July 1981.The prince and princess split in December 1992 and finally got divorced in 1996.
Referring to Charles’ relationship with Camilla, Diana told BBC in an interview in 1995: “There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded”.
Just months after her divorce, Princess Diana and her then-partner Egyptian billionaire Dodi Fayed died in a car crash in France’s Paris on 30 August 1997.Princess Anne and Mark PhillipsQueen Elizabeth II’s daughter Princess Anne married Captain Mark Phillips in 1973.At the time of her marriage, she fell for one of the palace equerries. As per Insider, the princess’ affair later became public causing a PR crisis.Princess Anne divorced Phillips in 1992 and went on to marry Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, reported Hello magazine.Andrew and Sarah FergusonThe disgraced royal’s marriage to Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson officially came to an end in 1996.The couple had already announced their split in 1992.[caption id="attachment_12674012" align="alignnone" width="640"]prince andrew and Sarah Ferguson Andrew and Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson divorced in 1996. Reuters File Photo[/caption]According to Hello magazine, Andrew and Sarah, who are parents to Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, continue to have friendly relations.The other royalsLady Davina Windsor was the first British royal to marry a person of Māori descent – Gary Christie Lewis – in 2004.Lady Davina is the daughter of the late Queen Elizabeth’s first cousin, the Duke of Gloucester.In 2019, a spokesperson from Buckingham Palace confirmed the report of the couple’s separation to Hello magazine, saying in a brief statement: "Lady Davina and Gary Lewis were divorced last year [2018]."Princess Margaret's son David Armstrong-Jones and his wife Serena called it quits in February 2020, after 27 years of marriage, as per Cosmopolitan magazine.Princess Anne's son Peter Phillips and his wife Autumn also announced their split in February 2020 and officially got divorced the next year.As per Cosmopolitan, their spokesperson said at the time: "They continue to put the wellbeing and upbringing of their wonderful daughters Savannah and Isla first and foremost. Both Peter and Autumn are pleased to have resolved matters amicably with the children firmly at the forefront of those thoughts and decisions."With inputs from agenciesRead all the Latest NewsTrending NewsCricket NewsBollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.
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First Published:May 31, 2023, 20:47:45 IST
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