The Brits aren’t the only ones with real drama: A look at other scandalous monarchies

It’s fair to say that the world knows far more about the Duke of Sussex’s penis than it did a month ago, not to mention new uses for Elizabeth Arden cream.

Since the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the accession of King Charles III in September, the Firm – as the British royal family is unofficially known – was not only faced with a major management reshuffle.

In a Netflix series and his flashy new memoir, Prince Harry has released an almost constant stream of public domain revelations, broadcasting intimate personal detailsas well as accusations of family treason at the Palace gates of the House of Windsor.

But Britain doesn’t have a monopoly on royal filth. there four other messy monarchies who have lately also been embroiled in dysfunctions, riots and major dramas.

Norway

Princess Martha Louise has resigned from her royal duties in November to focus on her alternative medicine business with her boyfriend, Durek Verretta famous shaman whose clients include Selma Blair and Nina Dobrev.

It was the latest in a series of controversies stemming from the princess’ relationship with Verrett, which she suggested in her 2019 book, Spirit Hacking, that cancer was a choice.

The self-styled “sixth generation shaman” He also sells on his website. a Spirit Optimizer medallion (spirit enhancer) which he claims has helped him recover from COVID-19. For her part, Martha Louise has often suggested this Can communicate with animals and angels.

Denmark

There has been a lot of talk in Britain in recent years about a possible reduction of the monarchy which would reduce the number of active royals. In the month of September, the Danes did it.

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark announced that she did “suspended” royal titles. for the children of his second son, Prince Joachim, meaning his grandchildren along that line -Nikolai, 23; Felice, 20 years old; Henry, 13; and Athena, 10- they would not be princes or princesses.

The news angered some family members and triggered a tug of war in the Danish media.

“We are all very sad,” Prince Joachim told Danish tabloid Ekstra Bladet. “It’s never fun to see your kids abused like that. They’ve been put in a situation they don’t understand.”

The prince said he had been given just five days to tell his children. His eldest son Nikolai added: “We are shocked by this decision. I am very confused because it has to be like this“.

In October, the Queen admitted she had “underestimated” the impact of her election but said she made the decision “a long time ago” and did so in line with her values ​​as a “queen, mother and grandmother”. .

“It is my duty and my desire as a queen to guarantee May the monarchy always adapt to the times‘ he said in a statement. ‘Sometimes this means that difficult decisions have to be made and it will always be difficult to find the right moment.’

Thailand

King Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand is not a conventional ruler, at least by contemporary standards.

The king, officially crowned in 2019, two and a half years after ascending the throne upon his father’s death, he married four times and publicly courted countless lovers.

When he was crown prince, he named his pet poodle Foo Foo, Air Chief Marshal, and performed four days of Buddhist funeral rites when the poodle died in 2015, according to The Guardian. There’s also the 70-year-old king’s fondness for wearing tops and tattoos, which he’s worn on numerous walks during the pandemic in Germany, where he spends most of his time.

Belly button vests have become the garment of choice for many young pro-democracy Thai protesters at rallies in recent years.

Their demands include limiting the powers of a king he has become the richest monarch in the worldin part by accruing personal control of an estimated $43 billion in real assets in 2018 that were historically overseen by an agency meant to manage money for the benefit of the Thai people.

Spain

In May of last year, Juan Carlos, the former king of Spain, returned to Spanish soil for the first time in nearly two years, making headlines throughout the country he ruled for nearly four decades.

Juan Carlos, who abdicated in 2014, moved to Abu Dhabi in 2020 after fraud investigators said he received around $100 million in bribes in connection with a high-speed rail contract in Saudi Arabia, which was awarded to a Spanish consortium.

The Swiss prosecutors dropped the case, but it wasn’t the first controversy that marked a monarch known for his lavish lifestyle – including an elephant hunting trip that took place at the height of the financial crisis – and a series of extramarital affairs.

His predilection for shady business -shared by the husband of the youngest daughter- has tarnished the public image of the Spanish monarchy, despite the efforts of the current king, Felipe VI; his wife, Queen Letizia; and their two teenage daughters.

The two Spanish kings – father and son – were seen in public at Queen Elizabeth’s funeral in London in September. And most recently in Greece, this Monday, during the funeral of Constantine.

The New York Times

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