Here’s a rundown of the most shocking royal scandals I’ll be exploring throughout the new episodes:

Prince George and Kiki Preston

Prince George was the uncle of Queen Elizabeth II and younger brother of Prince Edward, later Edward VIII. In the 1920s, like many young men exorcising their war pain through excess pleasure, both princes were frequently seen drinking and dancing in London cabaret clubs. Soon George took another step. He appeared in public dressed in women’s clothing and was rumored to have had a relationship with Noel Coward at a time when gay sex was still a crime that could carry a prison sentence.

But his downfall came through his association with American socialite Kiki Preston, who was part of the infamous “Happy Valley” gang, a group of wealthy settlers in Kenya who became known for their debauched parties. Author June Woolerton told me that Kiki was nicknamed “the girl with the silver syringe” and that she was the one who introduced Prince George to drugs. And Eduardo – so famous for the subsequent scandal of his abdication – was the one who intervened to try to prevent this scandal and save his brother’s life.

Edward VII and the sexual chair

As heir to the throne, the future Edward VII, known as Bertie, began an affair with an Irish actress named Nellie Clifden and, worse still, fell in love with her. It was a scandal of such proportions that his father, Prince Albert, intervened, taking a long walk in the rain with Bertie and trying to reason with him.

Upon his return to Windsor, Albert became seriously ill and died three weeks later. Queen Victoria was convinced that Bertie was responsible for her father becoming ill and dying. The chastened Bertie subsequently married Princess Alexandra of Denmark, but it wasn’t long before he was again finding new lovers and visiting Parisian sex workers.

As the decades passed and he found himself less able to perform, he ordered a special piece of furniture to help him: the siege of love – a custom made sex chair. With two padded sections, foot stirrups, and handles similar to those on a CrossFit trainer, it was designed to help you deal with your growing girth.

But author Cat Arnold believes it may have been designed to address another problem as well. There is room for a third participant to help cheer up the prince when his enthusiasm wanes…

The Princes in the Tower

The story of the disappearance of Edward IV’s two young sons in 1483 is well known. But the question of who killed the 12-year-old Edward V and his nine-year-old brother, Richard Duke of York, last seen in the Tower of London, remains unsolved.

His uncle, King Richard III, has long been at the top of the list of suspects. Others have accused Richard III’s henchman, the Duke of Buckingham, or the man who won the crown from Richard at the Battle of Bosworth Field, Henry VII. But there is compelling evidence indicating a very different set of circumstances: Was her murder so unsolvable because the children survived?

Theft of the Crown Jewels

A decade after Charles II’s restoration to the throne and his coronation with crown jewels newly made for the occasion (the previous set had been sold and melted down), a bold man named “Colonel” Thomas Blood attempted to steal the crown jewels. Tower. from London. The jewels were kept under the watchful eye of the elderly Talbot Edwards, whom Blood befriended and later arranged for his eligible nephew to marry Edwards’ spinster daughter.

On the day the supposed couple was to meet, Blood appeared with a group of men. Escorted by Edwards to see the jewels, they lunged at the poor man and grabbed the crown, orb and scepter, crushed the crown to make it easier to carry and shoved the orb down a man’s pants, before attempting to flee. to escape. horses.

The robbery was only thwarted at the last minute by chance, but the really strange thing about this story is that, having been caught stealing the crown jewels red-handed, Thomas Blood was not punished. Academic professor Nadine Akkerman has a fascinating theory suggesting why Charles II let him free and it involves a plea deal and espionage.

James VI and Esmé Stewart

In 1579, James VI was 13 years old and king of Scotland. His father, Lord Darnley, had been murdered twelve years earlier. His mother, Mary, Queen of Scots, had been imprisoned in England by Elizabeth I after Scottish nobles forced her to abdicate in favor of James, so the young king had been largely raised by her stern tutor, George. Buchanan, who beat him on the spot. of love

So when James’ first cousin, the handsome 37-year-old French diplomat Esmé Stewart, arrived in Scotland and lavished affection on the young king, James absorbed it. Expensive gifts and grand titles followed, but it was rumored to be more than just a family relationship.

Sky Atlantic’s recent drama series Mary & George has reminded us that in later life James was bisexual: he married and had children with Anne of Denmark and maintained intimate relationships with his male favourites, including the handsome George Villiers. But National Museum of Scotland curator Dr Anna Groundwater suggested to me that as a teenager, long before the adult king formed his own consensual relationships, Esmé Stewart stalked him.

The Royals: A History of Scandals airs Tuesdays at 9pm on More4 and is available to stream on Channel 4.

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