It had been one of the worst years of her life, she told the nation – her annus horribilis, she called it.
And it wasn’t hard to see why. The marriages of three of her four children had broken down – Prince Charles’ to Princess Diana, Prince Andrew’s to Sarah, Duchess of York (Fergie), and Princess
Anne’s to Captain Mark Phillips. A devastating fire had ripped through her beloved Windsor Castle. A tell-all book by Andrew Morton, Diana: Her True Story, revealed bombshell details of Charles’ affair with Camilla Parker Bowles – and then pictures emerged of Fergie sunbathing topless and having her toes sucked by millionaire John Bryan.
“[It] is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure,” the queen said with characteristic restraint.
But it’s safe to say 2019 is a strong contender to knock that horrible year into second place.
It started with a literal bang when her husband, Prince Philip, crashed into a car carrying two women and a baby in January – and it snowballed from there.
A widening rift between grandsons William and Harry; controversy after controversy dogging Harry and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex; Britain pushed to the brink of a constitutional meltdown; scandals involving more members of her family – the list goes on and on.
Yet all these headaches pale into insignificance compared with the monumental migraine her favourite son has caused her.
And it must’ve been with a heavy heart that the queen summoned her precious Andrew (59) to Buckingham Palace to tell him he was sacked from royal duty.
Bu hikaye YOU South Africa dergisinin 5 December 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye YOU South Africa dergisinin 5 December 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
'I'M BACK!'
ACK!’ Scandal after scandal hits Jacob Zuma, yet nothing ever brings him down. Now he’s plotting his return to parliament and he’s hinted he has his heart set on another term as president
A BRAIN YOU CAN COUNT ON
Meet Aaryan Shukla, the 13-year-old from India whos just been crowned the worlds fastest human calculator
FUN WHILE IT LASTED
It's all over for oddball couple Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher
THE TEEN MACHINE!
Manchester United star Kobbie Mainoo has set the footballing world alight with his dazzling displays
A BETTER LIFE FOR ELIJAH
A rare condition means this little boy can't bend his arms and legs, but his parents are doing everything they can to give him a normal life
A DOCTOR'S JOURNEY
He chose to do one of the toughest jobs in medicine: looking after children who were dying. In this moving extract from his memoir, Cape Town paediatrician Alastair McAlpine reveals how, with wisdom and humour, sick kids taught him crucial lessons that changed his approach to life
'SA WILL ALWAYS BE PART OF ME'
Cindy Nell-Roberts is starting a new lite Down Under with her family. She tells YOU about the chaotic but happy p ansliepent why shes missing home
HOW TO SPOT A NARCISSIST
They often look like the most confident person in the room, but narcissists are insecure and desperate for validation, says a new book
DEFIANT TO THE END
He went from star athlete to Hollywood hero and ended up a reviled criminal but OJ Simpson remained unapologetic
BRING IT ON TAMMY!
Peet and Mel Viljoen arent going to let threats deter them from their fabulous life