Royal Scandals Around the World

Prince Laurent's father, King Albert of Belgium, had his own scandal. The king allegedly fathered artist Delphine Boel out of wedlock.

Prince Haakon of Norway faced harsh criticism when announcing his 2001 engagement to Mette-Marit Tjessem Holby, a single mother whose child's father is reportedly a convicted drug user.

Crown Princess Victoria's sister, Princess Madeleine, was set to marry Jonas Bergstrom, before calling off the wedding after he was accused of cheating by the press.

Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria flouted tradition when she married her boyfriend of eight years, personal trainer and gym owner Daniel Westling.

The royal family in Belgium has not been immune to scandal. In 2007, Prince Laurent (reportedly called "enfant terrible" or "terrible child" by the press) was accused of using Navy funds for personal use, but prosecutors reportedly concluded that the prince was not personally implicated in the accusation of fraud. Recently, the Associated Press reported that the Belgian Palace planned to set strict new rules for the wayward prince.

Princess Stephanie, the youngest of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier's children, is perhaps the most scandal-ridden of her siblings. She had two children, Louis and Pauline, with her former bodyguard and first husband Daniel Ducruet before they married, only to divorce when her husband was reportedly photographed cavorting with Miss Topless Belgium. After her divorce, Stephanie had a third child and reportedly did not name a father on the birth certificate. Later, Stephanie reportedly ran away with a circus director named Franco Knie, before marrying third husband, an acrobat named Adans Lopez Peres, whom she also later divorced.

Prince Albert of Monaco, the younger brother of Princess Caroline, has had his share of scandals himself. A lifelong bachelor who is currently engaged to be married to South African swimmer Charlene Wittstock, with nuptials scheduled for this summer, he has reportedly acknowledged fathering two children out of wedlock, a son Alexandre with former flight attendant Nicole Coste, and a daughter, Jazmin, with American Tamara Rotolo.

Caroline, the oldest of Prince Rainier and Princess Grace's three children, has been married three times. Her first marriage to Philippe Junot, a Paris businessman 17 years her senior and a reported playboy, quickly ended in divorce. Caroline was pregnant with her first child at the time of her wedding to second husband, Italian real estate investor and powerboat racer Stefano Casiraghi, who later died tragically when their three children together were very young. Caroline was pregnant at the time of her third marriage as well, and her relationship with third hubby, German prince Ernst of Hanover, reportedly began as an affair, while he was married to Chantal, his previous wife of 16 years. Caroline's marriage to Ernst hasn't been drama-free, with recent rumors swirling after he was reportedly spotted with another woman.

The Palace of Monaco gained international recognition when Prince Rainier III married American actress Grace Kelly. Kelly, an Academy Award winner, was quick to retire from the silver screen to take on her duties as Princess Grace. While Rainier and Grace, seen here at their 1956 wedding, appeared to have a fairytale romance, their three children, Caroline, Albert, and Stephanie, have been no stranger to controversy.

Though the British royal family has had their fair share of scandals, royals all over the world have found themselves in the headlines for less-than-positive reasons.



Up first is the royal family of Monaco.