Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, and the Royal Family by Matthew Spencer

Author:Matthew Spencer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: england, queen, windsor, queen elizabeth ii, prince philip, the queen, buckingham palace, the royal family, the crown
Publisher: Matthew Spencer

Chapter 4: Annus Horribilis and Other Bleak Times

If 2012 marked one of the highlights of her reign, then 1992 provided the opposite.

This was a year in which nothing seemed to go right, a year in which three of her children separated or divorced, and in which her beloved Windsor Castle suffered a terrible fire.

It was also a year that marked, from some quarters at least, a threat to the nation’s affection for the Royal Family.

The first bombshell came in the month following the Queen’s Ruby Jubilee. On March 19th 1992, the Palace announced that the Duke and Duchess of York (Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson) were to separate. They had been married for six years.

The couple, who have two daughters (Beatrice and Eugenie), remain friendly and shared the same home for twenty years after their separation. They are still often seen together.

The demands of the Prince’s naval career are thought to have been a trigger for the split. Having only spent forty days together in five years, the newly appointed Duchess wanted to be more than just a stay at home Royal. The couple had known each other on and off since childhood. They shared a common interest in polo, although the sport had a negative effect on the young Sarah when her mother walked out on the family. She left to be with Argentinian player, Hector Barrantes. Her daughter was just twelve.

Perhaps the formality of the era and the expectation to show a stiff upper lip contributed to the breakdown of the marriage. Sarah discovered after just two weeks of matrimony that her new husband would be posted at sea. She went through her first pregnancy with him away, and he received just ten days with his new daughter before once again returning to service. Sarah was told to just get on with it and not to make a fuss.

Given that the couple’s friendship has since endured so well, and the Duchess did remain mostly on good terms with the Royal family, the separation offers an insight into the challenge of being a modern Royal. The conflict between the traditions of the monarchy and the way people now like to live their lives is hard. Whilst people will hold differing views as to how far the perks of the position compensate for any lack of privacy and independence, but personal relationships need time and space to flourish.

Sarah Ferguson would feature yet again in the news that year, in August 1992, the Daily Mirror printed intimate pictures of her with a Texan businessman, John Bryan. Looking back, the photos are extremely tame by current standards. But they represented the fact that becoming a Windsor meant every aspect of your life was open to scrutiny.

Having faced the announcement of the break-up of one of her children’s marriages, the following month Princess Anne, Elizabeth’s only daughter, announced that she and her husband, Captain Mark Phillips, had divorced. The Princess had been the first of the Queen’s children to marry, tying the knot at Westminster Abbey in 1973.

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