THE Queen is set to endure her worst year since her infamous 1992 Annus Horribilis as her joyous Platinum Jubilee is marred by scandal, according to experts.
Her Majesty was plagued with a string of Royal Family divorces while Windsor Castle almost burned down three decades ago – with experts now fearing the 95-year-old faces another year of heartache.
The royal has already endured a string of scandals surrounding The Firm in 2021, with Prince Andrew’s sex claim scandal coming to light while Meghan Markle and Prince Harry officially quit the Royal Family.
And royal experts told The Celeb Report Online the next 12 months could be even worse for Her Majesty as her favourite son Prince Andrew faces a civil lawsuit over Virginia Giuffre’s sex claims, grandson Harry set to release an explosive autobiography and it being the first full year she faces without her beloved husband Prince Philip by her side.
It seems Her Majesty’s words in 1992 on the 40th anniversary of her Accession may have come back to haunt her 30 years on, as another Annus Horribilis could be in store.
Speaking to the Sun Online, royal expert Phil Dampier told of his hopes for a better year for the Queen as she gears up for her Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
He said: “Last year was very much an Annus Horribilis too – Prince Phillip dying, Harry and Meghan leaving, the Oprah Winfrey interview, and of course Prince Andrew.
“The Queen would have been hoping this year would be much plainer sailing as she celebrates her 70 years on the throne.”
But as Prince Andrew’s legal woes hang over her, Dampier fears the case will “cast a shadow” over her upcoming celebrations.
“If they can clear up this mess with Prince Andrew, I think this could be a good year for the Queen as Jubilee’s always give the Monarchy a boost.”
The Duke of York was also at the centre of a scandal that rocked the Royals in 1992 when his former wife Sarah Ferguson was snapped in a compromising position with her financial advisor while holidaying in St Tropez.
The pair split after pictures of Texan millionaire John Bryan kissing Fergie’s toes were published, before announcing the end of their marriage four years later.
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And in the same difficult year, the Queen’s only daughter Princess Anne also divorced her hubby of nearly two decades, Captain Mark Phillips, after a three-year separation.
She then became the first child of a British monarch to remarry later that year after tying the knot with Timothy Laurence.
While tackling the tribulations of her children’s love lives, the Queen’s beloved Windsor Castle went up in flames causing an estimated £36.5million worth of damage.
She was left devastated when the 12-hour inferno hit St George’s Hall, the Queen’s private chapel, the Crimson Drawing Room and the Green Drawing Room.
In a November speech marking her Ruby Jubilee, she declared: “1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure.”
But more heartbreak lay ahead for Her Majesty, as the third and final royal split of the doomed year came in December.
Princess Diana and Prince Charles separated after a messy marriage shrouded by claims of affairs.
The Princess of Wales also released a blistering tell-all biography, marking the first time a senior royal had revealed the secrets from behind the Palace doors.
After decades of exemplary, scandal-free service, the Queen had to grapple to keep a firm hold of her crown.
“After the breakup of the marriage of the heir to the throne, the whole monarchy was under threat and plummeting in popularity,” Dampier added.
But as did Windsor Castle, the royals rose from the ashes of controversy and once again asserted themselves as Britain’s jewel in its crown.
Now experts fear another battle could be on the horizon for Her Majesty over the next 12 months as it appears to be one of the worst years for The Firm since 1992.
Prince Harry is set to release his bombshell book in which, much like his late mother, he vowed to give a “wholly truthful” account of his life.
The announcement was said to have triggered a “tsunami of fear” in Buckingham Palace, with concerns the memoir could echo Harry’s explosive Oprah interview.
He is expected to hash out the reasons he left the Firm behind, name and shame the “royal racist” and delve into Princess Diana‘s life and divorce.
Royal expert Richard Fitzgerald said he thinks the memoir will only prove another obstacle for the Queen as she wades through turbulent times.
He told The Celeb Report Online: “I thought it was an extraordinary decision to write an autobiography without obvious reason except from commercial possibilities.
“It appearing in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year means it will probably sell more, but that shouldn’t be the reason for her grandson to write it.
“It will not make healing the rift easier, it will make it far more difficult. I don’t think it’s a wise decision to bring out a book this year that is bound to dwell on some of the unhappy times.
“For any book to sell it has to have new material – so what new material will he discuss? It will make it very very difficult for them to reach out to the Sussexes in the knowledge of that.”
The book has also set tongues wagging about what Harry’s wife Meghan Markle will get up to in 2022 after moving stateside and securing multimillion-pound deals with Netflix and Spotify.
THE FUTURE OF THE MONARCHY
The couple’s dramatic departure from The Firm has left a gaping hole in the next generation of royals and questions regarding how they will pave their way.
The Queen has tragically still not met her namesake grandaughter Lilibet – and hasn’t seen Archie since he was a baby.
It is hoped that the Sussexes will reunite with the Monarch for the first time since their explosive Oprah interview for the Jubilee celebrations.
The 95-year-old is bound to need as much family support she can get as she takes on her first full year without her husband Prince Phillip.
But there are still concerns brothers Harry and Will may thrash out their royal rift as the country marks Her Majesty’s 70-year reign.
Fitzgerald added: “Obviously she will miss her strength and stay Prince Phillip, but equally, there are aspects of this year to commemorate her being a beacon of continuity in a world of change.
“I think there is a lot of it she will be looking forward to tremendously.”
The royal experts believe “the monarchy is in safe hands” with Kate and Wills, allowing the Queen to remain optimistic about her year ahead.
“The popularity of the Cambridges, who are the future of the monarchy, is tremendous,” Fitzgerald continued.
“The way they have handled their duties has been exemplary. So I think that the Queen when looking to the future won’t be worried at all.
“The Queen is an optimist by nature, so despite the matters surrounding Andrew that I believe will be of deep concern, I think she is someone who looks forward.”
