The Queen’s “Annus Horribilis”: A Year of Royal Crises
Queen Elizabeth II famously described 1992 as her “annus horribilis,” a Latin phrase meaning “horrible year.” In a speech at the Guildhall to mark her 40th year on the throne, she reflected on a period that saw the monarchy rocked by a relentless series of personal setbacks and public scandals. The year tested the institution’s resilience and its relationship with the British public and media.
The Separation of Andrew and Sarah
The year began with trouble brewing in the marriage of the Queen’s second son, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. The couple, who had married in 1986, had been showing signs of strain for some time. In March 1992, Buckingham Palace officially announced their separation. According to the official Royal Family website‘s historical archives, such announcements are made with careful consideration, but the media storm was immediate.
The scandal escalated dramatically in August when tabloids published paparazzi photographs of the Duchess of York, on holiday in the South of France, having her toes kissed by her American financial advisor, John Bryan. The photos were taken with a long-lens camera while she was staying in a private villa. The publication caused a major embarrassment for the Royal Family, as the Duchess was still legally married to Prince Andrew and was staying with her children at the Queen’s Balmoral estate when the news broke.
Princess Anne’s Divorce
Just a month after Andrew and Sarah’s separation was announced, another royal marriage formally ended. In April 1992, Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, and her husband, Captain Mark Phillips, divorced after a two-year separation. While their split was less tumultuous in the press than that of her brothers, it added to the narrative of marital breakdown within the Queen’s immediate family. Princess Anne would go on to remarry later that same year, becoming the first child of a British sovereign to remarry after a divorce since the Tudor era.
The Fire at Windsor Castle
The year’s troubles were not limited to marital issues. On November 20, 1992, a catastrophic fire broke out at Windsor Castle, one of the Queen’s official residences and a symbol of the monarchy’s history and continuity. The fire started in Queen Victoria’s Private Chapel when a spotlight ignited a curtain. It raged for over 15 hours, destroying or severely damaging more than 100 rooms, including the magnificent St. George’s Hall.
The fire was a devastating blow, but it also ignited a fierce public debate over who should pay for the restoration, estimated to cost millions of pounds. The initial assumption that the public would foot the entire bill led to a backlash, as many felt the immensely wealthy Queen should contribute. This public pressure was a key factor in the Queen’s subsequent decision to begin paying income tax and to open parts of Buckingham Palace to the public to help fund the Windsor restoration. Just four days after the fire, she delivered her “annus horribilis” speech, acknowledging that the monarchy was not immune to scrutiny or criticism.
The combination of these events—two marital separations, one divorce, scandalous photographs, and a devastating fire—made 1992 a watershed year, forcing the Royal Family to confront its public image and financial arrangements in a way it had never done before.
