Weathering the STORMS

HER MAJESTY'S TRADEMARK STOICISM SAW HER THROUGH HIGHS AND LOWS

TENSE RELATIONS

The late Princess Diana once told royal biographer Ingrid Seward, “I have the best mother-in-law in the world.” But the pair also had a strained relationship at times, especially after the release of Andrew Morton’s book Diana, Her True Story in 1992.

Over the years, the monarch has endured her fair share of headaches courtesy of her scandal-prone offspring. In a speech delivered to mark the 40th anniversary of her succession, she remarked that 1992 in particular "turned out to be an 'Annus Horribilis". That year, her son Prince Charles announced his decision to end his tabloid-feeding marriage to wife Princess Diana. Her second son Prince Andrew separated from his wife, Sarah Ferguson, and her daughter Anne divorced her husband, Mark Phillips. Later that year, a fire also broke out in Windsor Castle, destroying more than 100 rooms.

Five years later, when Diana was tragically killed in a car crash, the Queen was heavily criticised for her response, which many saw as uncaring in the face of the international outpouring of grief. After days of intense pressure, the Queen delivered a live speech and broke with tradition to allow the flag to fly at half-mast over Buckingham Palace on the day of Diana's funeral.