Royal RUMOURS

The British royal family is rarely off the newspaper front pages. But present-day royal news stories pale into insignificance compared to the scandals of centuries past: a series of family feuds, secret marriages, illicit relationships and even murder.

Unsurprisingly, many of these historical scandals took place within the refined rooms of royal residences. One such place is Kensington Palace in West London. The birthplace of Queen Victoria, it’s perhaps best known today as the former home of Diana, Princess of Wales, but in 1710 the palace was the site of one of the most infamous break-ups in royal history.

The then monarch Queen Anne had an intense relationship with her childhood friend Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough. It’s unclear whether this.