The 90s saw the end of the Cold War and the start of the Brit Pop war, and the rise of the World Wide Web was perhaps second only to the rise of the Spice Girls.
But while the zeitgeist felt fresh and hopeful, the Royal Family endured one of their most difficult decades to date.
From the death of Princess Diana to the dissolution of three major marriages, let's revisit the defining royal moments of the 90s.
The most memorable royal moments of the 90s
The death of Princess Diana
On August 31, 1997, millions around the world were shattered by the shock announcement of Princess Diana's untimely death, aged 36.
Diana, along with Dodi Fayed, was involved in a fatal car crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris. Their car was being pursued by paparazzi when it crashed. Fayed and the driver, Henri Paul, were pronounced dead at the scene.
Diana was taken to a hospital, where she later died from her injuries.
A royal wedding to see out the decade
Most of the 1990s brought stress and strife to the royals, so, in the summer of 1999, it was nice to have something to celebrate - the wedding of Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones.
Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie were wed on June 19, 1999 at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.
Unlike other royal weddings, the couple opted for a smaller affair, attended mainly by family members. Sophie wore an ivory silk organza dress designed by Samantha Shaw, adorned with crystals and pearls, which matched the gorgeous black and white pearl jewellery set which Prince Edward designed for his bride.
Princess Diana’s funeral
After the tragic accident which claimed her life at just 36, the funeral of Princess Diana took place on September 6, 1997, at Westminster Abbey in London.
A ceremonial funeral and not a state funeral, Diana's funeral was modelled on Operation Tay Bridge, the codename given for the Queen Mother's planned funeral.
The late Princess's coffin was carried on a gun carriage, and the procession included her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, her former husband, King Charles, and her brother, Earl Spencer. For many, the sight of her young sons trailing the coffin was considered one of the most emotive and poignant images.
The funeral was watched by an estimated 2.5 billion people worldwide, and Sir Elton John's reworked tribute song, Candle in the Wind 1997, became one of the most popular songs of all time. It remains the second-best-selling single in history, second only to Bing Cosby's White Christmas.
The Queen bows her head, for the first time ever
Everyone must bow to the monarch - even family, as Meghan Markle famously found out and remarked upon in her and Harry's Netflix docu-series. It's one of those long-established traditions and set of protocols that the royals follow. And, part of this, is that the monarch also bows to no one. So it was seen as historic when Queen Elizabeth II bowed her head when the coffin of Princess Diana passed her during the ceremonial funeral in 1997.
The gesture was widely reported on and considered a sign of respect and grief from Her Majesty.
Princess Diana's bombshell Panorama interview
"There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded."
A sentence that shook the core of royal fans around the world, and was one of the shocking highlights of Princess Diana's 1995 Panorama interview with Martin Bashir.
Heralded as a watershed moment - an unprecedented insight into the personal lives of the royals, straight from their own mouth - Diana lifted the lid on the alleged infidelity between her and Charles, as well as revealing her battles with bulimia and self harm.
Princess Anne remarries - the first royal to do so since 1905
Princess Anne divorced her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, in 1992. Later that same year, she married Timothy Laurence.
It was considered something of a significant moment for the royals in terms of remarrying. At the time, the Church of England still had strict rules regarding the remarriage of divorced individuals so the pair held the ceremony at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral Castle, as the Church of Scotland had different rules.
Princess Anne was the first of Queen Elizabeth's children to remarry, and the first royal to remarry since Queen Victoria's granddaughter, Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, married the Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia in 1905 after divorcing the Grand Duke of Hesse and by the Rhine in 1901.
Prince Charles and Diana split up
By the time Charles and Diana officially announced their separation, it wasn't much of a surprise.
Prime Minister John Major actually had the task of revealing the news, reading a statement to the House of Commons in December 1992 that read, "It is announced from Buckingham Palace that, with regret, the Prince and Princess of Wales have decided to separate. Their Royal Highnesses have no plans to divorce and their constitutional positions are unaffected."
For years, Charles and Diana had endured scrutiny about their marriage, with rumoured infidelities on both sides, and unhappy public engagements.
Their split would play out in the press, with their divorce officially granted in 1996. Diana kept the title of Princess of Wales and kept residing in Kensington Palace, but lost the use of Her Royal Highness.
The Windsor Castle fire
While the royals had plenty of metaphorical fires to put out in the 90s, they also had to contend with a literal blaze that ripped through Windsor Castle.
The November 1992 fire raged for approximately 15 hours, damaging 115 rooms, including nine State Rooms and causing the roof of St George's Hall to collapse. The fire was caused by a faulty spotlight that ignited a curtain in Queen Victoria's Private Chapel.
The cost of the repairs totalled £36.5 million and took five years to complete.
The Queen meets a freed Nelson Mandela
After 27 years in prison, Nelson Mandela was freed in 1990 and negotiated with State President F. W. de Klerk the end of apartheid in South Africa.
Mandela then served as the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999 and Queen Elizabeth II was one of the first world leaders he met with.
In 1996, in an official state visit, President Mandela was invited to Buckingham Palace. President Mandela referred to Her Majesty as a "gracious lady" and the Queen, without a prepared speech, praised "this wonderful man."
Charles and Camilla’s phone call leaks
After years of rumours about their relationship, it was seemingly confirmed that Charles and Camilla had indeed struck up a passionate relationship when a six-minute telephone call between the pair was released by The Sunday Mirror in January 1993.
While the leak released in 1993, the conversation recorded took place in 1989, when Charles and Diana were still together.
The publication of the tape and its repercussions were featured in season five of Netflix's The Crown.
The ‘Revenge’ Dress introduced a new Diana
The dress seen and heard around the world.
On June 29, 1994, Princess Diana stepped out for a gala at the Serpentine Gallery in London's Hyde Park wearing a fitted, off-the-shoulder dress with a short, asymmetrical hemline.
It was a bold dress and one which showed more flesh than people were accustomed to from a royal. And that might have been the point. Separated from Charles, Diana wore the revealing number the same night a TV interview aired in which the future King confirmed rumours of extramarital affairs. In the interview, he revealed he had remained faithful "until it became irretrievably broken down."
Diana's message in return would eclipse this, and the Revenge Dress is up there as one of the most famous fashion moments of all time.
Royal popularity hits an all-time low
After the divorce, infidelity rumours and, finally, the death of Princess Diana, royal popularity was at a historic low. In a 1997 poll, just 19% supported how the monarchy had handled the divorce and death of the Princess of Wales, compared to 79% in favour of Diana.
Their adherence to protocol also backfired. While they insisted on not releasing statements to the press, choosing to support Harry and William in Balmoral, the public saw this as a disservice to Diana. Alongside tributes to Diana at the royal residences, there were signs decrying the royals.
Queen Elizabeth II later won back favour after delivering a heartfelt tribute, famously calling Diana "the people's princess."
The Queen sheds a tear in public
Remembered as one of the only times that Queen Elizabeth II shed a tear in public, the decommissioning of the Royal Yacht Britannia in December 1997 was an important moment in royal history.
Used by the family between 1953 and 1997, the Queen had a connection to the ship, once saying, "Britannia is the one place where I can truly relax."
The Britannia cost about £11 million to run each year, Reuters reported, and, in 1997, the British Parliament—led by the left-wing Labour Party—decided to decommission it.
Before ‘Spare’ there was ‘Diana: Her True Story’
Decades before Prince Harry shook the royals to their core with his tell-all memoir, Spare, his mother involved herself with the creation of one of the first official accounts behind the scenes of royal life.
Written by Andrew Morton, the 1992 book revealed shocking insight into Diana's time with the royals, including an attempted suicide. Later editions of the book, including Diana: Her True Story in Her Own Words included transcripts of recordings Diana made, confirming her direct involvement with Morton and the book.
Buckingham Palace opens to the public for the first time
After the fire at Windsor Castle, it was decided that the taxpayers shouldn't solely fund the reparations. So, in a historic moment, it was decided that Buckingham Palace would be opened to the public for the first time ever, starting in the summer of 1993.
Guests could buy tickets to tour the palace during the summer months when the monarch was not in residence, and this remains the case to this day.
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson split
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, like Diana and Charles, were married in the 1980s. The couple were wed in 1986. And, also like Diana and Charles, the marriage ended in the 90s.
After announcing their split in 1992, the divorce was finalised in 1996. However, the Duke and Duchess of York remain great friends, and even continue living together at the Royal Lodge in Windsor.
Prince William’s first official engagement
As the eldest son of King Charles, who was then the Prince of Wales, Prince William was always destined to inherit the title, thus making a strong connection to the country. Which explains why Prince William's first ever official royal engagement took place on Saint David's Day in 1991, when the youngster was just eight years old.
Joined by his mother, William visited the Llandaff Cathedral and St David's Hall in Cardiff, with a daffodil, the country's flower, in his lapel.
The Queen and Philip visit a new South Africa
Throughout her historic 70 year reign, Queen Elizabeth II saw plenty of change around the world. And in 1995, along with Prince Philip, Her Majesty visited South Africa, fresh from the end of Apartheid and the introduction of Nelson Mandela as their first President.
All aboard with the Clintons
In 1994, President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary became the 10th president who Queen Elizabeth met during her reign. (She'd go on to meet 13 out of 14 in total, missing out on a meeting with Lyndon B Johnson).
The President and First Lady joined Her Majesty aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia, spending one night there before heading to Normandy for the D-Day anniversary celebrations aboard the USS George Washington.
The Ruby Jubilee
In 1992, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated 40 years on the throne.
She'd, of course, go on to make history and celebrate a Platinum Jubilee in 2022, the first monarch to ever reach that milestone. But the Ruby Jubilee was still special - only 10 other monarchs had reached a similar milestone, which is even more impressive if you consider England has had a monarch stretching all the way back to the year 925 with Athelstan.
Princess Eugenie is born
On March 23, 1990, the first (and only!) royal baby born in the 90s was welcomed to the world. Princess Eugenie, the youngest daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, was born at the Portland Hospital in London.
Her full birth name was Eugenie Victoria Helena Windsor.
Tragedy forces the royals to break protocol
After the death of Princess Diana in 1997, the royals did something that they aren't typically predisposed to do - break with their long-held traditions and protocols.
Traditionally, the Union Flag is not flown at half-mast unless the monarch is in mourning for a member of the immediate royal family.
As Diana was not a member of the royal family at the time of her death, they did not fly the flag. Public backlash was immense, and eventually, the flag was lowered to half-mast.
William joins Eton
In 1995, Prince William introduced a major first for the royals - he became the first member of the Royal Family to attend Eton College.
The Berkshire based private boarding school has been host to plenty of politicians and public figures, but, before William, royals were typically sent to Gordonstoun School in Moray, Scotland. It's thought that Diana's connection to the college - with her brother and father being alumni - and it being closer for her to visit helped inspire the decision.
Sarah Ferguson makes the headlines
Soon after her separation from Prince Andrew was announced in 1992, Sarah Ferguson found herself in the headlines for a different reason.
The Duchess of York had photos published of her on holiday with American financier John Bryan. The images, which included the now notorious 'toe-sucking' photos, were released when Sarah was in Balmoral with the Royal Family.
Talk about awkward.
The Duchess would go on to recover from the scandal, reclaiming her voice and channelling it to become an author.
King Charles launched his own brand
Think Meghan Markle is the only royal with her own lifestyle brand? Think again! Decades before the Duchess of Sussex launched her As Ever brand, the then Prince Charles launched his own organic food brand, Duchy Originals, in 1990.
Named after the Duchy of Cornwall (a private estate, established in 1337, that provides income to the heir to the British throne), the brand started out with biscuits made from wheat and oats grown at Highgrove, and has expanded to include over 200 products today, including jams and gin.
‘Willsmania’ sweeps teens across the globe
In the last few years of the decade, Prince William experienced something that was compared to the madness of Beatlemania, and it was dubbed Willsmania in the press.
It started in 1998, when William started being seen more in public again a year after his mother's death. When he went on a skiing trip with his father and brother, the sixteen-year-old royal found himself the crush of teenagers around the world.
Princess Diana attends the Met Gala
The Met Gala has evolved into one of the most iconic fashion events of the year, and back in 1997, Princess Diana attended for the first and only time.
The evening marked the opening of an exhibition dedicated to the life and career of Christian Dior. For the event, Princess Diana wore a gown from the debut collection of fashion legend John Galliano, who was appointed Creative Director of the brand, opting for a slinky, bias-cut slip dress inspired by a lace-embellished nightgown paired with her sapphire and pearl choker.
It cemented Diana's position as a global star, following her 1996 divorce from Charles.
The Queen Mother celebrates her 90th birthday
On August 4, 1990, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother celebrated her 90th birthday.
The happy occasion was commemorated with plenty of celebrations including a televised gala performance at the London Palladium.
The royals embraced girl power
Proving that they were adapting to the modern times, the royals started to do more fun and relaxed public engagements in the 1990s. And one of the most memorable moments saw the then Prince Charles immune to the all-conquering Girl Power of the Spice Girls.
At a performance for the Prince’s Trust Charity in 1997, Charles famously met with Ginger, Posh, Sporty, Scary and Baby - and they did not observe royal protocol one bit.
Scary and Ginger, aka Mel B and Geri Halliwell Horner, breached royal protocol with two big smooches planted on the future King's cheeks. And then, famously, Geri went a step further and gave him a pat on the bottom.
Hey, it was the 90s.
The Queen starts paying tax
With royal finances under fire—pun not intended—following the Windsor Castle fire of 1992, Queen Elizabeth II made a remarkable gesture in 1993.
Facing questions on why taxpayers should cover the cost of the reparations, Queen Elizabeth voluntarily chose to become the first monarch to pay income tax and capital gains tax on her personal income.
The Annus Horribilis speech
In 1992 - following the Windsor Castle fire and the dissolution of three of her children's marriages - Queen Elizabeth II gave a landmark speech (and taught many people a new phrase in Latin) when she declared it her Annus Horribilis.
Latin for 'horrible year', the Queen did not sugar-coat her feelings during a speech at Guildhall to mark the 40th anniversary of her Accession to the throne.
The royals see out 1999 with unity
The 90s were a decade of profound loss and change for the Royal Family, so we can only imagine they were happy to see out the decade. And they did so with style, capturing the significance of the new millennium.
In London, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip joined crowds of more than 60,000 for a BBC Songs of Praise broadcast from the Millennium Stadium. This coincided with a simultaneous celebration across the United Kingdom.
Princess Anne attended a similar service at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh and Prince Andrew went to Northern Ireland's service at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.
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