Annus horribilis

Last updated

Annus horribilis (pl. anni horribiles) is a Latin phrase that means "horrible year". It is complementary to annus mirabilis , which means "wonderful year".

Contents

Origin of phrase

The phrase "annus horribilis" was used in 1891 in an Anglican publication to describe 1870, the year in which the dogma of papal infallibility was defined in the Catholic Church. [1]

Elizabeth II

1992

The expression was brought to prominence by Queen Elizabeth II. In a speech at Guildhall on 24 November 1992, marking her Ruby Jubilee on the throne, she said: [2]

1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an annus horribilis.

The "sympathetic correspondent" was later revealed to be her former assistant private secretary, Sir Edward Ford. [3] The unpleasant events which happened to the royal family in this year include: [4]

After her speech had been recorded, one more notable event transpired: the separation of Charles and Diana (9 December).

2019

2019 was described by some commentators as a second annus horribilis for the British royal family. In January that year, 97-year-old Prince Philip crashed his car into another carrying two women and a baby, and subsequently surrendered his driving licence. Later on in August, the Queen was involved in a constitutional crisis when Prime Minister Boris Johnson advised her to prorogue Parliament, a recommendation which was later ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. Prince Andrew gave a universally-criticised BBC Newsnight interview about his relationship with convicted child-sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, [5] and there was increased tabloid scrutiny regarding rifts between the Cambridge and Sussex households. [5]

Other uses

Boris Yeltsin

Time magazine described 1998 in Russian politics as an annus horribilis because of Boris Yeltsin's isolationist and militarist policies, the East Asian financial crisis, and Western countries cutting off the reform money that they gave to the Russian government in prior years. [6]

Ben Affleck

Hollywood actor and filmmaker Ben Affleck once described that the year 2003 was his annus horribilis. [7] Affleck starred in the films Daredevil and Gigli , both of which received negative reviews from critics. Gigli bombed in the box office and drew particular ire from Hollywood critics and moviegoers, which culminated in six wins at the 24th Golden Raspberry Awards. In addition, Affleck and his fiancée and later second wife, Jennifer Lopez, were mocked and criticised by the public for their seemingly accommodating attitudes to and henceforth over-exposure in the tabloid media.[ citation needed ]

Kofi Annan

Kofi Annan, the United Nations Secretary-General, used the phrase in his year-end press conference on 21 December 2004. He reflected: "There's no doubt that this has been a particularly difficult year, and I am relieved that this annus horribilis is coming to an end." [8] His remarks were widely interpreted as having alluded to persistent allegations of corruption in the UN's Iraq Oil-for-Food Program. [9] He also spoke of upheaval and violence in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Palestine, and Sudan; the ongoing process of UN internal reform; and "persistent...criticism against the UN" and himself personally. [8] [9] Annan's remarks came five days before the deadliest event of the year (and one of the deadliest natural disasters in history), the Indian Ocean tsunami on 26 December, when 227,898 people died.

Juan Carlos I

In 2007, the Spanish royal family, in particular King Juan Carlos I, faced a difficult year. Family tragedy and a series of controversies led Spanish newspapers to refer to the year as the king's annus horribilis. [10]

COVID-19 pandemic

The year 2020 was widely remarked as being an annus horribilis for the entire world in general, most notably due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which began in late 2019 and rapidly spread worldwide throughout 2020. [12] [13] [14] 2020 was also awarded a "Special Governors' Award for The Worst Calendar Year EVER!" at the 41st Golden Raspberry Awards. At the end of the year, Netflix released Death to 2020 , a mockumentary discussing the events of the year.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diana, Princess of Wales</span> Member of the British royal family (1961–1997)

Diana, Princess of Wales was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles III and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her activism and glamour, which made her an international icon, earned her enduring popularity.

The British royal family comprises King Charles III and his close relations. There is no strict legal or formal definition of who is or is not a member, although the Royal Household has issued different lists outlining who is a part of the royal family. Members often support the monarch in undertaking public engagements, and pursue charitable work and interests. Members of the royal family are regarded as British and world cultural icons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester</span> Member of the British royal family

Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester is a Danish-born member of the British royal family. She is married to Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, a grandson of King George V.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kensington Palace</span> Residence of the British royal family in London

Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It has been a residence of the British royal family since the 17th century, and is currently the official London residence of the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank and their two sons. Kensington Palace is sometimes used as a metonym for the offices of royals who officially reside there.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen Letizia of Spain</span> Queen of Spain since 2014

Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano is Queen of Spain as the wife of King Felipe VI.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British princess</span> Princess of the United Kingdom

The use of the title of Princess of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is entirely at the will of the sovereign, and is now expressed in letters patent. Individuals holding the title of princess will usually also be granted the style of Her Royal Highness (HRH). The current letters patent were issued in 1917 during the World War I, with one extension in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Ogilvy, 13th Earl of Airlie</span> Scottish banker and peer (1926–2023)

David George Coke Patrick Ogilvy, 13th Earl of Airlie, was a Scottish landowner, soldier, banker and peer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duchess of Cornwall</span> British royal family title

The Duchess of Cornwall is a title held by the wife of the apparent heir to the British throne. The Duchess of Cornwall is usually also the Princess of Wales, and she uses that title. The current title-holder is Catherine, whose husband, Prince William, became the Duke of Cornwall on 8 September 2022, upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Previously, Catherine's stepmother-in-law, Queen Camilla, was known by this title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catherine, Princess of Wales</span> Member of the British royal family (born 1982)

Catherine, Princess of Wales, is a member of the British royal family. She is married to William, Prince of Wales, heir apparent to the British throne.

The Spanish royal family constitutes the Spanish branch of the House of Bourbon, also known as the House of Bourbon-Anjou. The royal family is headed by King Felipe VI and currently consists of the King; Queen Letizia; their children, Leonor, Princess of Asturias, and Infanta Sofía; and Felipe's parents, King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía. The royal family lives at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid, although their official residence is the Royal Palace of Madrid. The membership of the royal family is defined by royal decree and consists of: the King of Spain, the monarch's spouse, the monarch's parents, his children, and the heir to the Spanish throne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Fellowes, Baron Fellowes</span> British courtier (1941–2024)

Robert Fellowes, Baron Fellowes,, was a British courtier who was private secretary to Queen Elizabeth II from 1990 to 1999. He was the brother-in-law of Diana, Princess of Wales, and a maternal first cousin of Ronald Ferguson, the father of Sarah, Duchess of York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leonor, Princess of Asturias</span> Heir to the Spanish throne (born 2005)

Leonor, Princess of Asturias is the heir presumptive to the Spanish throne. She is the elder daughter of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Ford (courtier)</span> British courtier (1910–2006)

Sir Edward William Spencer Ford was a courtier in the Royal Households of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II. He is perhaps best known for writing to Elizabeth II’s private secretary regarding the 40th year of her reign, having hoped that the Queen would experience an annus mirabilis but instead finding 1992 an annus horribilis. She used the phrase in a speech to describe a year in which one of her four children was divorced, two more formally separated from their spouses, and Windsor Castle caught fire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth II</span> Queen of the United Kingdom from 1952 to 2022

Elizabeth II was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She had been queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during her lifetime and was the monarch of 15 realms at her death. Her reign of 70 years and 214 days is the longest of any British monarch and the second-longest of any sovereign state.

The wedding of Prince Felipe and Letizia Ortiz was held on 22 May 2004 in the Almudena Cathedral at the Royal Palace of Madrid, Spain. At the time of the wedding, the groom was the heir to the Spanish throne. The bride was a journalist. The wedding was presided over by the archbishop of Madrid, Antonio María Rouco Varela, and was watched by 25 million people in Spain alone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruby Jubilee of Elizabeth II</span> 40th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II

The Ruby Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 1992 marked the 40th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. Contrary to her Silver Jubilee in 1977, it was not regarded as an "official" jubilee. However, the milestone was marked with a number of events and community projects.

<i>The Crown</i> season 5 Season of television series

The fifth season of The Crown, which follows the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II, was released by Netflix on 9 November 2022. It was the first season of the series to be released following both the death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh on 9 April 2021 and the death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022; filming took place between the former and the latter's death. The season was promoted with the tagline "A House Divided".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Nina of Greece and Denmark</span> Swiss businesswoman, socialite, and member of the Danish and Greek royal families

Princess Nina of Greece and Denmark is a Swiss businesswoman, heiress and socialite. She is a member of the non-reigning Greek royal family and a member of the extended Danish royal family as the wife of Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark, son of Constantine II of Greece and Anne-Marie of Denmark. Princess Nina is the founder and creative director of the Kisawa Sanctuary and the founder of the Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies, both located in Benguerra Island, Mozambique. She previously worked as the creative director of VistaJet, a luxury private airline company founded by her father Thomas Flohr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wedding of Prince Albert Edward and Princess Alexandra</span> 1863 British royal wedding

The wedding of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, and Princess Alexandra of Denmark took place on 10 March 1863 at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. It was the first royal wedding to take place at St. George's, and the last wedding of a Prince of Wales until Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer's 1981 wedding.

References

  1. ↑ "Möhler, Döllinger and Oxford Anglicanism". London Quarterly and Holborn Review. Vol. 75. E.C. Barton. 1891. p. 105.
  2. ↑ "Annus horribilis speech, 24 November 1992". The Official Website of the British Monarchy. Archived from the original on 2 March 2009.
  3. ↑ Corby, Tom (28 November 2006). "Obituary: Sir Edward Ford". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  4. ↑ How the royal family bounced back from its 'annus horribilis', The Guardian, 24 May 2012.
  5. 1 2 Murphy, Victoria (21 December 2019). "2019 Was a Car Crash of a Year for the British Royal Family". Town & Country.
  6. ↑ TIME Annual 1998: The Year in Review. New York: TIME Books. 1999. p. 58. ISBN   1-883013-61-5. ISSN   1097-5721.
  7. ↑ Harris, Mark. "Ben Affleck: No Apologies. No Regrets. No Bulls#*t. October 2012 Issue". Details. Archived from the original on 14 September 2012.
  8. 1 2 "New York, 21 December 2004 – Secretary-General's year-end press conference (unofficial transcript)". Off the Cuff. United Nations, Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General. Archived from the original on 4 February 2005. The Secretary-General Off the Cuff
  9. 1 2 "UN chief welcomes end of 'horrible' year". NineMSN. Associated Press. 22 December 2004. Archived from the original on 13 September 2005.
  10. ↑ El "annus horribilis" del Rey Juan Carlos . Archived 6 December 2012 at archive.today , La Nación, 15 November 2007.
  11. ↑ Barroso, F. Javier (8 February 2007). "Una muerte por ingestión de pastillas". El País (in Spanish). ISSN   1134-6582 . Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  12. ↑ Doebele, Justin (13 December 2020). "Editor's Sidelines, December 2020: Annus Horribilis". Forbes. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  13. ↑ "Annus horribilis: A look back at the top 12 stories of 2020". France 24. 30 December 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  14. ↑ Graham, Renée. "In defense of 2020, our annus horribilis - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  15. ↑ Kennedy, Hugh (2013). "The Reign of al-Muqtadir (295–320/908–32): A History". Crisis and Continuity at the Abbasid Court: Formal and Informal Politics in the Caliphate of al-Muqtadir (295-320/908-32). Leiden: Brill. pp. 13–47. ISBN   978-90-04-25271-4.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.