For better or for worse, the royal family has always been plagued by mass media attention. While it comes with the job, they have been victims to malicious rumors and conspiracy theories for centuries.

Even though their lives may not be as picture perfect as the public thinks, the members of the British monarchy aren't as mysterious as conspiracy theorists believe.

From the allegations of the royal family being behind Princess Diana's death to the belief of them having several secret children, these rumors never seem to die out.

While some theories may have you second guess the validity of these claims, others will have you shaking your head laughing.

Curious to see what kinds of things people genuinely believe about the royals? Here are 10 of the most popular conspiracy theories out there.

1. The royals are lizard people

Let's start with one of the craziest conspiracy theories out there. Former BBC sports reporter David Icke revealed he believes the members of the British monarchy are lizard people.

The truly bizarre theory stems from Icke's belief that each member has become a part of the Illuminati, due to the fact one of their ancestors mated with a reptilian alien. He claims Princess Diana's former confidant, Christine Fitzgerald, told him that the royals never die, but instead "metamorphosed" by regenerating their skin - similar to what a lizard does when they need to regrow their cut-off tail.

He is the author of several books on the subject matter, which all claim "humanity is actually under the control of dinosaur-like alien reptiles who must consume human blood to maintain their human appearance."

2. Princess Margaret has a love child

Princess Margaret, otherwise known as the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II, is rumored to have given birth to a secret love child after having an affair with Group Captain Peter Townsend. A man named Richard Brown claims to be Margaret and the divorcee's biological son and spent £100,000 ($135,000 US) trying to prove it.

Born in 1955, Brown said he was born in Nairobi, Kenya, and was even visited by Margaret herself in his early childhood. In 2015 he appealed to the High Court to see Margaret's will, believing it would verify his claims.  

However, when Brown did see it, it didn't reveal the supposed adoption like he had hoped for.

3. Wallis Simpson was a man

When Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII got together they faced massive scrutiny from the public, and was often the subject of cruel gossip. At one point it was rumored Simpson was actually a man due to her square jaw, flat chest, and lanky frame.

It was later believed Simpson was actually intersex - a condition where a person has characteristics of both a man and a woman. She allegedly told a close confidant she had never been intimate with her former husbands, and refused to be touched below the belt.

4. And so was Queen Elizabeth I

Another royal who was rumored to be a man, conspiracy theorists believe Queen Elizabeth I was born female, but later replaced by a young boy.  

During the 16th century, King Henry VIII moved Elizabeth to a remote village to avoid the plague, but she supposedly passed away anyway. In fear of telling Henry of his daughter's death, Elizabeth's governess allegedly frantically searched for a lookalike, but only found a farm boy, named Neville, who shared any resemblance.

The king apparently believed the ruse, and his "daughter" eventually got to sit on the throne. This explains why Elizabeth never wed and was nicknamed the Virgin Queen.

5. Kate Middleton used a surrogate

Despite Kate Middleton showing off her baby bump throughout her pregnancy with Princess Charlotte, many people claim the young girl was actually born to a surrogate.

While there's no evidence the Duchess of Cambridge didn't give birth herself, fans believe she looked too good when she emerged from the hospital with Prince William and her newborn in tow. Some conspiracy theorists even say Kate wore a fake baby bump during the last few months of her "pregnancy."

6. Princess Diana and Prince Charles had a secret daughter

Before Princess Diana was set to marry Prince Charles, she had to make a trip to the gynecologist to make sure she could produce an heir. During the examination it was believed the doctor took some of her eggs and Charles's sperm to impregnate his wife with the embryo via in vitro fertilization.

Their "daughter" Sarah was born before the couple's 1981 wedding, and was kept quiet by the royal family.

While there are uncanny similarities between Diana and Sarah, it's believed pictures of Sarah had been computer-generated to show a resemblance. It's also alleged this conspiracy theory is based on the fictional novel, The Disappearance of Olivia, where Diana actually gave birth to a secret daughter.

7. Jack the Ripper was a royal

While the identity of the 19th century serial killer, Jack the Ripper, has never been discovered, many people believe he was in fact a British royal.

Queen Victoria's grandson Prince Eddy was an unpopular man who was known for his wild antics and promiscuity. So when Jack the Ripper began terrorizing London, many believed it was the prince in disguise - even though records showed he wasn't even in the city at the time of three of the attacks.

The rumors were heightened in the 1970s when Dr. Thomas Stowell found evidence Eddy had suffered from syphilis. This created the conspiracy theory that the prince used his illness as a motive to murder the five women for revenge.

8. Prince Harry is only marrying Meghan Markle for political reasons

With Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's upcoming nuptials only days away, some people are speculating their union is only for political reasons.

It has been claimed this is all part of a royal plot to have England take back control of the United States. Since their offspring will be both American and British citizens, it could be possible that one of their kids could grow up to be both the head of the royal family and U.S. president.

9. Harry isn't Charles's son

One of the most popular rumors out there is that Harry isn't really Charles's son. It has been speculated that the prince is actually the product of Diana's affair with James Hewitt, especially since they both have bright red hair.

Despite the fact that Diana and Hewitt only began their affair two years after Harry's birth, people still believe Harry doesn't actually have royal blood in him.

Even Hewitt made a few of public statements denying their potential father-son status.

"There really is no possibility whatsoever that I am Harry's father. I can absolutely assure you that I am not. Admittedly the red hair is similar to mine and people say we look alike," Hewitt told the Sunday Mirror.

"I have never encouraged these comparisons and although I was with Diana for a long time I must state once and for all that I'm not Harry's father. When I met Diana, he was already a toddler," he added.

To further refute these claims, it's been revealed several members of Diana's family have red hair.

10. Elizabeth and Charles are both vampires

While some people believe the royals are lizard people, others are under the impression Elizabeth and Charles are actually vampires instead. This is because one of their ancestors is thought to be none other than Vlad the Impaler, who was rumored to be a vampire himself.

In their defense, no one has ever seen them suck blood before.

Want to know more juicy gossip on the royal family? Check out these scandalous stories down below:

• The Secret Lives Of The Royal Family Are Full Of Extra-Marital Affairs
• Queen Elizabeth II Fires Royal Bra-Fitter Following Release Of Tell-All Memoir
• 21 Rules For The Royal Family That Not Even The Queen Can Break

[H/T: Daily Mirror, New Idea,  Reader's Digest]