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'''''Annus{{short horribilis''''' is a [[description|Latin]] phrase meaning "horrible year". It alludes to ''[[annus mirabilis]]'' meaning "year of wonders".}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}}
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'''{{lang|la|Annus horribilis}}''' (pl. '''''anni horribiles''''') is a [[Latin]] phrase that means "horrible year". It is complementary to {{lang|la|[[annus mirabilis]]}}, which means "wonderful year".
 
==Origin of phrase==
== Queen Elizabeth II ==
The phrase {{lang|la|"annus horribilis"}} was used in 1891 in an [[Anglicanism|Anglican]] publication to describe 1870, the year in which the [[Dogma in the Catholic Church|dogma]] of [[papal infallibility]] was defined in the [[Catholic Church]].<ref>{{cite book|title=London Quarterly and Holborn Review|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NpxJAQAAMAAJ|volume=75|year=1891|publisher=E.C. Barton|page=105|chapter=Möhler, Döllinger and Oxford Anglicanism}}</ref>
Although cited by the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' as being in use as early as 1985, [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]] brought the phrase to prominence, in a speech to the Guildhall on [[24 November]] [[1992]], marking the 40th anniversary of her Accession, in which she [http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Elizabeth_II_of_the_United_Kingdom#Sourced referred to] the closing year as an "annus horribilis".
 
== Queen Elizabeth II ==
:'''"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''."'''
===1992===
The expression was brought to prominence by [[Queen Elizabeth II]]. In a speech at [[Guildhall, London|Guildhall]] on 24 November 1992, marking her [[Ruby Jubilee of Elizabeth II|Ruby Jubilee]] on the throne, she said:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/ImagesandBroadcasts/Historic%20speeches%20and%20broadcasts/Annushorribilisspeech24November1992.aspx |title=Annus horribilis speech, 24 November 1992 |publisher=The Official Website of the British Monarchy |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090302093837/http://www.royal.gov.uk/ImagesandBroadcasts/Historic%20speeches%20and%20broadcasts/Annushorribilisspeech24November1992.aspx |archive-date=2 March 2009 }}</ref>
:'''"{{blockquote|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{{lang|la|annus Horribilis''horribilis}}."'''}}
 
The "sympathetic correspondent" was later revealed to be her former assistant private secretary [[Edward Ford (courtier)|Sir Edward Ford]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2006/nov/28/guardianobituaries.monarchy|title=Obituary: Sir Edward Ford|last=Corby|first=Tom|date=28 November 2006|website=The Guardian|language=en|access-date=11 September 2018}}</ref> The unpleasant events which happened to the [[Royal Family of the United Kingdom|royal family]] in this year include:<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/may/24/royal-family-bounced-back-annus-horribilis How the royal family bounced back from its 'annus horribilis'], ''The Guardian'', 24 May 2012.</ref>
She probably used the phrase in allusion to [[John Dryden]]'s poem "[[Annus Mirabilis (poem)|Annus Mirabilis]]" about the events of [[1666]] or in reference to a letter by her former Assistant Private Secretary [[Edward Ford]].
* publication of photographs pertaining to an affair between [[Sarah, Duchess of York]], and Texan oil millionaire Steve Wyatt (18 January);
* separation of the Queen's second son [[Prince Andrew, Duke of York]], from his wife Sarah (19 March);
* divorce of the Queen's daughter, [[Anne, Princess Royal]], from [[Captain Mark Phillips]] (23 April);
* publication of [[Diana, Princess of Wales]]' tell-all book ''[[Diana: Her True Story (book)|Diana: Her True Story]]'', revealing the problems in her marriage to the Queen's eldest son, [[Charles III|Charles, Prince of Wales]], particularly his affair with [[Camilla Parker Bowles]] (''The Sunday Times'', 7 June);
* publication of photographs of Sarah sunbathing topless with her friend John Bryan (20 August);
* [[Squidgygate|publication of taped, intimate phone conversations]] between Diana and James Gilbey (24 August); and
* [[1992 Windsor Castle fire|a fire in Windsor Castle]], one of the Queen's official residences (20 November).
 
After the Queen delivered her speech, one more notable event transpired: [[Diana, Princess of Wales#Problems and separation|the separation of Charles and Diana]] (9 December).
Her most immediate reference was to a fire in [[Windsor Castle]] just four days before, ([[20 November]] [[1992]]) but this occurred after the publicity of several negative events had damaged the reputation of the [[British Royal Family|Royal Family]]: In March of that year, it was announced that the Queen's second son, the [[Prince Andrew, Duke of York|Duke of York]], would separate from his wife [[Sarah Ferguson|Sarah]]. Later in the year, scandalous pictures of a topless Sarah being kissed by her friend, John Bryan, were published in the tabloids. In April, the Queen's daughter, the [[Anne, Princess Royal|Princess Royal]], divorced her husband [[Mark Phillips|Captain Mark Philips]]. Still another painful event occurred in November when one of the Queen's homes, [[Windsor Castle]], caught fire. The Castle was seriously damaged, and several priceless artifacts were lost. Originally, it was planned that the Government would pay the £40 million bill for repairs, but there was much public outcry against having the Government pay. Later, the Queen agreed to open up several royal residences to tourists, and used the funds raised thereby to pay for the repairs. Finally, in December, the Royal Family faced further difficulties when the separation of the [[Charles, Prince of Wales|Prince of Wales]] and his wife [[Diana, Princess of Wales|Diana]] was announced. The Queen's "sympathetic correspondent" was later revealed to be her former Assistant Private Secretary, [[Edward Ford|Sir Edward Ford]].
 
== Kofi Annan =2019===
2019 was described by some commentators as a second {{lang|la|annus horribilis}} for the [[British royal family]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Queen to Cite 'Bumpy' Year For Britain In Address|last=Magra|first=Iliana|newspaper=The New York Times|date=December 25, 2019|page=A8}}</ref> 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 [[2019 United Kingdom prorogation controversy|a constitutional crisis]] when [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] [[Boris Johnson]] [[Advice (constitutional law)|advised]] her to [[Prorogation in the United Kingdom|prorogue]] Parliament, a recommendation later ruled unlawful by the [[Supreme Court of the United Kingdom]]. Prince Andrew gave a [[Prince Andrew & the Epstein Scandal|universally-criticised BBC ''Newsnight'' interview]] about his relationship with convicted child-sex offender [[Jeffrey Epstein]],<ref name="Murphy">{{cite news |last1=Murphy |first1=Victoria |title=2019 Was a Car Crash of a Year for the British Royal Family |url=https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a30285260/british-royal-family-2019-review/ |work=Town & Country |date=21 December 2019}}</ref> and there was increased [[Tabloid journalism|tabloid]] scrutiny of rifts between the [[Duke of Cambridge|Cambridge]] and [[Duke of Sussex|Sussex]] households.<ref name="Murphy" />
[[Kofi Annan]] used the phrase in his speech on [[21 December]] [[2004]].[http://www.un.org/apps/sg/offthecuff.asp?nid=655] "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", he said. His remarks were widely interpreted (see for instance [http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=23293] from the Associated Press) to have been regarding allegations of corruption in the UN's Iraq Oil-for-Food programme.
 
==Other uses==
In a sad twist of irony, it was during the remaining ten days of 2004 when the year truly did become an ''annus horribilis''; the [[Indian Ocean tsunami]] struck on [[December 26]], killing over 300,000 people, and displacing the homes and lives of many more.
=== Boris Yeltsin (1998) ===
[[Time (magazine)|''Time'' magazine]] described 1998 in [[Politics of Russia|Russian politics]] as an ''annus horribilis'' because of [[Boris Yeltsin]]'s [[Isolationism|isolationist]] and militarist policies, the [[1997 Asian financial crisis|East Asian financial crisis]], and Western countries cutting off the reform money that they gave to the Russian government in prior years.<ref>{{Cite book |title=TIME Annual 1998: The Year in Review |publisher=TIME Books |year=1999 |isbn=1-883013-61-5 |___location=New York |pages=58 |issn=1097-5721}}</ref>
 
=== Ben Affleck (2003) ===
Hollywood actor and filmmaker [[Ben Affleck]] once described that 2003 was his ''annus horribilis''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Harris|first=Mark|url=https://www.details.com/celebrities-entertainment/cover-stars/201210/ben-affleck-actor-cover |title=Ben Affleck: No Apologies. No Regrets. No Bulls#*t. October 2012 Issue|publisher=Details |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120914184440/https://www.details.com/celebrities-entertainment/cover-stars/201210/ben-affleck-actor-cover |archive-date=2012-09-14}}</ref> Affleck starred in the films ''[[Daredevil (film)|Daredevil]]'' and ''[[Gigli]]'', both of which received negative reviews from critics. ''Gigli'' was being a [[box-office bomb]] and drew particular ire from Hollywood critics and moviegoers, which culminated in six wins at the [[24th Golden Raspberry Awards]] ceremony. In addition, Affleck with 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|date=April 2023}}
 
=== Kofi Annan (2004) ===
[[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 {{lang|la|annus horribilis}} is coming to an end."<ref name=OffTheCuff>{{cite web | url = https://www.un.org/apps/sg/offthecuff.asp?nid=655 | title = New York, 21 December 2004 – Secretary-General's year-end press conference (unofficial transcript) | work = Off the Cuff | publisher = United Nations, Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20050204001905/http://www.un.org/apps/sg/offthecuff.asp?nid=655 | archive-date=4 February 2005 }} The Secretary-General Off the Cuff</ref> His remarks were widely interpreted as having alluded to persistent allegations of corruption in the UN's Iraq [[Oil-for-Food Program]].<ref name=NineMSN>{{cite news |url=http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=23293 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050913182910/http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=23293 |archive-date=13 September 2005 |title=UN chief welcomes end of 'horrible' year |agency=Associated Press |publisher=NineMSN |date=22 December 2004}}</ref> He also spoke of upheaval and violence in [[War in Afghanistan (2001-2021)|Afghanistan]], the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]], [[Iraq War|Iraq]], [[2004 in the Palestinian territories|Palestine]], and [[War in Darfur|Sudan]]; the ongoing process of UN internal reform; and "persistent...[[Criticism of the United Nations|criticism against the UN]]" and himself personally.<ref name=OffTheCuff /><ref name=NineMSN /> Annan's remarks came five days before the deadliest event of the year (and one of the [[List of natural disasters by death toll|deadliest natural disasters]] in history): the [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami|Indian Ocean tsunami]] on 26 December, which killed 227,898 people.
 
=== Juan Carlos I (2007) ===
In 2007, the [[Spanish royal family]], in particular [[Juan Carlos I of Spain|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 {{lang|la|annus horribilis}}.<ref name="La Nación">''[http://www.lanacion.cl/prontus_noticias_v2/site/artic/20071115/pags/20071115203346.html El "annus horribilis" del Rey Juan Carlos]''. {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20121206025748/http://www.lanacion.cl/prontus_noticias_v2/site/artic/20071115/pags/20071115203346.html |date=6 December 2012 }}, [[La Nación]], 15 November 2007.</ref>
* In February, Érika Ortiz Rocasolano, the youngest sister of [[Queen Letizia of Spain|Letizia]], then [[Prince of Asturias|Princess of Asturias]], died of a sedative overdose in her apartment.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Barroso|first=F. Javier|date=8 February 2007|title=Una muerte por ingestión de pastillas|language=es|work=El País|url=https://elpais.com/diario/2007/02/09/espana/1170975631_850215.html|access-date=2021-12-11|issn=1134-6582}}</ref>
* In July, a humour magazine, {{lang|es|[[El Jueves]]}}, published a drawing on the cover depicting [[Felipe VI]] (then Prince of Asturias), and the aforementioned Princess Letizia having sex, with a caption reading: "Just imagine if you end up pregnant. This will be the closest thing to work I've ever done in my life." It satirized a proposal by the government to give 2,500 euros to the parents of newborn children. The magazine was banned and removed from distribution, which led to a censorship controversy.
* In September, [[Catalonia|Catalan]] separatists were tried for having burned photographs of King Juan Carlos and [[Queen Sofía of Spain|Queen Sofía]] at an [[Republicanism in Spain|anti-monarchy]] and [[Catalan independence movement|Catalan separatist]] rally in [[Girona]] while the royal couple toured the city.
* In early November at the XVII [[Ibero-American Summit]], after a verbal altercation between [[Hugo Chávez]], [[President of Venezuela]], and [[José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero]], [[Prime Minister of Spain]], the king admonished Chávez, {{lang|es|"[[¿Por qué no te callas?]]"}} ("Why don't you shut up?").
* Shortly after the summit, the royal house announced the separation of the king's daughter, the [[Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo|Duchess of Lugo]], and her husband, [[Jaime de Marichalar]]. The couple has two children, [[Felipe Juan Froilán de Marichalar y Borbón|Felipe]] and [[Victoria de Marichalar y Borbón|Victoria]].
 
=== COVID-19 pandemic (2020) ===
The year 2020 was widely remarked as being an {{lang|la|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.<ref>{{cite web|last=Doebele|first=Justin|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jdoebele/2020/12/13/editors-sidelines-december-2020-annus-horribilis/|title=Editor's Sidelines, December 2020: Annus Horribilis|work=Forbes|date=13 December 2020|access-date=16 March 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=30 December 2020 |title=Annus horribilis: A look back at the top 12 stories of 2020 |url=https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20201230-annus-horribilis-a-look-back-at-the-top-12-stories-of-2020 |access-date=2022-09-13 |website=France 24 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Graham |first=Renée |title=In defense of 2020, our annus horribilis |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/12/22/opinion/defense-2020-our-annus-horribilis/ |access-date=2022-09-13 |website=The Boston Globe |language=en-US}}</ref> 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.
 
=== Iran (2024) ===
Journalist [[David Leonhardt]] of the ''[[The New York Times|New York Times]]'' described 2024 as an ''annus horribilis'' for the [[Government of Iran|Iranian government]], citing the failed outcome of the [[April 2024 Iranian strikes against Israel|strikes against Israel]] in April, the [[2024 Varzaqan helicopter crash|death]] of [[President of Iran|President]] [[Ebrahim Raisi]] in May, the death of the core leadership of the Iranian-backed [[Hamas]] and [[Hezbollah]] during their respective wars against Israel (including the [[Assassination of Ismail Haniyeh|assassination of Hamas's Ismail Haniyeh]] in [[Tehran]] on July), the [[2024 United States presidential election|reelection]] of [[Donald Trump]] in November, and the [[Fall of the Assad regime|collapse of the Assad regime]] in [[Ba'athist Syria]] in December.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Leonhardt |first=David |date=December 9, 2024 |title=Iran's Very Bad Year. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/09/briefing/irans-very-bad-year.html |access-date=January 5, 2025 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>
 
==See also==
* [[List of Latin phrases]]
* ''[[Rampjaar]]'', the Dutch "disaster year" of 1672
* The [[Islamic year]] 311 [[Hijri year|AH]] (923/924 CE) was known as the "Year of Destruction" ({{Transliteration|ar|sanat al-damār}}) due to the [[Qarmatians]]' [[sack of Basra (923)|Sack of Basra]] and the [[924 Hajj caravan raid|attack on the Hajj caravan]].<ref>{{cite book | last = Kennedy | first = Hugh | author-link = Hugh N. Kennedy | chapter = The Reign of al-Muqtadir (295–320/908–32): A History | pages = 13–47 | title = Crisis and Continuity at the Abbasid Court: Formal and Informal Politics in the Caliphate of al-Muqtadir (295-320/908-32) | ___location = Leiden | publisher = Brill | year = 2013 | isbn = 978-90-04-25271-4 | chapter-url = {{Google Books|cUodAAAAQBAJ|page=13|plainurl=y}}}}</ref>
 
==References==
[[Category:Latin phrases]]
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:British monarchy]]
[[Category:1992 in the United Kingdom]]
 
==External linklinks==
[[de:Annus horribilis]]
[[fr:Annus{{wiktionary|annus horribilis]]}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090302093837/http://www.royal.gov.uk/outputImagesandBroadcasts/Historic%20speeches%20and%20broadcasts/Page4104Annushorribilisspeech24November1992.aspaspx Royal.gov.uk - Transcript of The Queen's speech at Guildhall 24 November 1992]
[[no:Annus horribilis]]
* [https://archive.org/details/annushorribilis30000jord/page/n7/mode/2up ''Annus Horribilis: 365 Tales of Comic Misfortune''] {{Registration required}}: book by [[Sam Jordison]]
 
{{Jubilees of British monarchs}}
==External link==
{{Elizabeth II}}
*[http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page4104.asp Royal.gov.uk - Transcript of The Queen's speech at Guildhall 24 November 1992]
{{Authority control}}
 
[[Category:Latin words and phrases]]
[[Category:1992 in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:British2007 monarchyin Spain]]
[[Category:Ruby Jubilee of Elizabeth II]]
[[Category:Monarchy of Spain]]