Madeleine Astor was the queen of New York’s high society when she boarded the Titanic with her new husband, John Jacob Astor IV. Tragically, the iceberg that sank the Titanic also sank her marriage.
Some people just weren't born to rule—and Henry VI was one of them. From his tragic childhood to his tumultuous reign and violent end, the feeble and weak-minded Henry managed to send England into a complete tailspin, starting one of the most brutal conflicts in the country's history. So where did it all go wrong? Why was Henry such a terrible king? Discover the dark history of England's most unfortunate monarch.
Seductress. Schemer. Poisoner. Such words (and worse) have often described Lucrezia Borgia, one of the scandalous children of Pope Alexander VI. Though Lucrezia is known as a Renaissance femme fatale, when we cut through the rumors and myths, the truth is much more complicated and somehow even more jaw-dropping than her already-spicy reputation.
Everyone loves a troubled genius, and no one was more troubled, or more brilliant, than Frederic Chopin. A child prodigy, Chopin wrote some of the most beautiful music the world has ever seen—but away from his piano, his life was cold and ugly. His delicate concertos make a haunting soundtrack as we dig into this complicated, controversial, miserable virtuoso.
Arthur, Prince of Wales was the Tudors' great golden hope. The elder brother of the notorious King Henry VIII, Arthur was supposed to lead his country into glory. Instead, fate dealt him one of the most infamous twists in history, changing the future forever. Here’s the tragic story of Arthur Tudor, the king who never was.
As the mother of “Mad King George,” Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha got a raw deal in life—but that doesn’t excuse her unspeakably cruel behavior.
Madame de Pompadour didn't just share King Louis XV's bed, she also shared his power. As the most commanding mistress in the French court, she bettered the lives of many and became a beloved figure in European history and pop culture. But what do we really know about this fascinating woman?
Prince Albert was the consort of Queen Victoria and one of the most famous royal husbands in history. Still, people tend to see him as an obedient, romantic figure next to his powerful, desperately in love wife—but nothing could be further from the truth.
Move over Catherine the Great, Anna of Russia is in town. This hard-living, bitter-hearted Tsarina may not be as well known as the so-called Great, but she has more debauched antics and cruel tricks than Catherine would know what to do with.
There have been some scandalous monarchs in history, rulers whose volatile lives might as well be written in blood inside the history books. Yet none of them come close to Mary, Queen of Scots. From her crowning as a mere newborn to her infamous, violent end, it’s a shame Mary’s tragic story is so little known—there was truly nothing else like it.
He's the most legendary warrior king in history. With his 300 brave Spartans behind him, King Leonidas stood against the mighty invading Xerxes and stopped him in his tracks. The story has been told and retold countless times, but how much of what we've heard is true? It turns out, there's a lot more to the ruthless Leonidas than what we saw on screen.
Maria Callas’s career was equal parts iconic and controversial—but it had nothing on her absolutely explosive life behind the scenes.
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