Prince William of Gloucester was the world's favorite royal. The tall, handsome, and daring prince seemed more like a movie star than a royal. Sadly, that only made his tragic end in front of 30,000 horrified onlookers all the more devastating. So, who really was the other Prince William? From his reckless streak to his doomed love story, let's find out.
We have a very specific image of an 18th-century noblewoman: Elegant, dressed in the most decadent of dresses, and…white. Yet although Dido Elizabeth Belle had the bearing, breeding, and money of the finest ladies of her day, she was also a mixed race woman. Her very existence flew in the face of her culture’s prejudices, but Belle didn’t mind that one bit. In fact, this feisty aristocrat had one dramatic life.
Nearly 1,000 years of French Monarchy all led to Louis XVI. There were a lot of terrible kings in that time. Ruthless schemers, deranged madmen, and extravagant hedonists. Yet it was Louis XVI who paid for their crimes. So where did it all go wrong? How did Louis end up with his head lying at the base of a guillotine? Dive into this doomed monarch's dark history and find out for yourself.
The first thing most people notice about Ana de Mendoza is her eye patch—an odd accessory, especially for Spanish nobility in the 1500s. However, a deeper look into her life reveals that her signature eye patch is among the least remarkable of her eccentric, and at times, dangerously rebellious traits.
Any king who starts out as Charles the Beloved and ends up as Charles the Mad had something go seriously wrong along the way. Charles VI inherited one of the most powerful kingdoms in Europe—but as his mind grew more and more unhinged, his reign grew darker and darker, until he very nearly wiped France off the map. So what happened to King Charles VI of France? Let's find out.
When people hear the name Wolfgang Mozart, they probably think about Symphony No. 40 in G Minor—or at least a man in a powdered wig effortlessly conjuring magic at the piano. But what rarely comes to mind? His wife, Constanze Mozart. And yet, to overlook Constanze is to ignore a life just as fascinating, and perhaps even more daring, than that of her legendary husband.
Mansa Musa was the ruler of the Mali Empire in the early 14th century—and he was no backwater baron. Thanks to salt, gold, and copper, he had untold, incalculable, immeasurable wealth. Some historians even say that he was the richest man in history. But you know what they say: more money, more juicy gossip.
Joseph P Kennedy Jr was the golden boy of the influential Kennedy dynasty, destined to stamp his family name on the highest echelon of world power. However, a friendly rivalry with the brother, who eventually realized his dream, led to a tragically abrupt ending for the ambitious wunderkind.
Edward IV was the closest thing to a medieval superhero. Tall, blonde, and handsome, he was a fierce warrior who took England's throne for himself...twice. He died as the King of England—but this is no success story. His greed, arrogance, and lack of foresight saw everything he ever accomplished collapse almost the moment he gave his last breath.
Throughout history, physical beauty has been a coveted ideal for women across cultures and eras. But for Yang Guifei—hailed as one of Ancient China’s greatest beauties—her breathtaking allure ultimately became her greatest curse, entwining her fate with the downfall of an entire dynasty.
Alice Roosevelt was one supremely naughty girl—especially for the daughter of a President. One of the most beautiful women and most raucous socialites of her time, Alice lit up newspapers around the world with her antics, driving her father Theodore Roosevelt wild. Only, it wasn’t all harmless fun. Behind the doors of her stately homes, Alice hid dark secrets that only saw the full light of day after her end.
Seductive. Cunning. Dangerous. Isabeau of Bavaria was a powerful queen in an age of obedient women, and she allowed no man—not even her own unhinged husband—to control her. From her tragedies to her courtly schemes, there was often little difference between Isabeau’s life and an episode of Game of Thrones. A really bloody one.
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