royalty

PEOPLE

There is maybe no figure in Medieval or Renaissance history that looms larger than Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor. Yet for all he ruled his kingdoms with an iron fist, his private life was an open wound, right up until his ignominious end.

PEOPLE

From his illicit romances to his disastrous marriages, Philippe I broke hearts and budgets his entire life, and he did it all the way to his sudden end.

PEOPLE

Maria Amalia lost her Aunt Marie Antoinette to the guillotine, then fell in love with the executioner’s son.

PEOPLE

Sophia of Hanover was truly the mother of modern England—so much so that her descendants still have claim to the British throne.

PEOPLE

From his father’s brutal demise to his mother’s cruel machinations, King Francis II's life was no gilded existence—and then there was his own tragic end.

PEOPLE

Tsar Nicholas II looked just like his cousin, George V of England—yet George still dealt him a ruthless betrayal.



Want to learn something new every day?

Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter.

Thank you!

Error, please try again.