Marie Louise d'Orléans was the petite-fille de France who went on to become the Queen consort of Spain. But, without producing an heir, her new Spanish home was far from welcoming. She downed her sorrows in sweets—then fell fatally and curiously ill, just like her mother.
The story of Diana Mitford is so explosive, it should come with a warning label. Born into glittering British aristocracy, she had looks, money, love, and fame at her fingertips, yet she dove headfirst into scandal at every turn. Not only was she the most beautiful of her headline-grabbing sisters, AKA “The Six,” a 1930s version of the Kardashians, but she was also the most notorious—and for good reason.
Urged to become the new mistress of Tsar Alexander II, Catherine Dolgorukova got a lot more than she signed up for when they ultimately tied the knot, especially considering their significant age gap. Although she was completely devoted to him, every day that she spent with his family was a nightmare, and they never stopped harassing her—even long after she had cut ties with them.
Duchess Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp had no chance of rising to power herself. Instead, she schemed to become the mother of a great emperor.
History is full of treatments that sounded miraculous at first. But once people saw the consequences, many of these “cures” became cautionary tales.
Ernest Hemingway and his notorious reputation loom large over the 20th century...but to be honest, most people don’t even know the half of it. This hard-drinking, fast-living, bad-loving writer had a life most people only get nightmares about, and it all led up to his infamously tragic end. Get out your tumblers and highball glasses, because you’re going to need them for this one.
Easily one of the most fascinating individuals in recent history, Steve Jobs not only revolutionized the tech industry but also challenged the stereotypical view of the modern businessman. With a demeanor somewhere between a hippie and a professor, he brought the Apple Computer Company from humble beginnings to the titan it is today—even if he burned a few bridges along the way.
Leaving behind her own royal family and marrying into another, Marina would never gain a higher title than Princess, but that was all she needed. At the time of her marriage, the public largely viewed the British royals as pompous and distant, but this was an image that the crown desperately wanted to fix. Through Princess Marina and her husband, the Royal Family went from highfalutin to highly fashionable—and it changed Britain forever.
When Princess Margaret married celebrated photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960, their wedding was watched by millions around the world. He was the first commoner to marry the king's daughter in centuries, and the glamorous couple seemed to embody a modern royal future. Decades later, however, a DNA test uncovered a secret that had begun before their marriage and came to light because of a child born while they were still on their honeymoon.
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