Scandalous Facts About The Illegitimate Children Of Royalty
Back when birth out of wedlock could legitimately (pun intended) assassinate one’s prospects, the old B-word (not the one that rhymes with "witch") was a powerful slur.
But it wasn’t the end of a career, especially if said lovechild’s parents were rich and powerful. Sometimes, the “spare” kids of rulers rose to be great generals and conquerors in their own right. After all, when people think of “
William the Conqueror,” think of the might English dynasty that he started—not about how his parents weren’t married.
Maybe Edmund from King Lear had a point: why do we label those born outside of holy wedlock as “illegitimate" when those babies, in theory, are born from passion and not duty? The big bad appeal of the secret lovechild remains so alluring. No wonder some will still jump to claim themselves or others as secret kin of the king. Don’t tell our wives: get a gander at these 42 outrageous facts about the illegitimate children of kings and rulers.
Illegitimate Children Of Royalty Facts
42. Code of Dishonor
In medieval England, a coat of arms could help you know right away if someone was born out of wedlock, or descended from someone who was. Illegitimate offspring sported a diagonal slash on their sigil. This mark was called a “bend”
or, fittingly, a “baton sinister.”
41. Not As Old As Time
The social construct of an "illegitimate" child is relatively new. In Ancient Rome, for example, there are no records of aristocrats attempting to undermine each other by claims of illegitimacy.
These rulers were more concerned that the family name continued. Likewise, the early Anglo-Saxons referred to all kings’ descendants as “aethelings” no matter who their mothers were.
40. One Lovechild to Rule Them All
Without illegitimate royalty, there might have been no “England” as we know it. The first Norman King of England was William the Conqueror, but he sometimes went by “William the [B-word].”
Though his father was Robert I, the Duke of Normandy, his mother was the duke’s mistress, Herleva, the daughter of either a tanner or embalmer. His grandfather’s trade sometimes made him “William the Subject of Fur and Pelt-Related Taunts”
to his enemies. But he had the last laugh; Robert died with no other sons, so William landed on top to rule Normandy and conquer England.
