Are kings allowed to have mistresses? How many mistresses have kings had? Which royal family is known for its incest? Which king had the most mistresses? Here are some examples. Read on to learn more. Did any kings marry their sisters? What was their motive for having more than one mistress? What explains this trend? Let’s take a look!
What royal family was famous for incest?
What royal family was famous for incest in the past? Most of them were duplicitous, ruthless rulers. In many cases, royal marriages were carefully orchestrated to prevent incest. Because the English monarchy was controlled by the popes in the Middle Ages, the church had to watch over royal marriages to prevent incest. Victims of incest were punished and sometimes thrown into monasteries. The definition of incest was very broad, extending to distant family members.
The Habsburg family was notorious for incest, and their descendants still suffer from the effects of the practice. The Spanish Habsburgs had nine out of eleven marriages be incestuous, and the result was a notoriously deformed jaw, or “Habsburg jaw.” The Habsburgs’ downfall was blamed on the inbreeding of their family. In their quest to seize the throne, Queen Heonae had his half-sisters marry each other to prevent inbreeding.
While there are several theories of incest, the most relevant theory is anthropological and relates incest to the patriarchal system of societies. The Hawaiians, for example, praised incest because it produced high-ranking heirs. In many cases, Hawaiians also refused to acknowledge the criminal dimension of incest, which remained hidden. The Hawaiians equated incest with the sacrificial origins of the society.
Why are kings allowed to have mistresses?
King’s have long had a history of having mistresses, but why are they allowed to have more than one? In the past, marriages were arranged between the king and a woman of the same sex. The relationship was usually stable and semi-permanent, and the king would designate one official mistress. King’s can also have relationships with married women, but they are often classified as lovers or paramours.
While Henry VIII had six wives, two were executed for adultery, the king had several mistresses throughout his reign. One of his mistresses was Elizabeth ’Bessie’ Blount. The two had an affair for some time, and their child was acknowledged as legitimate. In spite of this, Henry VIII’s kingly affection for Bessie was undeniable. While Henry VIII was happy with Elizabeth ’Bessie’ Blount, he had his eye on Mary Boleyn.
There was another king who had a mistress: Henry VIII married Catherine Howard and Anne of Cleves. Their relationship was not secret, but they had their own agendas and cynicism. Henry VIII’s second mistress was Catherine Boleyn, who was much lower socially than her husband’s. The relationship was so close that Catherine Boleyn and Henry Carey reportedly made the marriage invalid.
Which kings married their sisters?
A controversial study published in 2015 suggested that the elite Egyptians engaged in incest. This suggests that kings sometimes married cousins to keep their bloodlines strong and to avoid breeding with commoners. King John V of Portugal was awarded the title Most Faithful King in 1748. While kings are allowed to have mistresses, queens were not. During the Middle Ages, many royal families had more than one cousin.
Which king had the most mistresses?
Charles II, the son of Queen Caroline, is famous for his womanising. His most famous mistress was Nell Gwynn, but he also had affairs with Barbara Villiers and other women. In the Netherlands, Barbara Villiers was married to Roger Palmer and became a mistress of Charles II. She was among the families that supported Charles II and eventually won the title of Countess of Castlemaine. Barbara Villiers and the King had five children together.
There are many legends surrounding which king had the most mistresses, but there are a handful of notable examples. Henry I allegedly had twenty to twenty-five illegitimate children with at least six women, while Charles II was acknowledged to have had fourteen mistresses, among them Nell Gwyne (two children), Lucy Walter (one child), Barbara Villiers (6), Catherine Pegg, and Frances Stuart. In addition to these royal mistresses, William IV had a number of notable mistresses throughout his life.
In the nineteenth century, the French king Charles II and Louis XV had more mistresses than any other monarch in history. Charles II’s mistress, Catherine of Braganza, had many children from earlier marriages. In the 18th century, Charles II’s mistress, Lady Jane Grey, was called la belle Corisande. Other mistresses included Ysambert and Diana d’Andouins.
Do kings marry their daughters?
There are a few reasons why kings may not marry their daughters, but one of the biggest reasons is the translation of the title of their daughter. In ancient Egypt, the title was an honorific, so it is conceivable that a king would marry a daughter. There are even instances where kings do marry their daughters. The late king Bhumibol Adulyadej, who married Sirikit (a great-granddaughter of Chulalongkorn) was a first cousin once removed. In addition, Sirikit’s mother was the queen of a vassal state.
But the dynamics of this incestuous relationship are still unclear. There are cases in which kings do marry their daughters, but their daughters are likely never to bear a child of their own. Perhaps the father married the daughter at the same time as the mother. Whatever the circumstances, the daughters and their mothers appear to work together, acting as de facto consorts. The older mother may receive the royal benefits, which she has earned.
Royal intermarriage between royal dynasties was very common in Europe from the Middle Ages until the World War I. It also occurred in pre-industrial Thailand and many African realms. The idea behind royal intermarriage is that it keeps the supply of rival families low, and prevents lesser dynasties from becoming king. And while incest is not the only reason to marry a king’s daughter is to secure an alliance with another dynasty.
Who is the most inbred royal?
The most inbred royal family is the Spanish. King Carlos II of Spain was the most inbred. The Spaniard’s parents were an uncle and niece of Philip IV. While there were consanguineous marriages throughout the Spanish royal family, the most extreme inbreeding occurred between Charles II and his niece, Princess Mariana of Austria. The Spanish royal family was the most inbred of all of the families in the Holy Roman Empire, from 1438-1740.
Inbreeding is particularly harmful to royal families. Some members of the royal family suffered from disease caused by their ancestry. Despite being the last king of the Spanish Hapsburgs, Charles II was still inbred. This caused his inability to produce an heir. His childlessness led to the War of the Spanish Succession. Charles II also suffered from physical disabilities and was described by Woods as an ’imbecile’.
European royal families have a history of massive crowns and extreme inbreeding. Some of these royal families strategically married each other to preserve their bloodline. For example, King Tutenkhamen, an Egyptian pharaoh, was inbred to a high degree, leading to his club foot, elongated skull, and cleft palate. While some researchers say King Tut’s mother was King Akhenaten’s sister, this is far from the case. Sibling-sibling inbreeding can have very serious effects, as it compromises the immune system.
Why Were kings allowed mistresses but not Queens?
It is possible that the answer to the question, Why were kings allowed to have mistresses but not queens, lies somewhere between the two extremes. Some kings, like Louis XV of France, had a long line of mistresses who were from the same families as him. In one case, four of the famous de Nesle sisters became mistresses of Louis XV at the same time. Others did not even have one mistress. And a king may have more than one mistress and cause rivalry among his family members.
Although all European kings were entitled to royal mistresses, the French were particularly privileged, and their women displayed a level of official status that could not be duplicated anywhere else. They also created official extra-magnetic fields for courtiers. However, these differences in status have yet to be fully explained. The task is left for other historians to take up. In any case, this is an important question.
King-consorts generally took mistresses who were already married. This practice is considered petty, but it was not the case with all kings. King Charles VIII’s mistresses, like Elizabeth I, were allowed to remarry after they became kings. However, many of these kings married mistresses to avoid scandals and unhappiness.
About The Author
Wendy Lee is a pop culture ninja who knows all the latest trends and gossip. She's also an animal lover, and will be friends with any creature that crosses her path. Wendy is an expert writer and can tackle any subject with ease. But most of all, she loves to travel - and she's not afraid to evangelize about it to anyone who'll listen! Wendy enjoys all kinds of Asian food and cultures, and she considers herself a bit of a ninja when it comes to eating spicy foods.