A Tragic History of European Monarchs and Their Adopted Kids
Some of the kids adopted by European monarchs had the most tragic and unexpected destinies
The codes and reasons for adoption have evolved over the centuries.
The Carolingians extended their dynasties by adopting a boy at the expense of a girl or a bastard. Romans without heirs, as far as they are concerned, used adoption to preserve their families’ wealth and lineage. For the Revolutionaries, it was a means of changing society towards new forms of egalitarianism.
In the shadow of the great Napoleon
Fifty-eight. According to renowned French historian Frederic Masson, in his book Napoleon and Women (1894), that is the number of love affairs that Napoleon entertained during his life.
His most passionate love affair was undoubtedly his liaison with Josephine de Beauharnais, a widow whose husband was decapitated during what is known as the Reign of Terror (1793–1794), a bloody episode of the French Revolution that resulted in countless deaths.
On March 9, 1796, the two lovers finally decided to tie the knot, forming a sort of stepfamily that the French bourgeoisie vehemently criticized, although it could only do so in the safety of…
