1. Romeo and Juliet: This is probably the most famous lovers in history. This couple has become a synonym for love itself. Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. And their love story is one of the most tragic love stories in history. The tale of two teenagers from two feuding families who fall in love at first sight and then marry, become true lovers and then risk it all for their love. To take your own life for your husband or wife is definitely a sign of true love. Their “untimely deaths” ultimately unite their feuding households.
2. Cleopatra and Mark Antony: The true love story of Antony and Cleopatra is one of the most memorable, intriguing and moving of all times. The story of these two historical characters had later been dramatized by William Shakespeare and is still staged all over the world. The relationship of Antony and Cleopatra is a true test of love. They fell in love at first sight. The relationship between these two powerful people put the country of Egypt in a powerful position. But their love affair outraged the Romans who were wary of the growing powers of the Egyptians. Despite all the threats, Anthony and Cleopatra got married. It is said that while fighting a battle against Romans, Antony got false news of Cleopatra’s death. Shattered, he fell on his sword. When Cleopatra learned about Antony ‘s death, she was shocked. And she took her own life. Great love demands great sacrifices.
3. Lancelot and Guinevere: The tragic love story of Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere is probably one of the best-known stories of Arthurian Legend. Lancelot fell in love with Queen Guinevere, King Arthur’s wife. Their love grew slowly, as Guinevere kept Lancelot away from her. Eventually, however, her love and passion overpowered her and the pair became lovers. One night, Sir Agravain and Sir Modred, King Arthur’s nephew, led a band of 12 knights to Guinevere’s chamber where they burst in upon the lovers. Discovered, Sir Lancelot made a fighting escape, but poor Guinevere was not so lucky. She was seized and condemned to burn to death for her adultery. Fear not. Sir Lancelot returned several days later to rescue his beloved Guinevere from the fire. This whole sad affair divided the Knights of the Round Table and weakened Arthur’s kingdom. Poor Lancelot ended his days as a lowly hermit and Guinevere became a nun at Amesbury where she died.
4. Tristan and Isolde: The tragic love story of Tristan and Isolde has been told and retold through various
stories and manuscripts. It takes place during medieval times during the reign
of King Arthur. Isolde of Ireland was the daughter of the King of Ireland. She
was betrothed to King Mark of Cornwall. King Mark sent his nephew, Tristan, to
Ireland to escort Isolde back to Cornwall. During the voyage, Isolde and
Tristan fell forever in love. Isolde did marry Mark of Cornwall, but could not
help but love Tristan. The love affair continued after the marriage. When King Mark
finally learned of the affair, he forgave Isolde, but Tristan was banned from
Cornwall. Tristan went to Brittany. There he met Iseult of Brittany. He was
attracted to her because of the similarity of her name to his true love. He
married her, but did not consummate the marriage because of his love for the
“true” Isolde. After falling ill, he sent for Isolde in hopes that she would be
able to cure him. If she agreed to come, the returning ship’s sails would be
white, or the sails would be black if she did not agree. Iseult, seeing the
white sails, lied to Tristan and told him that the sails were black. He died of
grief before Isolde could reach him. Isolde died soon after of a broken heart.
5. Paris and Helena - a Greek love story, combining fact and fiction: Recounted in Homer’s Iliad, the story of Helen of Troy and the Trojan War is a Greek heroic legend, combining fact and fiction. Helen of Troy is considered one the most beautiful women in all literature. She was married to Menelaus, king of Sparta. Paris, son of King Priam of Troy, fell in love with Helen and abducted her, taking her back to Troy. The Greeks assembled a great army, led by Menelaus’s brother, Agamemnon, to retrieve Helen. Troy was destroyed. Helen returned safely to Sparta, where she lived happily with Menelaus for the rest of her life.
6.
Orpheus and Eurydice - an ancient Greek tale of desperate love: Orpheus
and Eurydice story is an ancient Greek tale of desperate
love. Orpheus fell deeply in love with and married Eurydice, a beautiful
nymph. They were very much in love and
very happy together. Aristaeus, a Greek god of the land
and agriculture, became quite fond of Eurydice, and actively pursued her. While
fleeing from Aristaeus, Eurydice ran into a nest of snakes which bit her
fatally on her legs. Distraught, Orpheus played such sad songs and sang so
mournfully that all the nymphs and gods wept. On their advice, Orpheus traveled to the underworld and by his music
softened the hearts of Hades and Persephone (he was the only person ever to do
so), who agreed to allow Eurydice to return with him to earth on one condition:
he should walk in front of her and not look back until they both had reached
the upper world. In his anxiety he forgot that both needed to be in the upper
world, and he turned to look at her, and she vanished for the second time, but
now forever.
7. Napoleon and Josephine - a great love story in history:
A marriage of convenience, at age 26 Napoleon took a fancy to
Josephine. An older, prominent, and most importantly wealthy woman. As time
drew on, Napoleon fell deeply in love
with Josephine, and she with him, but that didn’t deter the
adultery on both sides – their mutual respect for one another kept them together, and their burning passion between them didn’t falter, and was genuine.
They eventually split, as Napoleon deeply required something Josephine could
not give him, an heir. Sadly they parted ways, both bearing the love and passion
in their hearts, for all eternity.
8.
Odysseus and Penelope - true love is worth waiting for: Few
couples understand sacrifice quite like this Greek pair. After being torn
apart, they wait twenty long years to be reunited. War takes Odysseus away
shortly after his marriage to Penelope. Although she has little hope of his
return, she resists the 108 suitors who are anxious to replace her husband.
Odysseus is equally devoted, refusing a beautiful sorceress’s offer of everlasting
love and eternal youth, so that he might return home to his wife and son. This
Valentine’s Day, take a cue from Homer, and remember that true love is worth waiting
for.
9.
Paolo and Francesca - a true story made famous by Dante: Paolo and Francesca are made famous by the Dante’s
masterpiece “Divine Comedy”. It is a true story: Francesca is married with Gianciotto Malatesta
an awful person, but she has Gianciotto’s brother, Paolo, as lover. The love
between them grows when they read together a book (according to Dante) about Lancelot and Guinevere. When the two lovers are discovered they are killed by
Gianciotto.
10.
Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler - a famous love story in literature: “Gone
with the wind” can be identified as one of the immortal
pieces of literary works in this world. Margaret Mitchell’s famous work has
chronicled the love and hate relationship
between Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler. Proving that timing is everything, Scarlett O’Hara and
Rhett Butler never seem to be quite in synch. Throughout the epic story, this
tempestuous twosome experience passion but not permanence, and their stormy
marriage reflects the surrounding Civil War battles. The flirtatious,
promiscuous, and perpetually pursued Scarlett can’t make up her mind between her
many suitors. When she finally decides to settle on being happy with Rhett, her
fickle nature has already driven him away. Hope springs eternal in our devious
heroine, however, and the novel ends with Scarlett proclaiming, “Tomorrow is
another day.
11. Jane Eyre and Rochester - a famous love story in literature: In Charlotte Bronte’s famous tale, friendless characters find a cure for loneliness in each other’s company. Jane is an abused orphan employed as a governess to the charge of an abrasive, but very rich Edward Rochester. The improbable pair grow close as Rochester reveals a tender heart beneath his gruff exterior. He does not, however, reveal his penchant for polygamy – on their wedding day, a horrified Jane discovers he is already married. Heartbroken, Jane runs away, but later returns after a dreadful fire has destroyed Rochester’s mansion, killed his wife, and left him blind. Love triumphs, and the two reunite and live out their days in shared bliss.
12.
Layla and Majnun - a medieval romantic poem: A leading
medieval poet of Iran, Nizami of Ganje is known especially for his romantic
poem Layla and Majnun. Inspired by an Arab legend, Layla and Majnun is
a tragic tale about unattainable love. It had been told and retold for centuries, and
depicted in manuscripts and other media such as ceramics for nearly as long as
the poem has been penned. Layla and Qays fall in love while at school. Their
love is observed and they are soon prevented from seeing one another. In
misery, Qays banishes himself to the desert to live among and be consoled by
animals. He neglects to eat and becomes emaciated. Due to his eccentric
behavior, he becomes known as Majnun (madman). There he befriends an elderly
Bedouin who promises to win him Layla’s hand through warfare. Layla’s tribe is
defeated, but her father continues to refuse her marriage to Majnun because of his mad behavior, and she is
married to another. After the death of Layla’s husband, the old Bedouin
facilitates a meeting between Layla and Majnun, but they are never fully
reconciled in life. Upon death, they are buried side by side. The story is
often interpreted as an allegory of the soul’s yearning to be
united with the divine
13. Eloise and
Abelard - love letters that became world famous: This is a story of a monk
and a nun whose love
letters became world famous. Around 1100, Peter Abelard
went to Paris to study at the school of Notre Dame. He gained a reputation as
an outstanding philosopher. Fulbert, the canon of Notre Dame, hired Abelard to
tutor his niece, Heloise. Abelard and the scholarly Heloise fell deeply in love,
conceived a child, and were secretly married. But Fulbert was furious, so
Abelard sent Heloise to safety in a convent. Thinking that he intended to
abandon Heloise, Fulbert had his servants castrate Abelard while he slept.
Abelard became a monk and devoted his life to learning. The heartbroken Heloise
became a nun. Despite their separations and tribulations, Abelard and
Heloise remained
in love. Their poignant love
letters were later published.
14.
Pyramus and Thisbe - a famous Babylonian love story: A very touching love story that is sure to move anyone who reads it is
that of Pyramus and Thisbe. Theirs was a selfless love and they made sure that even in death, they
were together. Pyramus was the most handsome man and was childhood friend of
Thisbe, the fairest maiden in Babylonia. They both lived in neighboring homes
and fell in love with each other as they grew up together. However, their
parents were dead against them marrying each other. So one night just before
the crack of dawn, while everyone was asleep, they decided to slip out of their
homes and meet in the nearby fields near a mulberry tree. Thisbe reached there
first. As she waited under the tree, she saw a lion coming near the spring
close by to quench its thirst. Its jaws were bloody. When Thisbe saw this
horrifying sight, she panicked and ran to hide in some hollow rocks nearby. As
she was running, she dropped her veil. The lion came near and picked up the
veil in his bloody jaws. At that moment, Pyramus reaches near the mulberry tree
and sees Thisbe’s veil in the jaws of the lion. He is completely devastated.
Shattered, he pierces his chest with his own sword. Unknown to what just
happened, Thisbe is still hiding in the rocks due to the fear of the lion. When
she comes out after sometime, she sees what her lover did to himself. She is
totally shattered when she sees the sword piercing right through her lover’s
chest. She also takes the sword and kills herself.
15.
Elizabeth Bennett and Darcy - a famous love story in literature: Actually Jane
Austen has personified two attributes of human nature,
pride and prejudice in Darcy and Elizabeth. Darcy comes from a very high social hierarchy
and Pemberley. He typifies the educated aristocracy while on the other hand,
Elizabeth is the second daughter of a gentleman of modest means. Mr. Bennett
has five daughters who have been allowed to grow up the way they wanted, there
has been no school education for them, nor has there been any governess at
home. Elizabeth’s very indulgent mother and irresponsible father never gave any
thought to the future of the daughters, it is always taken for granted, that
they will do well for themselves. To a woman of Mrs. Bennett’s understanding,
doing well exclusively means finding a rich, well to do husband. For a man of
Darcy’s social stature, these were very serious failings of the family and
totally unacceptable to his polished, educated and refined mind. Darcy adores
Pemberley, and the future mistress of that estate can only be just as polished
and refined and from an equally prestigious family. He falls in love with Elizabeth only to be refused by her initially, and
then much later she realized that she can love no one but Darcy. How they become united and understand the love for each
other makes very interesting study.
16.
Salim and Anarkali - a legendary love story: The love story of Salim and Anarkali is a story that every lover knows. The son
of the great Mughal emperor Akbar, Salim, fell in love with an ordinary but beautiful courtesan
Anarkali. He was mesmerized by her beauty and fell in love as soon as he saw
her. But the emperor could not digest the fact that his son was in love with an
ordinary courtesan. He started pressurizing Anarkali and devised all sorts of
tactics o make her fall in the eyes of the young, love smitten prince. When
Salim came to know of this, he declared a war against his own father. But the
mighty emperor’s gigantic army is too much for the young prince to handle. He
gets defeated and is sentenced to death. This is when Anarkali intervenes and
renounces her love to save her beloved from the jaws of death. She is entombed
alive in a brick wall right in front of her lover’s eyes.
17.
Pocahontas and John Smith - a famous love story in the history of America: This love story is a famous legend in the history of
America. Pocahontas, an Indian Princess was the daughter of Powhatan. Powhatan
was the powerful chief of the Algonquian Indians in the Tidewater region of
Virginia. Pocahontas for the first time in her life saw Englishmen in May 1607.
She found John Smith most attractive and developed a liking for him. Smith was
taken to the official residence of Powhattan and he was tortured. It was
Pocahontas who saved his life from the attack of the Indians. Pocahontas
then helped Smith to stand on his feet and Powhattan adopted Smith as his son.
This incident helped Pocahontas and Smith to become friends with each other. Pocahontas after this
incident made frequent visits to the Jamestown and passed on to the Indians
messages of her father. John Smith after getting badly injured due to gunpowder
explosion, returned to England. When Pocahontas made a visit to the fort, she
was informed that Smith was dead. Sometime after, Pocahontas was taken prisoner
by Sir Samuel Argall. Argall hoped to use Pocahontas as abargaining chip with
her father Powhatan in effort to get English prisoners returned. During her
captivity, she decided to become a Christian, taking the name “Rebecca” when
she was baptized. A year later, she married John Rolfe. She made a visit to
London, where he met his friend John Smith after eight long years and it was
their last meeting.
18. Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal - a great love story in the history of India
In 1612, a teenage girl, Arjumand Banu, married 15-year-old
Shah Jahan, ruler of the Mughal Empire. Renamed Mumtaz Mahal, she bore Shah Jahan
14 children and became his favorite wife. After Mumtaz died in 1629, the grieving emperor
resolved to create a fitting monument. It took 20,000 workers and 1,000
elephants nearly 20 years to complete this monument – the
Taj Mahal. Shah Jahan was never able to complete a black
marble mausoleum he planned for himself. Deposed by his son, Shah Jahan was
imprisoned in the Red Fort of Agra, and spent lonely hours staring across the
Jamuna River at the monument to his beloved
queen. He was eventually buried beside her in the Taj
Mahal.
19.
Marie and Pierre Curie - a great love story in science: This
is a story about partners in love and science. Unable to continue her studies in Poland because
universities did not admit women, Maria Sklodowska Curie traveled to Paris in
1891 to attend the Sorbonne. Known by the French “Marie,” she spent every spare
hour reading in the library or in the laboratory. The industrious student
caught the eye of Pierre Curie, director one of the laboratories where Marie
worked. Curie ardently wooed Marie and made several marriage proposals. They
were finally married in 1895 and began their famous
partnership. In 1898 they discovered polonium and radium. The
Curies and scientist Henri Becquerel won a Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903 for
discovering radioactivity. When Curie died in 1904, Marie pledged to carry on
their work. She took his place at the Sorbonne, becoming the school’s first
female teacher. In 1911 she became the first person to win a second Nobel
Prize, this time for chemistry. She continued to experiment and lecture until
her death of leukemia in 1934, driven by the memory of the man she loved.
20.
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert - a great love story in the history of England: This
love story is about English royalty who mourned her
husband’s death for 40 years. Victoria was a lively, cheerful girl, fond of
drawing and painting. She ascended the throne of England in 1837 after the
death of her uncle, King William IV. In 1840, she married her first cousin,
Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. While at first Prince Albert was unpopular
in some circles because he was German, he came to be admired for his honesty, diligence,
and his devotion to his family. The couple had nine children. Victoria loved her husband
deeply. She relied on his advice in matters of state,
especially in diplomacy. When Albert died in 1861, Victoria was devastated. She
did not appear in public for three years. Her extended seclusion generated
considerable public criticism. Several attempts were made on Victoria’s life.
However, under the influence of Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, Victoria
resumed public life, opening Parliament in 1866. But Victoria never stopped
mourning her beloved prince, wearing black until her death in 1901. During her
reign, the longest in English history, Britain became a world power on which
“the sun never set.”
21.
Henry II and Rosamund Clifford - a medieval English love affair: Although the King of England had a wife and a plethora of
mistresses, the one he loved was Rosamund. To cover up their love affair, he built a love
room far in the recesses of a maze at Woodstock Park. However, Queen Eleanor
found them out and made Rosamund choose to die by poison or blade. She chose
the former.
22. Louis XV and Madame de Pompadour - a love story at the French Court
Jeanne Antoinette Poisson met King Louis XV and danced with
him at a masked ball. Some weeks after, she was given the Marquise de Pompadour title by the King. The couple indulged in the love of
art, porcelain, and furniture. She often arranged small dinner parties for her
royal lover and amateur theatricals in which she starred. He declared she was
the most delicious French woman of her time during one of the plays and swept
her out of the theatre to the room.
23.
Hadrian and Antinous - famous lovers in history of Ancient Rome: Emperor
Hadrian had his heart taken by a young,
sport-loving, intelligent Greek student, Antinous. The emperor, at some point,
craves his presence obsessively. They traveled and hunted together, and the
emperor wrote erotic poems about his lover. Antinous, however, drowned
mysteriously at the Nile during a visit, but some believe that he was murdered
by people that were jealous of the affection he commanded from the emperor. The
devastated emperor pronounced Antinous a deity and honored him by building a
city and naming a star after him.
24.
Dante and Beatrice - true love of the greatest poet: Italian
poet and writer Dante Alighieri had strong affections for Beatrice, a woman he only met twice in his life. However,
he wrote passionately about her
in his poems, including in the Divine Comedy. The pair met as
kids aged nine and eight years. They met coincidentally the second time they
met as adults on the streets of Florence, but she only greeted him and turned to
continue her journey. She died in 1290, at 24, so he never got to meet her
again. However, he continued to love her and often wrote about her
25.
John and Abigail Adams - one of the most famous love stories in history of the
United States: Abigail married John Adams at 20, and their union
produced five children, including John Quincy Adams (America’s fifth
president). However, throughout their love story, they showed unwavering love and devotion, with over 1000 letters shared between
themselves. More than the revolutionary political idea they shared, they also
had an abiding friendship and mutual devotion
26. John Keats and Fanny Brawne - the fiancée and muse to English Romantic poet
John’s
romance with Fanny Brawne, his neighbor, inspired his poem “Bright Star”, which became
his most famous writing. Their relationship was, however, fraught with
jealousy. John was fiercely overzealous, and Fanny was flirtatious and
precocious. They often clashed, and their love never reached its full requisite
because Keat lacked money and fell ill. He had to end their engagement so he
could get treatment in Rome, where he later died, and his love remained
unrequited.
27.
Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo - not a typical love story: Frida
Kahlo was a young and talented Mexican painter that visited Rivera, a famous
muralist, in his studio to get career advice. That turned out to be the start
of their relationship. While they shared love, the relationship was also volatile,
but Rivera was sure that she was the most important piece of
his life, and she continued to be until her death 27 years
later
28.
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward - one of the happiest love stories in Hollywood: The couple met at the movie production set of Picnic and
married later. However, unlike many Hollywood romances, Paul and Joanne are
happily devoted to each other for fifty years. They later left the Hollywood
spotlight for Connecticut to raise their family until Paul died in 2008
29.
Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco - a famous love story of an American
Princess: American movie star Grace Kelly ditched
Hollywood at the peak of her career to marry the love of her life Prince
Rainier and become the Princess of Monaco in 1956. They met in the French
Riviera while filming To Catch a Thief, and he was immediately attracted to
her. Grace’s sudden death separated the couple in 1982, and Prince Rainier
never remarried.
30. Carolyn Bessette and John F. Kennedy Jr. - the '90s golden couple: The couple got married secretly in Georgia, proving they wanted to keep their romance private. They tried to live normally in their Tribeca apartment. Even though they had their ups and downs like other marriages, the love was evident. It soon became public knowledge, and they became an iconic couple. Unfortunately, they both died tragically in a plane crash on July 16, 1999.
Love is a powerful emotion. Throughout history
couples in love have caused wars and controversy, created masterpieces in
writing, music, and art, and have captured the hearts of the public with the
power of their bonds. From the allure of Cleopatra to the magnetism of the
Kennedy's, these love affairs have stood as markers in history. Prepare to
swoon over these love stories of the centuries.
1.
Paris and Helen
GETTY
She was another man's wife, but when Paris,
the "handsome, woman-mad" prince of Troy, saw Helen, the woman whom
Aphrodite proclaimed the most beautiful in the world, he had to have her. Helen
and Paris ran off together, setting in motion the decade-long Trojan War.
According to myth, Helen was half-divine, the daughter of Queen Leda and the
God Zeus, who transformed into a swan to seduce the queen. Whether Helen
actually existed, we'll never know, but her romantic part in the greatest epic
of all time can never be forgotten. She will forever be "the face that
launched a thousand ships."
More: 15+
Classic Romantic Movies to Watch On Valentine's Day
2.
Cleopatra and Mark Antony
GETTY
"Brilliant
to look upon and to listen to, with the power to subjugate everyone." That
was the description of Cleopatra, queen of Egypt. She could have had anything
or anyone she wanted, but she fell passionately in love with the Roman General
Mark Antony. As Shakespeare depicts it, their relationship was volatile
("Fool! Don't you see now that I could have poisoned you a hundred times
had I been able to live without you," Cleopatra said) but after they
risked all in a war on Rome and lost, they chose to die together in 30 BC.
"I will be a bridegroom in my death, and run into it as to a lover's
bed," said Antony. And Cleopatra followed, by clasping a poisonous asp to
her breast.
The true love story of
Antony and Cleopatra is one of the most memorable, intriguing and moving of all
times. The story of these two historical characters had later been dramatized
by William Shakespeare and is still staged all over the world. The relationship
of Antony and Cleopatra is a true test of love. They fell in love at first sight.
The relationship between these two powerful people put the country of Egypt in
a powerful position. But their love
affair outraged the Romans who were wary of the growing
powers of the Egyptians. Despite all the threats, Anthony and Cleopatra got
married. It is said that while fighting a battle against Romans, Antony got
false news of Cleopatra’s death. Shattered, he fell on his sword. When
Cleopatra learned about Antony ‘s death, she was shocked. And she took her own
life. Great love demands great sacrifices.
If you want to learn more about this love story, you can read a
famous tragedy – “Antony
and Cleopatra” by William Shakespeare.
AD. Romeo and Juliet -
a famous love story in literature
This is probably the most famous lovers in history. This couple has become a synonym for love itself. Romeo and Juliet
is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. And their love story is one of the most tragic love stories in history.
The tale of two teenagers from two feuding families who fall in love at first
sight and then marry, become true lovers and then risk it all for their love. To take your own life
for your husband or wife is definitely a sign of true love. Their “untimely deaths” ultimately unite
their feuding households.
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3.
Hadrian and Antinous
GETTY
We've heard of the Wall—no, not that one, the
2nd Century AD one stretching across England—but what about Emperor Hadrian's
heart? He lost it to Antinous (far left), an intelligent and sports-loving
Greek student. The emperor displayed "an obsessive craving for his
presence." The two traveled together, pursuing their love of hunting;
Hadrian once saved his lover's life during a lion hunt. The emperor even wrote
erotic poetry. While visiting the Nile, Antinous drowned mysteriously, but some
say he was murdered by those jealous of the emperor's devotion. The devastated
Hadrian proclaimed Antinous a deity, ordered a city be built in his honor, and
named a star after him, between the Eagle and the Zodiac.
4.
Henry II and Rosamund
Clifford
GETTY
The first Plantagenet king of England had a
rich, royal wife in Eleanor of Aquitaine and mistresses galore, but the love of
his life was "Fair Rosamund," also called the "Rose of the
World." To conceal their affair, Henry built a love nest in the innermost
recesses of a maze in his park at Woodstock. Nonetheless, the story has it that
Queen Eleanor did not rest until she found the labyrinth and traced it to the
center, where she uncovered her ravishing rival. The queen offered her death by
blade or poison. Rosamund chose the poison. Perhaps not coincidentally, Henry
kept Eleanor confined in prison for 16 years of their marriage.
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5.
Dante and Beatrice
'
alt="Painting, Art, Visual arts, Artwork, Middle ages, Watercolor paint, "
title="Painting, Art, Visual arts, Artwork, Middle ages, Watercolor paint, "
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GETTY
Rarely has a woman served as such profound
inspiration for a writer—and yet he barely knew her. The Italian poet Dante
Alighieri wrote passionately of Beatrice in the Divine Comedy and other poems,
but only met the object of his affection twice. The first time, he was nine
years old and she was eight. The second time, they were adults, and while
walking on the street in Florence, Beatrice, an emerald-eyed beauty, turned and
greeted Dante before continuing on her way. Beatrice died at age 24 in 1290
without Dante ever seeing her again. Nonetheless, she was "the glorious
lady of my mind," he wrote, and "she is my beatitude, the destroyer
of all vices and the queen of virtue, salvation."
6.
Anne Boleyn and Henry
VIII
'
alt="Victorian fashion, Art, Painting, Fashion, Costume design, Dress, Mythology, Visual arts, Monarch, Formal wear, "
title="Victorian fashion, Art, Painting, Fashion, Costume design, Dress, Mythology, Visual arts, Monarch, Formal wear, "
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GETTY
When the Tudor king fell for a young
lady-in-waiting, Anne Boleyn, who possessed eyes "black and
beautiful," he was long married to a Spanish princess. But Anne refused to
be a royal mistress, and the king rocked the Western world to win his divorce
and make Anne queen. Ambassadors could not believe how enslaved the king was by
his love for Anne. "This accursed Anne has her foot in the stirrup,"
complained the Spanish emissary. To comprehend the king's passion, one need
only read his 16th century love letters, revealing his torment over how elusive
she remained: "I beg to know expressly your intention touching the love
between us…having been more than a year wounded by the dart of love, and not
yet sure whether I shall fail or find a place in your affection." (Their
love affair ended when he had her beheaded.)
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7.
Louis XV of France and
Madame de Pompadour
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In 1730, a Parisian prophetess told a
nine-year-old girl she would rule the heart of a king. Years later, at a masked
ball, Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, dressed as a domino, danced with King Louis
XV, dressed as a tree. Within weeks, the delicate beauty was maîtresse-en-titre, given the title
Marquise de Pompadour. "Any man would have wanted her as his
mistress," said another male admirer. The couple indulged in their love of
art, furniture, and porcelain, with Madame de Pompadour arranging for her jaded
royal lover small dinner parties and amateur theatricals in which she would
star (of course). While watching one play, Louis XV declared, "You are the
most delicious woman in France," before sweeping her out of the room.
8.
John and Abigail Adams
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Abigail Smith married the Founding Father at
age 20, gave birth to five children (including America's fifth president, John
Quincy Adams), and was John Adams's confidante, political advisor, and First
Lady. The more than 1,000 letters they wrote to each other offer a window into
John and Abigail's mutual devotion and abiding friendship. It was more than
revolutionary political ideals that kept them so united; they shared a trust
and abiding tenderness. Abigail wrote: "There is a tye more binding than
Humanity, and stronger than Friendship ... and by this chord I am not ashamed
to say that I am bound, nor do I [believe] that you are wholly free from
it." As for John, he wrote: "I want to hear you think, or see your
Thoughts. The Conclusion of your Letter makes my Heart throb, more than a
Cannonade would. You bid me burn your Letters. But I must forget you
first."
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9.
Mary Godwin Shelley and
Percy Shelley
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When the young Romantic poet Percy Shelley met
Mary Godwin, she was the teenage daughter of a famous trailblazing feminist,
the long-dead Mary Wollstonecraft. The two of them shared a love of the
mind—"Soul meets soul on lovers' lips," he wrote—but physical desire
swept them away too, consummated near the grave of Mary's mother. When they ran
away to Europe, it caused a major scandal, but the couple proclaimed themselves
indifferent to judgment. "It was acting in a novel, being an incarnate
romance," she later said. They traveled together to visit the debauched
Lord Byron, and Mary wrote Frankenstein during
two weeks in Switzerland. After Percy died in a boating accident in 1822, Mary
never remarried. She said having been married to a genius, she could not marry
a man who wasn't one.
10.
Elizabeth Barrett
Browning and Robert Browning
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Elizabeth Barrett was an accomplished and
respected poet in poor health (and nearly 40 years old) when Robert Browning
wrote to her: "I love your verses with all my heart, dear Miss
Barrett," and praising their "fresh strange music, the affluent
language, the exquisite pathos and true new brave thought." They courted
in secret because of her family's disapproval. She wrote, "I am not of a
cold nature, & cannot bear to be treated coldly. When cold water is thrown
upon a hot iron, the iron hisses." They married in 1846, living among
fellow writers and artists for the rest of her life. When she died, it was in
Robert Browning's arms.
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11.
John Keats and Fanny
Brawne
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The celebrated young poet's romance with his
neighbor, Fanny Brawne, sparked what is probably his most famous poem
"Bright Star", though the relationship was fraught with jealousy.
Brawne was a precocious and flirtatious young woman, Keats a fiercely overzealous
bard. The two clashed as often as they coalesced, but the full requisition of
their love was hindered by Keats' lack of money and his illness. Bedridden by
tuberculosis, which he contracted from his late brother and mother, Keats
yearned in envy over his coquettish Brawne, whose frivolous nature marred her
love for the young poet and subsequently aggravated his wellbeing. Though
engaged to Brawne, Keats had to end the engagement in an effort to get well in
Rome. He died there not long after his arrival, his romance to remain
unrequited.
12.Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas
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For nearly 40 years, Gertrude Stein and Alice
B. Toklas were inseparable, famous for their literary salon in Paris, which was
frequented by Picasso, T.S. Eliot, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and
many more. When Toklas (far left) first met Stein, she wrote, "It was
Gertrude Stein who held my complete attention, as she did for all the many
years I knew her until her death, and all these empty ones since them. She was
a golden brown presence, burned by the Tuscan sun and with a golden glint in
her warm brown hair." Their love gained international fame after Stein
published The Autobiography of
Alice B. Toklas. Wrote Stein, "One must dare to be happy."
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13.Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo
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The talented young Mexican painter Kahlo paid
a visit to the studio of famous muralist Rivera in search of career advice.
"She had unusual dignity and self-assurance and there was a strange fire
in her eyes," he said. Theirs was a volatile relationship, yet Rivera knew
from early on that Kahlo "was the most important fact in my life and she
would continue to be until she died 27 years later." As for Kahlo, she
said, "You deserve a lover who listens when you sing, who supports you
when you feel shame and respects your freedom; who flies with you and isn't
afraid to fall. You deserve a lover who takes away the lies and brings you
hope, coffee, and poetry."
14.Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII
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When Edward VIII fell in love with American
divorcée Wallis Simpson it was an affair shocked a nation and threw Britain's
monarch into a constitutional crisis. Due to strong opposition from the church
and government over their marriage, Edward chose to abdicate the throne. He
famously proclaimed his love for Simpson as he addressed the nation in 1936.
"I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility
and to discharge my duties as king as I would wish to do without the help and
support of the woman I love," he said in his abdication speech. Choosing
love over kingship, the Duke of Windsor spent most of his life outside the
royal family as the couple married and settled in France. Note: Years later it was revealed in previously hidden German
Documents that not only did Simpson and the Duke of Windsor have Nazi
associations, but there were also plans for the Germans to re-install him as
King after they invaded the U.K.
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15.
Paul Newman and Joanne
Woodward
COURTESY
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward met during the
production of Picnic and
shortly married after filming the movie The
Long, Hot Summer. Unlike most on-set Hollywood romances, Newman and Woodward
were happily devoted to one another for fifty years. When asked about his
marriage to Woodward and infidelity, Newman was famously responded, "I
have a steak at home. Why should I go out for hamburger?" The couple
traded the California spotlight for Westport, Connecticut, where they raised
their family and remained until Paul Newman's death in 2008.
16.Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco
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In the wedding of the century, American film
star Grace Kelly left Hollywood behind at the height of her career to wed
Prince Rainier and become Princess of Monaco. Prince Rainier was immediately
taken with Grace, whom he met when she filmed To Catch a Thief in the French Riviera. He
courted her through letters for some time before the couple announced their
engagement in the Kelly family's Philadelphia home and married in 1956. Prince
Rainier never remarried after Grace's tragic death in 1982.
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17.
Johnny Cash and June
Carter
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There isn’t a more iconic country music love
story than that between Johnny Cash and June Carter. Both stars in their own
right, the two met backstage at the famed Grand Ole Opry. When first meeting
Cash, Carter supposedly told him, “I feel like I know you already.” The couple
went on to tour together and fell in love, eventually marrying in 1968. Cash
credited Carter with helping him recover from drug addiction, further
solidifying their bond. The couple shared two Grammys, along with two solo
Grammys for Carter and 11 for Cash. The both had storied careers and welcomed
one son. The happy couple stayed together their whole lives and died within
just four months of each other. It’s clear that this love was true - when once
asked for his definition of paradise, Cash stated plainly, “this morning, with
her, having coffee.”
MORE: The Love
Story of Johnny Cash and June Carter
18.Carolyn Bessette and John F. Kennedy Jr.
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Carolyn Bessette and John F. Kennedy Jr.
married in a secret ceremony on a small island in Georgia, indicative of their
desire to keep their relationship private from the feigning press and public
attention. The couple tried as much as they could to live a normal life out of
their Tribeca apartment and with any normal marriage they had ups and downs.
"They would love hard, and they would fight hard," said a friend of
the couples, Ariel Paredes. It was evident the love was there and as public
attention mounted Carolyn and JFK Jr. became an iconic duo. Sadly, their love
was cut short when the couple tragically died on July 16, 1999 in a plane crash
over the Atlantic ocean.
MORE: Inside
the Turbulent Final Days of JFK Jr.'s Marriage to Carolyn Bessette
MORE: Who Was
Carolyn Bessette Kennedy?
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19.Amal and George Clooney
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George Clooney was Hollywood's self-proclaimed
bachelor of many decades, making his whirlwind
love story with British human rights lawyer even more sweet.
The two were introduced by a friend and soon after began exchanging emails that
George comically penned as his dog Einstein. After six months of dating George
proposed to the song, 'Why Shouldn't I?' while making dinner. "It's a
really good song about why can't I be in love?," said George. The couple
balances Amal's career as a human rights lawyer, George's acting, and their two
twins, Ella and Alexander.
20.
Meghan Markle and Prince
Harry
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It was a love story that captured hearts
around the world when Meghan Markle and Prince Harry wed in May 2018. Their
life as a couple began in November 2017, when Harry popped the question while
the two were roasting a chicken at
their apartment in Kensington Palace. Since then, their fairytale has been
untraditional, to say the least, but the love shared between the happy couple
is clear. As they begin to carve out their new royal
roles, amid much controversy,
it remains certain that the couple cares deeply about each other and their
adorable son, Archie. It’s hard to know what the future holds, but it seems
like Meghan and Harry will take it all on together.
