The blood-stirring stories about the Bluebeard and its firmly entrenched image of a black widower, created by him, I must say, with their own hand, originate not from fictional tales, but from the most real history.
Scrolling through the annals of different eras, you can see that husbands - murderers and tyrants, who, using the power, made the destinies of their wives, were at all times and in different countries.
Ivan the Terrible
The Russian chronicle is known for dozens of cases when the tyranny of the ruler extended not only to the subjects, but also to the household. Among the most notorious, one can highlight one particularly bright and horrifying story of Ivan the Terrible.
The image of this ruler is fanned by a halo of mystery, his character and cruel attitude towards others have become legendary. Ivan the Terrible had eight wives, and none of them could bring his peace of mind. The first legal wife of the king - Anastasia, who gave birth to his six children, died under unexplained circumstances, after a long and painful illness. However, in this death, Ivan the Terrible is not to blame, and, perhaps, this moment was his turning point.
The second tsar's wife, Maria Temryukovna, was cruel enough and did not show any special love for Grozny. One of her lovers tried to conspire against the incumbent ruler, as a result of which he was executed, and Maria herself was starved to death.
The next wife was Marfa Sobakina. However, this marriage was not destined to last long. Soon after the wedding the girl died. Anna Kotlovskaya, Maria Dolgorukaya, Anna Vasilchikova, Vasilisa Melentyeva - all these women one by one became the wives of Ivan the Terrible. And all of them were expected by the same fate - death from poisoning or execution. The last wife of the king was Maria Nagaya, later even gave birth to his son. However, she was soon fed up with the tsar and sent to a monastery.
Peter I
This well-known ruler of the Russian state was also very strict in character and was known for his addiction to women.
His wife was Evdokia Lopukhina. The ceremony took place in January 1689 in the main church of the Moscow Palace. A young wife, regularly fulfilling her marital duty, already during the first few years gave birth to the Emperor three children. However, the king had his favorites, among which a special place was occupied by Anna Mons. From Evdokia he tried to get rid of any possible, but legal, ways. Peter tried to persuade the woman, hated by the heart, to give up the title and take monastic vows. But Evdokia, referring to his young son and the need for her participation in his upbringing, appealed for support to the patriarch Adrian. Peaceful persuasion did not yield results, and after a while Evdokia Lopukhina was taken to the monastery under escort.
A few months later, it became known in the palace that the former tsarina was leading a completely secular life, secretly meeting with local major Stepan Glebov. Of course, the news did not go unnoticed, and the expected, very cruel punishment followed. Stepan Glebov was put on the stake, but the former empress herself was under strict arrest until the end of her days. Historians are still wondering what saved the woman from death.
Herod
Another famous figure in the history of mankind is the king Herod, who replaced several wives, each of which he loved, as they say, to insanity. His first wife was a certain Doris, of whom there is no particular information. It is only known that she gave birth to her son Herod, but, because of the new love, her husband was sent out of the palace.
The second wife was Mariamna - a girl of noble birth, from the Hasmonean clan. She was so cleverly able to surround the king and subdue his heart that Herod literally lost his mind from his beloved, fulfilling all her whims. Of course, most of the relatives and relatives could not reconcile with Mariamna's so important role in Herod's life, and a plan was developed to eliminate it. After listening to gossip and slander, the king believed that Mariamna wished to poison him. A trial took place, as a result of which a young girl was sentenced to death.
Of course, Herod suffered. However, his sadness did not last long - until the moment when Mariamna II appeared in the palace. To its predecessor, it was not inferior to either beauty or noble birth, and as a result it immediately acquired immense significance in Herod's eyes. Perhaps you already guessed what followed? Such an influential woman could not be left with the ruler. I did not even have to invent a new scheme for its elimination. The conspiracy and accusations of conspiracy against the Tsar played a role - Mariamne II was executed.
Emperor Nero
Ancient Roman ruler Emperor Nero is also known for his cruelty towards his approximate and wives. Octavia, the first wife of a despotic emperor, was accused of infertility and killed by his personal order. A new wife was one of the palace favorites of Poppa Sabina. Between the newlyweds, a passionate relationship ensued, as a result of which the woman gained so much power over her husband that she could persuade him to get rid of his own mother. However, soon, in the heat of quarrel, disaster happened. Emperor Nero hit his wife in the stomach, as a result of which a woman and a child died.
Konstantin
Another Roman emperor, whose wife suffered the terrible fate of a premature violent death, became Constantine. The reason for this was the plan, opened against his family, which was headed by the wife of Emperor Faustus. The woman was locked in a hot bath, where she died of suffocation.
Henry VIII Tudor
Many heard about the loving King of England Henry VIII thanks to the world-famous TV series "The Tudors." Henry had 6 official wives, not to mention the numerous connections and mistresses.
The first wife of the King of England was the wife of her late brother - Catherine of Aragon. She was older by several years and could not give birth to a healthy child, except one surviving girl. For the king it was important to have an heir, and for this reason he dissolved the marriage with Catherine by marrying one of his mistresses - Anne Boleyn. However, the woman had such an active life position, but at the same time as the first wife could not give birth to the heir, that soon she was sick of Henry. She was accused of treason and witchcraft, as a result of which she was publicly executed.
The next couple were Jane Seymour, Anna Cleves, Catherine Howard - none of these women could fully meet the king's requests, not matching either his temperament, or canons of beauty, or the requirements of fidelity. The last wife was Catherine Parr - she was destined to become the last head of the novel, which could be entitled "Henry VIII and his Wife". The marriage lasted more than 4 years, culminating in the death of the king.
Prince Charles
Perhaps one of the most sensational stories of the twentieth century - the conclusion of a dynastic marriage and the subsequent loud break in the relationship of the English heir to the throne of Prince Charles and his chosen one - Princess Diana. Soon after their parting, the world flew around a horrible report of the death of all the beloved English princess and her lover Dodi Al Fayed, but to this day rumors and versions about the real causes of what happened.
Among the inhabitants of England, the most popular is the version put forward by Dodi's father, Mohammed Al Fayed, who stated that the princess Diana and his son were killed on the orders of the Queen of England, and the MI6 organization took on the executive role. The reason for this was the news of close relations between Diana and Dodi. Also, according to one version, Diana's death was planned by her ex-husband, Prince Charles, since all his aspirations were aimed at reuniting with youthful love-Camilla Parker-Bowles. Thus, several people could have their own reasons for eliminating the most charming, conquering hearts of millions, the princesses of England.