What girl doesn't dream of marrying a prince? For some, this dream comes true. And to someone the crown and title belong from birth.

We present you the top most famous princesses and queens.

HRH Princess Letizia

Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano was born in an ordinary Spanish family, worked as a journalist, and hosted news on Spanish television. Before her marriage to Prince Felipe, she managed to be married.

King of Spain Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia at first took hostility to the union of their only son with the commoner Letizia, but after the heir threatened to abdicate the throne, and the whole Spanish people took the side of the girl, the marriage nevertheless took place.

After a very beautiful wedding in 2004, the Prince and Princess of Asturias live in the Zarzuela Palace in the outskirts of Madrid. The couple had two daughters, Infanta Leonor and Infanta Sofia. The latter is named after her grandmother, who still treats Letizia with a chill.

At the same time, loving Papa Felipe does not cease to discuss the topic of changing the 57th article of the Spanish constitution, where it is written in black and white that the crown is inherited mainly by royal male offspring.

HRH Crown Princess Victoria

Unlike Spain, in Sweden there is a boy among the heirs, but he is second in line to the throne. The wonderful girl Victoria, the eldest daughter of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Queen Silvia, will ascend the throne in the homeland of Carlson.

Crown Princess Victoria is, without exaggeration, a national treasure of Sweden. To say that the Swedes adore her is an understatement. That is why the people are even more worried about the personal life of the future queen. The girl turned 31 this year, the press does not miss a single engagement, wedding or christening, which the princess visited.

It is said that Victoria will marry fitness trainer Daniel Westling next summer.

HRH Princess Maxima

The future wife of the heir to the throne of the Netherlands, Willem-Alexander Maxime Sorregueta, was born on another continent in Buenos Aires. Where else can the daughter of the Argentine Minister of Agriculture meet the future king of the Netherlands? At a private party on no man's land - in Spain. Two years later, they announced their engagement.

Oddly enough, Willem-Alexander's mother, the current Queen of the Netherlands Beatrix and 80 percent of the Dutch immediately approved Maxima's candidacy, which cannot be said about the political forces of the country. As a sign of gratitude, Maxima, who shortly before her wedding received Dutch citizenship, invited the Queen Mother to be one of the three witnesses at the ceremony, which took place in 2002.

Her Majesty Beatrix appreciated the gesture and dedicated Maxim to the Order of the Netherlands Lion, the country's highest award.

Maxima gave birth to three Dutch heirs - Princess Katharina Amalia, Princess Alexia and Princess Ariana Wilhemina. Beatrix loves and pampers her granddaughters.

HRH Crown Princess Mette-Marit

The acquaintance of a simple Norwegian Mette-Marit Tjessem-Hoiby with Prince Haakon of Norway happened in 1996, but the novel did not continue, because at the same time Mette-Marit fell in love with another man and gave birth to his son Marius.

Soon she was left alone with her son, went to study at the University of Oslo, and there fate again pushed her against Haakon. But even then the romance did not begin, but the princess did not get bored, the photographs of that period of her life are impressive - here she is dancing on the table and smoking weed, but here she is with a shaved head and a bottle of champagne.

When in 2000 Mette-Marit nevertheless began to live with the prince, a scandal surfaced in the press involving her ex-boyfriend: he was imprisoned for possession of cocaine.

But no matter how skeptical people are about Mette-Marit, her transformation in a royal marriage is impressive. Norwegians fall in love with the crown princess more and more every year. Before the wedding in 2001, the royal family held a press conference where Mette-Marit wept and apologized for past wrongdoings.

King Harald V of Norway and Queen Sonja have come to terms with the choice of their son, they publicly support the princess. The former rebel and heir to the throne, Haakon, has two children in common - Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus. Mette-Marit's first son Marius was officially adopted by Haakon.

HRH Queen Rania of Jordan

Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan is one of the most beloved, beautiful and popular royals in the world. When she married Prince Abdullah bin Hussein in 1999, Rania, who was born into a simple family in Kuwait, did not even imagine that she would become queen so soon. The elder brother of her husband, Prince Hussein, was to ascend the throne.

But after the tragic death of the current king in the late nineties, Jordan was shocked by another piece of news - contrary to tradition, Abdullah was appointed heir. And Rania began a new life.

Her Majesty is known as a fighter for women's rights and a philanthropist. She travels a lot and covers the subject in the most unexpected places, such as on the Oprah Winfrey show and in glossy magazines. Also, many people remember the video posted on YouTube at her request, where the queen asked to send her questions about the Arab world and Islam.

There is really nothing to reproach the royal family of Jordan, they dearly love each other, both are skillful diplomats, charming and sincere people. And about "going to the people" without protection and in simple outfits of the royal couple, legends are already circulating. It is not surprising that the inhabitants of Jordan are simply not able to imagine the best monarchs. By royal standards, they lead quite an earthly life, raising four children - Hussein, Iman, Salma and Hashim.

HRH Crown Princess Mary

Scottish girl Mary Elizabeth Donaldson was preparing to prove theorems and solve equations, like her father, a professor of applied mathematics. She probably would have been doing this all her life if she hadn’t met Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney (where her family emigrated). Now, by the way, Mary's father works at Aarhus University in Denmark.

Soon Mary moved to Europe, where she began teaching English in Paris. When a certain Miss Donaldson began to actively appear in the company of Prince Frederik and no less actively learn Danish, journalists published the first articles about the future crown princess.

The Danes still remember the touching tears of Frederik when he saw his bride in the church aisle in a wedding dress.

Mary patronizes the European branch of the World Health Organization and, together with Frederick, brings up her son Christian Voldemar and her one-year-old daughter Isabella Henrietta.

Princess Charlotte Casiraghi

Charlotte belongs to the princely Grimaldi family and is the daughter of Princess Caroline of Hanover of Monaco, the niece of the reigning Prince of Monaco Albert II and, most importantly, the granddaughter of Hollywood beauty Grace Kelly.

Not being a legitimate princess (the girl's late father did not hold the title of prince), Charlotte is third in line to the throne of Monaco after her mother and older brother Andre. And all because Prince Albert II of Monaco never got a family and legitimate children.

Charlotte is known as a socialite party girl, the new favorite of the paparazzi and one of the muses of Karl Lagerfeld. Photographers shoot her with her boyfriends on vacation in the most exotic places on the globe from Brazil to Maui.

But until the age of 18, mother Carolina, a desperate daredevil in the past, took care of her daughter like the apple of her eye, even sent her away from Monaco - to the south of France to Provence. The first photos of the grown-up Charlotte made a splash, and it seems that journalists around the world decided that the beauty of the girl obliges them to shoot her forever.

Kate Middleton is the future Crown Princess of England?

Kate Middleton is the girlfriend of Prince William, who is second in line to inherit the throne of Great Britain (after Prince Charles), a very famous person. She has not yet become an official member of the royal family, but is approaching this status by leaps and bounds.

As you know, the royal court in England is one of the most conservative, so Queen Elizabeth II carefully monitors the lives of her grandchildren and tries in every possible way to influence the choice of the second half for boys. It is said that both Her Majesty and the subjects at court approved of William's choice. After all, Kate is the daughter of a major English businessman, well known in the secular circles of the country.

Until the end of the 17th century, upper-class Russian women led a life not much different from that of women in the Muslim East. They were locked in the towers, they did not dare to show themselves to strangers. Naturally, in such conditions they could not influence the administration of the kingdom. However, at the end of the seventeenth century, a brave woman was found who decisively broke with the prevailing traditions. She was Princess Sophia, daughter of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich.

After the death of her father in 1676, her younger brother Fyodor, weak and sickly, ascended the throne. Sophia decided to help her brother, because a difficult situation developed in the palace, caused by the fact that Alexei's second wife was Natalya Naryshkina, who hated her stepmother. She had a son, Peter, whom she wanted to make king.

By 1682, when Fedor died, Sophia had already occupied an important position at court, evidence of which was the fact that she came to the funeral, defiantly violating the centuries-old custom according to which women from the royal family could not visit them, so that they would not be seen by the curious.

After the death of Fedor, chaos ensued in Russia - in addition to the half-brother Peter, Sophia had another brother Ivan, behind whom his (and her) relatives Miloslavsky stood and nominated him to the king. The confusion ended with the proclamation of both candidates as co-rulers, but the real power was in the hands of the regent, Sophia, for Ivan was sick and incapable, and Peter was still too young. For the first time, Russia was ruled by a woman!

During the seven years of her reign, Sophia brought a lot of new things into Russian life. The Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy was established - the first educational institution, important agreements were concluded with China and Poland, two trips to the Crimea were made. Silence and order reigned in Russia - at the very beginning, Sophia suppressed with an iron hand both the speeches of the schismatics and the disobedient archers. Changes took place in the cultural life of the country - European trends penetrated. So Peter's reforms were not at all something unexpected, the country was already prepared for them.

But what Russia was not yet ready for was the rule of a woman, so when Peter turned seventeen in 1689, he became an adult and declared his rights to independent rule, the country's elite supported his claims against Sophia. Her fate was sad. The princess was exiled to a monastery, and in 1698, after the Streltsy rebellion, she was tonsured a nun and actually imprisoned in solitary confinement in a cell. Before reaching the age of fifty, she died in 1704.

But the coming eighteenth century can rightfully be called the "Women's Age." From 1725 to 1799, the representatives of the weaker sex, who suddenly became very strong, sat on the throne. One of the most important consequences of the Petrine reforms was a sharp change in the status of women in society. They came out of domestic confinement, were actively interested in the sciences and arts, and even more willingly participated in palace intrigues.

After the death of Peter I, something unprecedented awaited Russia. His widow, Catherine I, ascended the throne. But the sensation was not only and not so much in this fact itself, but in the personality of the empress. She came from a poor Latvian family, worked as a maid from an early age, was brought up in the Lutheran faith. A lucky chance made her first the concubine of the governor Sheremetev, and then the mistress of Peter, who recaptured her from his commander.

And a woman of such a low origin, who knew Russian poorly, was baptized into Orthodoxy already in adulthood, became the ruler of the greatest empire! It was a psychological and moral shock for the whole country, after which other empresses were already perceived without problems.

Catherine died early and was more interested in entertainment, she died early. On the other hand, Peter's niece Anna, who replaced her in 1730, firmly took power into her own hands and dispersed the "supervisors" (high-ranking aristocrats) who invited her, who forced her to sign "conditions" that limited the power of the monarch, which she personally broke.

Anna Ioannovna returned the capital to St. Petersburg, paid much attention to the development of the fleet, waged relatively successful wars, including with France. In all respects, she was not inferior to her male counterparts. She was unlucky with historians who painted her image in exclusively gloomy colors in connection with the German favorite, Biron.

The daughters of Peter I - Elizabeth, who ruled from 1741 to 1761, were more fortunate, although she did not surpass Anna in intellectual qualities. But they saw in her a truly Russian queen, cheerful, loving dancing and fun (although Anna was in no way inferior to her in terms of entertainment). In addition, she herself seized power by carrying out a coup. Without being particularly seriously involved in state affairs, the queen, choosing strong assistants, completely controlled the foreign and domestic policy of Russia. Under her rule, the war with Sweden was won, and Russian troops occupied Berlin, Bering made discoveries, Lomonosov created, and Moscow University was founded.

The last independent Russian empress was Catherine II, the most famous of the crowned women, who received the nickname "Great". The reign of "Felitsa," as Derzhavin called her in his ode, lasted thirty-four years. Catherine was the most important successor of Peter I in terms of her outlook and influence on European affairs. Under her rule, Russia finally became a world-class power, and its borders expanded significantly to the west and south. Catherine corresponded with Voltaire, hosted the Austrian Emperor Joseph II and intrigued on an equal footing with King Frederick the Great of Prussia and against the English Prime Minister Pitt Jr., bribing newspapermen and parliamentarians in London.

The appearance of empresses on the throne was in many ways a manifestation of the political instability of the young empire. By the 19th century, the state system in Russia had strengthened and a conservative rollback had begun - women were no longer allowed to the throne. The Bolsheviks who came to power in 1917, despite all their rhetoric about women's rights, also represented a purely male club. Alexandra Kollontai, Rozalia Zemlyachka or Ekaterina Furtseva were more characters in bad jokes than independent politicians. There were many women in power at the lowest levels of government, but the gender ceiling prevented them from rising higher.

Perestroika has not changed anything - politics is still done by men, and women play the role of workhorses, working in non-prestigious positions in administrations, being responsible for social programs and similar areas. Even when financial flows fall into their hands, the last word remains with the male minister-governors. None of the parliamentary parties is headed by a woman. But how long will this situation last?

The reign of female empresses in Russia is an extremely interesting and unique page in the history of the country. The death of Peter I was not only the departure from the life of the great reformer of the Russian land, but also the beginning of the period of women's rule -empresses who played an ambiguous role in Russian history.

Significant segment of the XVIII century. three empresses ruled the Russian throne - Anna Ioannovna, Elizabeth Petrovna and Catherine II. Their reign is assessed differently by different historians. As with any government, there are both pros and cons.

There was still a relatively short reign of Catherine I, but her deeds were almost completely overshadowed by the giant figure of the favorite of Peter I - the Most Serene Prince A.D. Menshikov. How faithful, tactful and intelligent wife of Peter I was Catherine I, just as imperceptible was her reign on the Russian throne.

And now Anna Ioannovna appears on the Russian throne. The personality of Anna Ioannovna in all periods of her life is described in bright colors, while there are much more dark ones.

Being the daughter of Tsar John Alekseevich (brother of Peter I), Anna was brought up from childhood with the aim of marrying her to a representative of one of the European royal houses. Regarding the state activities of Anna Ioannovna, it should be noted that, having become empress, Anna immediately dispersed the Supreme Privy Council, replacing it with the Cabinet of Ministers, which managed all affairs in the state. However, in Russia the first person who held in his hands all the threads of state life was the favorite of Anna Biron. The empress herself did not delve into affairs a little. She was more interested and amused by all kinds of masquerades and amusements, like the marriage of her jesters, Prince Golitsyn, and Buzheninova from Kamchadal. During the reign of Anna Ioannovna, the cruel rule and abuse of the highest ranks, and, above all, Biron, had a hard effect on the economy.

The next female ruler was Anna Leopoldovna. Anna never aspired to power, therefore, having become empress, she practically did not take part in public affairs. Anna Leopoldovna spent most of her time playing cards or reading novels. As a ruler, Anna Leopoldovna did not leave a noticeable mark on history, and there was no time for this - Anna ruled for a little over a year.

Another woman on the throne was Elizaveta Petrovna - beautiful, clever, cheerful laughter, lover of fun.The daughter of Peter I, Elizabeth, received a fairly good education by European standards. After the death of her father and mother, she was one of the official contenders for the Russian throne. But she was not considered as a candidate for the throne. Later, Elizaveta Petrovna led a detachment of guards officers who supported her, and removed Anna Leopoldovna and her son from the throne.

However, the desire for success among men and for constant fun does not allow describing the portrait of Elizabeth Petrovna only in positive colors. Her composure and determination at critical moments suggests that this "last Romanova" was a true Russian queen.

Significant events in the field of science and art during the time of Elizabeth include the creation in 1755 on the initiative of M.V. Lomonosov and P.I. Shuvalov Moscow University. In addition, according to their project, gymnasiums arose in Kazan and Moscow, and the Academy of Arts was founded in St. Petersburg.

Describing the personality of Elizabeth Petrovna, contemporaries and historians note the empress's fantastic passion for dress and entertainment, which she also cultivated in court circles and among the highest nobility.

Being very superstitious, she sincerely believed in witchcraft, spirits, the evil eye, she was terrified of the sight of the dead and funerals, and did not part with the holy relics in the amulet. However, for all her weaknesses and shortcomings as a statesman, Elizabeth had one good quality inherited from her father, Peter I, - to choose and involve capable people in governing the state. Elizabeth’s state affairs, of course, were not without benefit, such sensible politicians as P.I. Shuvalov, A.P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin. The foreign policy of the Russian state under Elizabeth can be called quite successful. Continuing the traditions of her father, the Empress was able to achieve the strengthening of Russia's authority on the European continent.

The appearance on the Russian horizon of Catherine II, or rather the princess of the seedy German duchy of Sophia-Friederike Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst, fell on the period when the direct genealogy of the Romano kings was interruptedout. However, this German woman was able to turn into Catherine the Great. Only two Russian rulers were awarded a similar title, recognized by all of Europe - Peter I the Great and she, Catherine II the Great.

Of the phenomena of the era, closely connected with the facts of the personal biography of Catherine II, the flowering of such an obscure Russian institution of the 18th century as favoritism must certainly be noted. With the names of Eka's favoritesIn the memory of her offspring, the most important events of her reign were connected: the coup of 1762 with the brothers Grigory and Alexei Orlov, the highest military and administrative successes with the name of Prince Potemkin, the decline of the Empress, physical and spiritual, with the names of Platon and Valerian Zubov. But no matter how great the real or supposed role of people close to Catherine in Russian history, it should be remembered that none of them overshadowed the empress, just as Richelieu overshadowed Louis XIII, Biron - Anna Ioannovna, and Bismarck - Wilhelm I .

Catherine II was and remains an independent and significant figure in Russian history, a kind of link between the era of Peter the Great's reforms and the turbulent 19th century. From her will, character, education, relations with others, and sometimes from a whim, state decisions, troop movements and human destinies depended.

Women empresses in Russian history played an ambiguous role. The state, despite the fact that weak female hands ruled the country, not only did not fall into decay, but, on the contrary, continued to strengthen. And this is the merit of the empresses. Of course, not all of them benefited the country, but there were none that only harmed the state.

What Slavic beauty captivated the heart of a famous monarch?

Imperious and beautiful queens are presented in the public Cognitively. Let's get to know the attractive rulers from the past.

Spain and Portugal.

Beauty Isabella, the eldest daughter of the French monarch Henry IV, tied the knot with the Spanish king Philip IV at the age of 13. The young girl did not arouse any interest in her husband for a long time. In a new place, the girl felt like a stranger and no one needed. Only after the age of 18 did her husband pay attention to her - since then the queen gave birth to 8 heirs to him, but only two of them managed to survive, and the rest died at an early age.

The loss of 6 babies negatively affected the physical and psychological state of the monarch. Not wanting to be at the Spanish court anymore, Isabella made several attempts to return to her homeland - she asked her father for permission to leave her husband and return to her father's house. Never having received the approval of the King of France, the woman died unexpectedly. The cause of Isabella's death is shrouded in mystery. According to one version, the queen's death was planned by her husband, who was tired of Isabella's prolonged depression.

Isabella of France (1602-1644).

And zabella of France (1602-1644).

The daughter of the English Earl Richard Woodville also had such a tragic fate. Like the ancient Greek Helen the Beautiful, the attractive Elizabeth became a bone of contention between powerful dynasties that resumed the War of the Scarlet and White Roses. The leader of the Yorks, King Edward IV, fell into the soul of a young beauty (by the way, already a widow with 2 children) and he asked for her hand.

The supporter of the monarch, the influential Earl of Warwick, did not like the king's passion, because he wanted Edward to choose a princess from France (any of the heirs) as his wife. Contrary to Warwick's plans, the king married his beloved, who later turned the soft monarch into a henpecked one who fulfilled her every whim.

As a result, Elizabeth's relatives became close associates of the king, which made Warwick very angry. The offended count betrayed Edward and became a supporter of the worst enemies of the monarch - the Lancaster family, one of whom the young king overthrew from the throne. By joining forces, the Lancasters briefly succeeded in regaining the crown. Edward had to spend a lot of effort to return power to his own hands.

While her husband was alive, Elizabeth, along with 12 children (including 2 sons), felt safe. After the sudden death of the king, the struggle for the throne flared up again, preventing Elizabeth's plans to crown her son. Subsequently, the former monarch buried her heir (he was executed), and spent the remaining years in Bermondzi Abbey.

Elizabeth Woodville (1437-1492).

Elizabeth Woodville (1437-1492).

Navarre (border territory between France and Spain).

The daughter of the French ruler Henry II became interested in Henry III, who headed the throne of the kingdom of Navarre. The beauty of Margarita Valois was legendary. Throughout her life, a loving lady turned the heads of many men. Rumor has it that even her brother the Duke of Anjou could not resist the charms of the beautiful queen.

Henry III is grateful to the life of his wife, who saved him from death on St. Bartholomew's night. Marguerite arranged for her husband to escape from the Louvre, in which he was imprisoned as an honorary prisoner. Having inherited the crown of the French state, the already divorced monarch began to be called Henry IV.

After the dissolution of her marriage to the king of Navarre, Margarita continued to be popular among influential men. Until her death, the woman had a bunch of lovers ready to fulfill her every whim.

Margaret of Navarre (1553-1615).

Margaret of Navarre (1553-1615).

Mary Stuart (1542-1587).

Scotland, France.

While still in infancy, Mary was proclaimed Queen of Scots (her late father, King James V, had no heirs besides her). At the age of 16, the girl headed the French throne, becoming the wife of Francis II. Already after 6 months. The young queen was widowed. Not wanting to tie the knot with the brother of her deceased husband, Karl, she returned to her homeland.

Many influential people wanted to win the heart of an elegant beauty, but to no avail. Only Lord Darnley managed to charm Mary, who married him. Due to many political differences, the marriage between the lord and the queen proved to be fragile. Subsequently, Darnley died. Most likely, the initiator of the murder of the lord was his wife.

As a result of the death of her husband, Mary's position on the throne was shaken - and she lost her crown. The third husband, James Hepburn, had to flee with Mary to England. Here she was taken prisoner, in which she spent 12 years. Mary was later executed by beheading.

Mary Stuart (1542-1587).

Mary Stuart (1542-1587).

Anna Yaroslavna (1032-1075/1089).

The Kyiv prince Yaroslav the Wise had the most important goal - to intermarry with influential families in Europe. As a result, he gave his daughters in marriage to kings (France, Hungary, Norway). Thanks to dynastic ties, Yaroslav managed to strengthen the position of Kievan Rus in the international arena.

He betrothed Anna Yaroslavna to the ruler of France, Henry I. Having never seen the bride before, the young king from the first minute of their meeting began to experience the most tender feelings for the Kyiv beauty. The kind and generous Anna fell in love with the subjects of the French monarch. The mother of three sons was faithful to her husband until his death.

The widowed Anna attracted the attention of the influential feudal lord Raoul de Vexin, who became her 2nd husband. Where and when one of the most beautiful queens in history died remains a mystery. Various sources speak of different places and dates of Anna's death.

1.Cleopatra

You might think you don't know anything about her. Well, let's pretend that you fell from the moon and tell. She lived in the 1st century BC. e. Ruler of Egypt. Mistress of Caesar and Mark Antony. Famed for her beauty, she is a lover of milk baths and ointments made from dissolved pearls. She died due to technical problems with the snake. By the way, the images on the coins are the only 100% proven portraits of the queen. And they all look like this.

2.Lina Cavalieri

Opera singer. She lived at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Considered one of the most beautiful women of the era. Postcards with her images were sold in the millions, and any soap considered it a duty to decorate its advertisements with the famous “hourglass” figure of a buxom singer, who was famous for her ability to tighten her corset so that her waist did not exceed 30 centimeters.

3.Phryne

Athenian hetaera, who lived in the 4th century BC, is a favorite model of many sculptors and artists, including Praxiteles. She became famous for her beauty and huge money - she demanded them from those gentlemen who she did not like.

4.Cleo de Merode

A French dancer born at the end of the 19th century who became one of the most famous women in the world for her beauty. She received the title of "Queen of Beauty" of the French magazine "Illustration", which compiled the world's first ranking of world beauties in 1896.

5.Ninon de Lanclos

French courtesan and writer of the 17th century, one of the most free-thinking women of her era. We wrote - XVII century? It is necessary to add: only the 17th century. And she also managed to capture the edge of the eighteenth, becoming the absolute champion among the veterans of the courtesan movement.

6.Praskovya Zhemchugova

In reality, rare Cinderellas manage to ring princes, but there is at least one case in history when an earl, a millionaire and the most illustrious of the nobles of his time, married his own slave. At the end of the 18th century, Parasha Zhemchugova, the serf actress of Count Sheremetev, became the wife of her master, scandalizing Russian society.

7.Diane de Poitiers

The favorite of Henry II, who lived in the 16th century, for the sake of which the king actually ruined his subjects. The king was much younger than his beloved, he fell in love with Diana in fact in infancy and remained faithful to her all his life, if not physically, then at least mentally. As contemporaries wrote, “for all the hatred of the people for Diana, this hatred is still less than the king’s love for her.”

8.Ann Bolein

English short-term queen of the 16th century, the second wife of Henry VIII, because of which the British became Protestants. Mother Elizabeth the Great was known for her beauty and frivolity and ended her life on the scaffold, accused by her husband of numerous betrayals of him and England.

9.Messalina

She lived at the beginning of the 1st century AD. e, was the wife of Emperor Claudius and enjoyed the reputation of the most lustful woman in Rome, according to the testimony of Tacitus, Suetonius and Juvenal.

10.Empress Theodora

In the 6th century A.D. e. Theodora became the wife of the heir to the imperial throne, and then the emperor of Byzantium, Justinian. But before becoming a pious and venerable queen, Theodora practiced pantomime and acrobatics in the circus for many years, at the same time selling herself a little to especially admiring connoisseurs of circus art.

11.Barbara Radziwill

A young Lithuanian widow, who in the 16th century became the secret wife of the future king of Lithuania and Poland, Sigismund II August. She was considered the most beautiful woman in the kingdom.

12.Simonetta Vespucci

If you have seen the painting "The Birth of Venus" by Botticelli, then you are well aware of this famous Florentine model of the 15th century. It is easier to list which of the artists of that era did not paint the red-haired Simonetta. And the Medici dukes (with some of them the model had a trusting relationship) were officially obliged to indicate it in the documents as “Incomparable Simonetta Vespucci”.

13.Agnes Sorel

The French mademoiselle of the 15th century, a long-term favorite of Charles VII, who gave birth to daughters to the king, beneficially, according to contemporaries, influenced his politics, and in her free time from these studies posed for artists - for example, Fouquet, when he depicted Madonnas for churches and private customers.

14.Nefertiti

The main wife of Pharaoh Ekhanaten, who ruled in Egypt in the XIV century BC. e. Numerous busts and statues of the beautiful Nefertiti have been preserved. But the queen's mummy has not yet been found, so it is not known how similar she was to her very attractive portraits, which literally drove many poets and writers of the early 20th century crazy who saw these works in European museums.

15.Marquise de Maintenon

The young widow of the poet Scarron was invited to the court of Louis XIV by the king's mistress, Madame de Montespan, so that poor Scarron would educate the royal bastards. The king was so delighted with her teaching methods that he wished to experience them for himself. To the great indignation of the entire court, he not only made a new mistress the Marquise of Maintenon, but then also secretly married her.

16.Marquise de Montespan

The mistress of Louis XIV, who lived in the 17th century, herself came from a noble ducal family, so the French court willingly tolerated such a high-ranking mistress near the king. Moreover, the Marquise was pretty (by the standards of that time, at least) and smart enough not to get too involved in public affairs.

17.Zinaida Yusupova

The richest and most beautiful woman of the Russian Empire of the XIX century. Moreover, being the only heiress of the entire family of the Yusupov princes, by special order of the tsar, in addition to a multimillion-dollar dowry, she brought her husband the title of Prince Yusupov. How many fans do you think she had? The winner of this tiring race was Count Sumarokov-Elston - a general, a brave man and with a big mustache.

18.Wallis Simpson

Each of us sometimes wonders what he is worth in this life. The twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson had the answer to this question. It is worth a little more than the British Empire. At least, this was decided by the King of Britain, Edward VIII, who abdicated the throne in 1936 in order to marry Wallis: while occupying the throne, he did not have the right to marry a divorced woman.

19.Madame Recamier

The fifty-year-old banker Jean Recamier, who in 1793 married the sixteen-year-old Julie, knew what he was doing. He did not go to his beauty with vulgar sex, but invited the best teachers to her that could only be found in revolutionary France. A couple of years later, he generously financed her house, her outfits and her social life, encouraging the young wife to attract crowds of friends and admirers from the then elite. Thanks to the famous political, literary and scientific salon of Madame Recamier, the banker became one of the most influential people in Europe.

20.yang guifei

The precious wife of the Chinese emperor Ming-huang, who is better known under the posthumous name Xuanzong (ruled in the 8th century). A beggar girl from a peasant family, Yang, drove the emperor mad so much that he actually gave all the power in the state into the hands of her numerous relatives, and he himself had fun with Yang-guifei eating fused oranges and other Chinese sophistication. The logical result was a coup d'état and civil war.

21.Veronica Franco

There were many tourists in Venice in the 16th century. It was not so much the Venetian canals that attracted gentlemen from distant lands to this city, but rather “pious courtesans” - this was the official name for the most chic corrupt women of the city, who were refined, educated, free in communication and ruined their gentlemen in the most noble way. One of the most famous pious courtesans was Veronica Franco.

22.aspasia

Athenian hetaera, who became the wife of the ruler of Athens, Pericles (V century BC). Hetera in the wives of the ruler was in itself a curiosity, but another feature of Aspasia was that numerous authors do not say a word about the fact that she was beautiful or sexy. No, everyone praises her outstanding mind in unison. It is known, for example, that Socrates himself was very fond of visiting Aspasia and listening to her philosophical reasoning.

23.Isadora Duncan

Star of the early 20th century, an American dancer who introduced the tradition of "natural" dance in spite of official pointe ballets and other classic horrors. Naturalness also demanded natural attire, so Isadora usually danced barefoot, casually wrapped in a variety of fluttering sheets that did not prevent the audience from following the movements of her body. She was the wife of the Russian poet Sergei Yesenin.

24.Kitty Fisher

The most expensive courtesan in Britain in the 18th century: a night with her cost at least a hundred guineas (for this amount you could buy ten thoroughbred horses). At the same time, Kitty took ten times as much from men she did not like. Her great love of money was accompanied by a terrible waste. Kitty's symbol was the image of a kitten catching goldfish from an aquarium - her name, surname and character were simultaneously played in it.

25.Harriett Wilson

In the first half of the 19th century, the scandalous life of London existed mainly due to the six Wilson sisters, who were engaged in high society prostitution. The most successful of them was Sophia, who managed to marry Lord Berwick, and the most famous was Harriett. It's hard to find a famous politician of that era who managed to avoid being in Harriett's bed. The future King George IV, the Lord Chancellor, the Prime Minister, the Duke of Wellington - they all had a close relationship with Harriett. Officially, she was considered a writer: she published monstrously unpopular and boring gothic novels at her own expense.

26.Mata Hari

The Dutch young lady Margarita Gertrude Zelle took the pseudonym Mata Hari after she, having lived in an unsuccessful marriage with her first husband in Indonesia, ran away from her husband and began to perform a striptease. Officially, the striptease performed by Mata was called "a mystical oriental dance pleasing to Shiva." During the First World War, she was a spy, a double agent for France and Germany, after which she was indecently hastily shot by the French in 1917. Until now, the version prevails that in this way one of the high-ranking officials of France tried to hide his connection with Mata and his own war crimes.

27.Tullia d'Aragona

Italian courtesan of the 16th century, who in turn shook Rome, Florence and Venice. In addition to actually sexual victories over the most outstanding talents and minds of the Italian Renaissance, Tullia was famous as a poetess, writer and philosopher. For example, her "Dialogues on the Infinity of Love" was one of the most popular works of the century.

28.Carolina Otero

French dancer and singer of the late 19th century, posing as a gypsy, although in fact she was a purebred Spanish (but then it was not fashionable). Enjoyed great success with the crowned persons. At least seven kings and emperors were her secret lovers. In particular, it is known that the Russian Emperor Nicholas II was extremely partial to Carolina.

29.Liane de Pugy

A French dancer and writer at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries, who also traded herself a little for an extremely large remuneration (Liana herself liked girls more, so she mostly had love affairs with her beautiful colleagues). Marcel Proust wrote off one of his heroines, Odette de Crecy, from Liana. Mademoiselle de Pougy was friends with almost all the intellectuals of her era. Having married a Romanian aristocrat, she became a princess and retired.

30.Countess di Castiglione

Born in 1837, Italian Virginia Oldoini became the world's first top fashion model. More than 400 of her daguerreotypes have survived. Being a noblewoman from an old family, she married Count Castiglione at the age of 16, but she preferred the fate of a high society courtesan and politician to a quiet family life. She was the mistress of Napoleon III.

31.Ono no Komachi

Japanese poetess and court lady of the 9th century, included in the list of "The 36 Greatest Poets of Japan". The hieroglyphs denoting her name have become synonymous with the phrase "beautiful woman." At the same time, Ono no Komachi was a symbol of coldness and hardness of heart. It is known, for example, that she made her beloved stand in front of her doors in winter in light clothes all night long, after which she composed sad poems about their early death from a cold.

32.Empress Xi Shi

In the VI century BC. e. the ruler of the Chinese kingdom Wu, Fuchai, was sent a gift by ill-wishers from neighboring kingdoms - the incredible beauty Xi Shi, accompanied by a retinue of beautiful maids. At the sight of Xi Shi, Fuchai's mind went beyond reason. He ordered to create a park with a palace for her and hung out in this palace around the clock. Of course, soon his kingdom was conquered by scoundrels who came up with this cunning plan.