Mistresses
I beg to differ. Even before the advent of the gutter press, British Kings and princes have flaunted their mistresses in front of the entire country.
Case One:
Charles II: Half the aristocracy in England owes their titles to this man's bastard children. His wife had no living children. Out of guilt, Charles did not divorce Catherine of Breganza nor did he get rid of her when he had the chance. But guilt did not prevent Charles forcing his wife to accept his lovers as her ladies in waiting.
Case 2:
George IV, the Prince Regent: His marriage was the scandal of the day. He lived with Mariah Fizherbert for years. After he died, his family still aknowledged her. He actually married her illegally. She was Roman Catholic.
Case Three:
Henry II: He was married to Eleanor of Aquataine, the richest heiress of her time; the Queen of both France and England. She bore Henry five sons. She married him months after being divorced by Louis of France. She had an affair with Henry's father, Geoffrey the Fair of Anjou while still the French Queen.
(Side Note: Interesting story:re: Henry's parents. They had a famously stormy marriage. It was his first marriage and her second. She was the only remaining child of Henry I of England and thirty when she married Geoffrey. He was FIFTEEN! They famously hated one another. They had an actual agreement to stay out of the same region of Anjou and Normandy whilst married. They had five children who apparently had affection for both their parents. Their marriage worked. They came together for ruling matters and to have children. They went their separate ways when not procreating. He died when he was thirty-eight. She outlived him.)
Eleanor was not a princess in a tower by any means. She actually raised several of William's children by other women with her own children in the royal nursary. It is only when Rosamund Clifford came on the scene that trouble began. To make a long and very complicated story short, Eleanor incited rebelliion amoungst her sons and tried to dethrone Henry. In return, he confined her to a castle until the end of his life.
These examples come from many different periods. The rulers of England have always been interesting to say the least. Charles is actually quite boring. He only had one mistress. And now, he is not married. he doesn't even rate in the top ten of bad husbands when you tally up the Princes of Wales and Kings of England.
Bad Husband List:
10. Charles II: he was charming but would you want to be married to a man who slept around as much as he did?
9. Edward VII: Mistresses by the Royal box load. After his wife got menengitis and became partially deaf, he went merrily on with his social life. Went running back to her when scandal arose and when mummy threatened him.
8. Haarald II: Denied being married to his wife of many years in order to make an alliance with William, Duke of Normandy. Cast doubt on the legitimacy of his children and eventually lost the throne to said William the Conquerer.
7. and 6. Edward II and Richard the Lionheart of England: That whole gay thing. Not to say that some gay men haven't made good kings and husbands. Just that these two were not very good husbands. Edward's wife retaliated by killing him. Her son imprisoned her for life after he grew up for doing it. I doubt Richard could have even described his wife.
5. Henry I of England: Had over thirty bastard children. Stole his wife from a Scottish convent. Got her pregnant beforetrying to get her vows annulled.
4. John I of England: Divorced his first wife after ascending the throne. Told her just before he married her off to another man. Married a thirteen year old a few months later.
3. George I of England: locked his wife up in a castle for adultery after murdering her lover. She died there.
2.Henry II: The reasons: The usual illegitimate children combined with a bad temper, locking up Eleanor in a castle for getting mad, and having children with the fiancee of your oldest surviving son.
1.Henry VIII: Killed 4 of his wives. (I count Katherine of Aragon seeing as he harassed her to an early death)
See, Charles in not even in the same league.
Cheers
