Top 10 Most Toxic Love Stories from History

#10: Lord Byron & Lady Caroline Lamb

During the Romantic movement, the English Lord Byron became famous for his poetry. He was a bit of a bad boy, to put it mildly, but Lady Caroline Lamb fell for him despite this. Apparently, she famously described him as “mad, bad, and dangerous to know.” In secret, they were lovers, but publicly they hated each other. Byron eventually finished things with Caroline, but her feelings didn’t falter. She spent a while in Ireland sending him letters, then, after returning to London, ended up making a scene at a ball. Caroline smashed a glass and then tried to harm herself. Historians believe she never got over Byron, remaining obsessed with him until she died in 1828.

#9: Catherine the Great & Grigory Potemkin

Russia’s most famous Empress is probably Catherine the Great, who did a coup against her own husband to take charge. During her reign, one of her favorite nobles was Grigory Potemkin, who is probably her most well-known lover. The pair became smitten with each other, as proven by the plethora of love letters they sent one another. They also revealed Potemkin was exceedingly jealous of Catherine. Their passion faded with time, leading them to separate and remain friends. Despite remaining on good terms, they allegedly ended up in quite a few love triangles after this point.

#8: Antony & Cleopatra

Our next couple had a relationship so complicated that it inspired a tragedy by William Shakespeare. Cleopatra was the last Queen of Egypt before the Roman Empire took control, and Mark Antony was a pivotal player in ending the Republic and forming the Empire. Antony was married to Augustus’ sister, but had an affair with Cleopatra behind her back. Together, they had 3 children, one of many reasons Antony’s relationship with Augustus grew strained. This resulted in them being crushed by Augustus’ armies. So, Cleopatra faked her death to Antony, who then took his own life. After he died, Cleopatra then actually ended her life.

#7: Charles & Diana

Few royal marriages break down as publicly as Charles and Diana’s did. They married in 1981 and stayed together for 15 years. Things seemed great at first, but cracks began to show in the late 80s. It turned out both of them had been unfaithful, with their affairs becoming highly publicized. This involved things such as leaked phone calls between Charles and Camilla. They appeared especially upset with one another during a state visit to South Korea in 1992, then split up the same year. They wouldn’t divorce until 1996, then Diana sadly died in Paris the following year.

#6: John Lennon & Yoko Ono

While it’s not true that Yoko Ono broke up the Beatles, we can safely say her relationship with Lennon was pretty unique. They met each other in 1966, then began an affair in 1968. Lennon’s first wife Cynthia came home from a holiday, only to discover Lennon and Ono sat on the floor staring into each other’s eyes. Lennon divorced his wife soon after, then spent the rest of his life married to Yoko. Their relationship was complex, to put it mildly. They moved to New York in the 70s, and things became so strained that they briefly separated. Lennon then had a short relationship with a personal assistant before getting back together.

#5: Henry VIII & Anne Boleyn

Henry VIII became king in 1509, and was famously so desperate for a male heir that he married 6 times. Henry’s first wife was Catherine of Aragon, but his affections turned cold when she couldn’t produce an heir. He fell hard and fast for her lady in waiting, Anne Boleyn, and he decided to dissolve his marriage to Catherine. Trouble was, this wasn’t allowed in the Catholic Church. Henry declared himself head of the church of England, and married Anne Boleyn. But then she also struggled to bear a son. After all the hard work he put into divorcing Catherine, he would look foolish to divorce Anne so suddenly. So, he instead decided to smear her reputation, then have her executed for treason.

#4: Mary, Queen of Scots & Henry Stuart

For 25 years, Mary ruled Scotland until being forced out of power in 1567. She was first married to Francis, King of France, but he died in 1560. 5 years later, she married her half-cousin, Henry Stuart. She gave him the peculiar pet name “long lad,” alongside calling him the “best proportioned long man that she had seen.” After marrying, Mary became increasingly put off by the Lord Darnley’s violent personality. Darnley became so jealous of Mary’s secretary, David Rizzio, that he stabbed him to death in front of her in 1566. About a year later, Darnley’s house exploded, and his body was found not too far away. People have speculated for centuries whether Mary was responsible, but we may never know.

#3: Napoleon & Joséphine

Napoleon Bonaparte was the French Emperor from 1804 until 1814, then for a brief period in 1815. Until 1810, his empress was Joséphine. While they were married for 14 years, it wasn’t ideal. Shortly after their wedding in 1796, Joséphine began an affair while Napoleon travelled to Italy. He then begged her to join him in Milan, which she eventually did reluctantly, bringing her secret lover along. Napoleon then began having his own affairs, and the relationship continued in this fashion until their separation. She seemed to be frequently on his mind the rest of his life, though, with his last intelligible words allegedly being “France, army, Josephine.”

#2: King Henry II of England & Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine

During the 12th and 13th centuries, England and the majority of France were united under the House of Plantagenet. Henry II was responsible, as he inherited the Duchy of Normandy, the County of Anjou, and the English throne. In 1152, he married Eleanor of Aquitaine, only a few weeks after divorcing the French King. It started passionately, but rumors of infidelity began spreading in the 1160s. They became further apart with time, until Eleanor helped her sons revolt against Henry. They failed, and Eleanor was imprisoned, although it was more like house arrest, until Henry died in 1189.

#1: Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera

This pair became two of Mexico’s most famous painters during the 20th century. Diego had four wives total, including Frida Kahlo, whom he first married in 1929, then they got married again in 1940, only a year after getting divorced. They were almost constantly cheating on one another, with Rivera even having an affair with Kahlo’s sister. The latter affair nearly pushed Kahlo to divorce him in 1935. Things were soon repaired between them, but the cheating continued. Kahlo even had an affair with Soviet revolutionary Leon Trotsky in the late 1930s. They remained married until Kahlo died in 1954, then a year later, Rivera married his agent.

Do you agree with our choices, or were there more volatile relationships from history you think were worth a mention? Let us know in the comments below!