Five Biggest Queen Controversies and Scandals Throughout History

Countless queens have caused turbulent waves during their reigns throughout history. And some of them were involved in scandals and controversies that shocked the world. The queens were involved in such activities to rule their kingdom or to live a secret life with their lovers. However, they affected common people when they became public.

Let’s take a glimpse at five of the popular queen controversies in history.  

Marie Antoinette’s Love for Luxury

From 1774 to 1792, Marie Antoinette ruled over France. Her love for luxurious things and glamor made people hate her. Moreover, she was associated with the affair of “The Diamond Necklace.” In court, Marie Antoinette was proven to be innocent. But the public was against the queen and she was executed. This was one of the extremely popular female ruler scandals in history.

Catherine Howard and Her Suitors

Some queenly controversies ended in extremely severe punishments, such as this one. Catherine Howard of England was very much younger than her husband, King Henry VIII. It’s said that the queen was involved in pre-marital affairs with three men. One of them was Francis Dereham, whom she appointed as her secretary. Eventually, the court declared that both the queen and her lover were guilty. Dereham was hanged, drawn, and quartered, and Catherine Howard was beheaded.

Irene’s Plot to Kill Her Son

Queen Irene of Athens and her royal scandals date back to ancient history. There was a constant fight between the queen and her son, Constantine, for the throne. It is said that the queen conspired against Constantine and gouged his eyes out with help from her supporters! Many say that Constantine went into exile. But several others say that he died sometime later. This remains a mystery even to this day.

Isabella’s Love That Rose From Neglect

Queen Isabella ruled England with her husband, King Edward II, for quite some years. But she was neglected by her husband, who was seeing various other men. So, the queen started a relationship with Roger Mortimer. They plotted to overthrow the king, and he had no choice but to abdicate. Roger Mortimer and the queen ruled England till her son was ready to take over. Some called Isabella the “She-Wolf.”

Caroline Matilda and Her Conspiracy

Caroline Matilda was married to Danish King Christian VII, who was believed to be mentally unstable. Johann Friedrich Struensee, the king’s doctor, became his confidante. Soon, the German doctor and the queen started having an affair. They ruled over Denmark for about ten months and changed the country considerably. But the enemies of the queen and the doctor convinced the king that the duo were conspiring to kill him. Finally, the doctor was murdered and the queen was forced to go into exile. This shows that royal family scandals were pretty common in several countries, including Denmark. 

And we have come to the end of the queen controversies in history. Hope you had an interesting read!