famous stories. Great love stories

Famous people love, lose and suffer no less than others. We will tell you about the seven most touching and sad love stories that the whole world has watched.

One of the most famous couples in America in the 50s is a cult actress and a famous baseball player. In 1954, the lovers got married and seriously planned to become an exemplary family. The fatal blonde with might and main assured that she wanted to give birth to Joe kids and become a completely domestic woman. However, in the understanding of Marilyn, this did not include leaving Hollywood. Of course, the hot Italian husband did not like this, and even the status of the sex symbol of the missus acted on him like a red rag on a bull. Jealousy won over love, and after only 2 years of marriage, the couple broke up.

However, the warmest feelings between the former spouses still remained - all their lives they kept in touch and helped each other. Moreover, it was DiMaggio who prepared the funeral of Monroe, and on his orders for many years fresh flowers appeared on the grave of the actress as a sign of love and respect from her former lover.

This love story began quite pragmatically - presidential candidate John F. Kennedy needed a profitable match and found it in the person of the respectable and educated Jacqueline Bouvier. The wedding took place in 1953 - the couple looked perfect, but their happiness was mostly a PR fiction. Kennedy was not particularly serious about the oath of allegiance to his wife and started affairs right and left, while the faithful Jacqueline endured all his adventures and remained close during severe attacks and operations that John suffered due to his serious problems with the spine.

In the late 50s, Jackie's patience snapped and she decided to file for divorce. Her father-in-law and former diplomat Joe Kennedy persuaded her to save the marriage. The couple stayed together, and for some time peace and love really reigned in their family - John began to appreciate his wife, and she allowed their relationship to start from a new leaf.

But the idyll was not destined to last b Xia for a long time - November 22, 1963 in Dallas, a shot killed Kennedy and at the same time completed the story of their relationship with Jacqueline.

The witnesses of that tragic event especially remembered the gesture of the faithful wife, who decided not to change her blood-splattered suit, so that the whole world could see not only her pain, but also the horror of the crime committed by the killer.

Although Birkin did not become the first love of the French chanson star Serge Gainsbourg, she definitely left a serious mark on his life and work. The couple met in 1968 on the set of the film "Slogan". At first they hated each other, but after a while the situation changed dramatically, and Jane turned from an enemy into the musician's third wife.

Together, the lovers spent a long 12 years, during which their daughter Charlotte and the famous hit "Je t" aime ... Moi non plus "(" I love you ... I don't either "), which was personally criticized by the Pope, managed to be born, that , however, only added to the popularity of the song.

The tandem broke up because of Serge's addiction to drinking, but they remained good friends and colleagues - it was Gainsbourg who wrote her the best songs. To this day, Jane speaks of ex-husband with great warmth and calls him a very vulnerable, but incredibly talented person.

This romance can rightly be called official - it flared up on the set of the film "Flames over England", where Lee and Olivier played lovers. Despite the fact that both actors were married, they decided to give a damn and start living together. The couple resolved the divorce formalities with their other halves only a few years later, and only after that they were able to register their relationship.

Destroyed this great story both sides -Lawrence was tormented by envy of the success of his beloved, and Vivienne began to experience an exacerbation of manic-depressive psychosis, which eventually broke her life and put an end to her passionate relationship with Olivier.

The actor quickly came to his senses, married a year later and lived happily for 30 years, but Lee died only 7 years later from tuberculosis and remained single until the end of her life.

The fatal blonde of our time and her famous husband met in 1968 at the film set of the Warner Brothers studio. The novel flared up quickly - in the same year the couple got married. The couple stayed together for 7 years.

They broke up through the fault of Penn - he was never famous for exemplary behavior, but in those days he completely beat all records: he regularly got drunk, was wildly jealous of his wife and often beat her. Once he was completely carried away - the badly beaten singer even filed a complaint with the police. A little later, she really took him away, saying that she wished Sean all the best, if only he was away from her.

Nevertheless, Madonna's feelings were strong - later she repeatedly admitted that it was Penn who was her greatest love. In 1996, she invited the actor to attend her birth, and after that she regularly appeared with him at events and was extremely flattered when Sean visited and approved one of her performances. However, the couple could not forgive each other until the end, and their reunion remained only in the dreams of fans.

6. Romy Schneider and Alain Delon

Another office romance, which, moreover, began with mutual hatred - having met at film set the film "Christina", the impulsive Delon and the refined Schneider immediately disliked each other. But a few months later, Romy moved from Australia to Paris to Alain, and a couple of months later their engagement was announced. The wedding, however, never took place - after some time, Delon was seen by the paparazzi with a certain blonde, a little later he left Romy, and he married this blonde. Schneider, on the other hand, remained at the bottom.

Dealing with grief, she got married and forgot to think about Delon, until fate brought them together again on the set of the film "Pool". As it turned out, fate was here and Moreover, the role for Romy was procured by the actor himself. Passion flared up new force, her husband left Schneider, and soon Delon himself fled, again leaving the actress alone with herself and her pain.

Romy's suffering spilled over into a passion for alcohol, and in 1981 another blow awaited her - her 14-year-old son suddenly died. Soon the actress herself died of a broken heart.

Delon took the death of his ex-lover as his fault - he wrote about this in a letter published in one of the newspapers: “It was because of me that your heart stopped beating. Because of me, because 25 years ago I was made your partner at Christina.

7. Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger

Williams and Ledger met on the set of the controversial Brokeback Mountain. According to colleagues of the actors, their romance flared up immediately. For three years the couple was happy together - in 2008, after the birth of their daughter Matilda, they announced their engagement. However, they never played a wedding - after some time, both actors announced a break in relations. For the press, the main version was the employment of Ledger and Williams. But close sources said that it was Heath's addiction to drugs. The actor also experienced a difficult and painful break with Michelle with their help. And soon he was found dead in his own house. He allegedly accidentally mixed strong sleeping pills, after which he could no longer wake up.

Williams suffered a loss for a long time and is unlikely to fully recover from it now. In an interview, she said that no one can even imagine how much everything died for her with Heath.

1. Cleopatra and Mark Antony

This is without a doubt the most famous history love, repeatedly beaten in plays and films. Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt, was a very charismatic woman with a charming voice (contemporaries say nothing about her beauty). She constantly fought for the right to be considered the ruler of her country with her own relatives, and in order to finally establish herself as the queen of Egypt, she was forced to look for a patron, and found him in the person of 52-year-old Gaius Julius Caesar. 21-year-old Cleopatra was able to conquer the great conqueror, and became Caesar's mistress. He was already married, but this did not prevent him from taking Cleopatra with him to Rome, along with their common son Caesarion. The Romans were quite worried about the fact that it was Caesarion who could become the heir to the great Caesar. But it did not come to that - Caesar, as we all know, was stabbed to death at the next meeting of the Senate.

Cleopatra returned to Egypt, where she learned about the formation of the next ruler of Rome. She decided to seduce him, and in order to implement her plan, she sailed to Tarsus (present-day Turkey) on a special ship. In general, Mark Antony fell in love with Cleopatra, and shortly after they became lovers, Cleopatra gave Antony two twins.

The end of the relationship, as well as the lives of both lovers, was marked by the confrontation between Mark Antony and Octavian, Caesar's nephew (Antony, by the way, was married to Octavian's sister, but left her for Cleopatra). Mark Antony returned to Rome, quarreled with Octavian, and the war began, which ended in the complete defeat of the combined troops of Mark Antony and Cleopatra. After Octavian's troops entered Egypt, Cleopatra hid in a mausoleum, and Antony was owed that she committed suicide. Mark Antony, without hesitation, threw himself on the sword, and died in the arms of his beloved. Cleopatra killed herself after she learned that she would be carried through the streets of Rome in a cart, as a symbol of defeated Egypt.

2. Catherine the Great and Grigory Potemkin

In 1761, Catherine the Great was not yet Great, she was just the wife of a not very wise tsar Peter III. Just a year later, he was deprived of power (not without the help of Catherine) and killed (maybe Catherine herself sent the killers, there is such an option). After that, a prominent military man, Grigory Potemkin, becomes the guardian of the life and peace of the queen.

She was never indifferent to male beauty and strong character, and fell in love with Potemkin without memory, showering him with money and honors. To the credit of the latter, Potemkin really began to faithfully serve his queen. Catherine, being a very strong-willed woman, loved Potemkin so much that she even wrote tender love letters to him, which she almost never did. Potemkin and Catherine, according to some sources, even got married, although the fact of the wedding is doubtful among many historians. The wedding took place in 1774 in the Church of the Ascension, which has not survived to our time.

Ekaterina and Potemkin eventually became just comrades-in-arms, but Ekaterina until the end of her days had very warm feelings for her secret husband. After his death at the age of 52, she lost heart and was almost permanently depressed.

3. Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine

In the autumn of 1795, Josephine, who has exchanged her fourth decade, meets with Napoleon, who has just turned 26 years old. She seemed to him a lady very elegant and graceful, noble and even somewhat proud. Perhaps the success was further reinforced by the fact that Josephine was able to perfectly play the role of the petitioner.

In general, Napoleon and Josephine got engaged, and they did it at a time when no one could yet suspect Napoleon's dizzying career. By the way, when he goes on long trips, she embarks on love adventures with her head.

Despite everything, Napoleon idolizes his wife, and only one fact overshadows his joy - Josephine cannot get pregnant in any way. In the end, Napoleon breaks the bonds of marriage, although he does not stop loving his Josephine. She was the only person, to whom the prisoner of St. Helena addressed in his deathbed delirium. He did not see any flaws in his "goddess", and kept his love until his death.

4. Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna

The young Nicholas II, the future Tsar of Russia, fell in love with the German Princess Alexandra as soon as he saw her. Despite all the strict moral laws of that time, which were even more stringent in relation to royal persons, Nikolai and Alexandra began to often appear in public together.

The future tsar and Alexandra Feodorovna were engaged in 1893. Shortly thereafter, Nicholas's father died, and, a couple of days later, Nicholas II became the king of all Russia. Their love continued until the idyll was broken by an uprising of workers and peasants, plus Grigory Rasputin appeared on the horizon.

Be that as it may, on July 16, 1918, all royal family was destroyed by the Bolsheviks. People died, but their love story remained.

5. Charles Lindbergh and Anna Spencer Morrow

Charles Lindbergh became famous in 1927 after he single-handedly crossed Atlantic Ocean. A year later, traveling Latin America he met with his future wife, Anna Spencer Morrow, daughter of the US Ambassador to Mexico.

Their relationship attracted the attention of the whole world, and just a year later, Charles Lindbergh and Anna Morrow became husband and wife. Shortly thereafter, Charles and Anna began to fly together, conquering the skies. They set a world speed record between Los Angeles and New York in 1930, with Anna already seven months pregnant.

Both were not only skilled pilots, but also wrote books, becoming the authors of as many as 13 books. Unfortunately, bright life both was overshadowed by the kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh son in 1932. Despite everything, the Lindebergs are considered one of the most romantic couples who really lived in perfect harmony, as they say.

Incredible Facts

The life of celebrities seems to us the ultimate dream, and their love stories are an incredibly beautiful fairy tale.

However, even for the beautiful and famous, not everything is so smooth and cloudless.

Sometimes even the most beautiful stories love, suddenly breaking off, find a tragic ending.

Here are 10 celebrity love stories with surprisingly sad endings:

The most tragic love stories

1. Simon Atli and Petra Nemkova

In a split second, a dream vacation turned into a nightmare for 25-year-old model Petra Nemkova and her 33-year-old boyfriend, photographer Simon Utley.

At the end of 2004, the lovers went to one of popular resorts Thailand. Vacation promised to be fabulous.

When a deadly tsunami hit the island, thousands of human destinies were broken in an instant.

Petra escaped certain death by clinging to the branches of a palm tree. For eight agonizing hours, the model stayed on the tree until rescuers finally rescued her.

The girl received a fracture of the pelvis and many other injuries, but she survived, and her lover died ...

Simon's body was found 6 months later near the place where the couple spent their holidays.

In memory of her dead fiancé, Petra founded a fund called The Happy Hearts Fund. This organization was engaged in helping the victims of the cataclysms in Haiti and the Philippines cope with the tragedies that fell upon them.

Michael Todd is perhaps famous for being single husband Elizabeth Taylor, whom she did not divorce. And it really was a feat.

After all, all 7 marriages famous actress ended in divorce. Marriage with Michael was the third in a row for the star Cleopatra (she was married a total of eight times) and the third for Todd, a famous Hollywood producer.

Taylor was two years old younger than son Todd from his first marriage. However, the 23-year age difference did not stop the lovers. The relationship between Elizabeth and Michael was in the spotlight all the time and was surrounded by a lot of gossip and gossip.

6 months after the wedding, a daughter, Liza, was born in the family.

Despite the negative tabloid attention, the couple seemed genuinely in love and sincere.

Many have said that Elizabeth has never been happier than being paired with Todd.

Their fairy tale ended when, less than a year after their marriage in 1958, Todd's private jet, Lucky Liz, crashed. The plane's engine failed and it exploded on impact with the ground.

At the end of her life, Elizabeth called Michael "the love of her life" along with her 5th (and 6th) husband, Richard Burton, and, of course, jewelry.

Celebrity tragedy

3. Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love

Yes, their relationship was tumultuous, yes, the couple were notorious for both using illegal drugs.

In April 1994, the whole world was shocked by the news of the death of Kurt Cobain. The famous musician was found dead in his home. He died from a gunshot wound to the head. The police stated the fact of suicide.

Kurt and Courtney met at a nightclub in 1990. They secretly married on a beach in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1992.

6 months after the wedding, daughter Francis Bian was born.

There are many versions regarding the death of Kurt. Some say it was murder. Others are convinced that Cobain committed suicide. But for what exact reason, no one knows.

At the time of his death, Kurt was only 27 years old. He was in the prime of his life and at the zenith of his glory...

4. Carole Lombard and Clark Gable

Hollywood Golden Girl Carole Lombard met her fate on the set of the 1932 film The Difficult Man. Her partner in the role was the famous Clark Gable.

But only in 1939, after seven years After they met, the couple got together. The life of Clark and Carol seemed like a fairy tale idyll.

They were madly in love, constantly surprising each other with unusual actions.

For example, after one of their quarrels, Lombard sent her husband a pair of doves as a sign of reconciliation.

Unfortunately, just two years after their wedding, Carol died in a plane crash. She flew to the shooting of an anti-fascist film. Her plane crashed, crashing into a mountain while climbing.

She was only 33 years old. Although Gable later married, those who knew him closely claimed that the actor never recovered from the death of his wife. Undoubtedly, Carol was the greatest love of his life.

To forget himself, Clark Gable went to the front as a simple private, despite the fact that relatives and friends were against it.

At Clark's request, after his death, he was buried next to Lombard in 1961.

5. Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski

At first glance, it seems that Hollywood couldn't have written a better script: in 1964, a rising actress (Tate) meets a promising young director (Polanski).

And although these two did not immediately find mutual language, Polanski tries it out in his film ("The Fearless Vampire Killers").

They fell in love during their stay in Italy and on their return to London she moved into the director's house.

Four years later, Sharon and Roman got married and were expecting a child.

Their love story could be called a fairy tale with a happy ending... However, a fatal set of circumstances cut short this wonderful fairy tale.

Just two weeks before giving birth, Tate was brutally murdered by a criminal group known as the "Charles Manson Family". After being tied up at gunpoint, she was stabbed 16 times.

Sharon was only 26 years old...

6. Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed

In just one short month, the stormy romance of Diana Spencer and her boyfriend, the son of the Egyptian billionaire Dodi Fayed, continued.

In August 1997, the world shuddered at the news that everyone's favorite princess and her new lover had died in a car accident while on holiday in Paris.

The lovers were in a terrible car accident. Dodi died instantly, while Diana was taken to the hospital with many injuries, where she died a few hours later.

Some sources report that the princess was pregnant at the time of her death, but this fact has not been officially confirmed.

Their fleeting romance remained a beautiful, but unfinished story of great love.

7. John and Jacqueline Kennedy

It was love at first sight. John F Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier met at a mutual friend's party.

A year later, in 1953, the couple married. And eight years later, Kennedy became President of the United States of America, and Jackie became the third young First Lady in history. She was only 31 years old.

The tragedy happened 2 years after Kennedy was elected head of state. During a trip to Texas, he was killed in an open convertible by multiple shots to the head and neck.

And although Jackie remarried a few years after the tragic death of her first husband, she could not forget him until her death.

Nobody could compare to him.

She admitted this in one of her interviews, being already an elderly woman. She called the years spent in the White House the best in her life.

Tragedies of famous people

8. Pierce Brosnan and Cassandra Harris

When James Bond falls in love with someone, he gets married and wants to live with that girl for the rest of his life.

In 1980, Pierce Brosnan met Cassandra Harris. They were born common child(Cassandra had two children from her first marriage).

After several years of cloudless happiness, a woman was diagnosed with oncology. Brosnan remained with his wife to the last, supporting her in everything.

He went through all the circles of hell with his beloved: several operations, an extensive course of chemotherapy. The treatment proved to be ineffective. The disease won, and in 1991, at the age of 43, Cassandra died.

Brosnan shared that he continued to talk with his beloved even after her death. But the tragedies associated with diseases did not end there.

A few years later, Cassandra's daughter from Charlotte's first marriage was diagnosed with an identical disease.

Pierce Brosnan was next to his stepdaughter to the last, holding her hand.

Narcotic Russian-French love

Vysotsky had a rare skill - he could conquer any woman. The key to this phenomenon lay in his unrestrained nature, he was like a splash of champagne, dousing his chosen one with a wave of charm and leading him away. Marina Vladi turned out to be a tough nut to crack and at first resisted, she was surprised at his self-confidence, with which he said that he would definitely achieve her hand.

Having seen a lot in her 30 years, the actress for the first time did not know what to do, how to relate to this strange person. She went back to Paris and felt a nagging feeling of longing. Where is it from? The answer came with a phone call from Russia. Hearing a familiar velvety voice, Marina realized that she was gone. She was in love.

When bright brutality meets expressive femininity, there can be only one result - love. Although their love was more like a battlefield. For Vlady and Vysotsky, every day lived together was a holiday, they saw each other so rarely. Endless visa requests, huge distances tormented both, but also saved their marriage. It would be difficult for two bright personalities to get along together.

And also Marina and Vladimir fought with ... Vysotsky himself, his addictions, that side of his personality that drew him to the edge of the abyss. They fought with higher authorities for the right to be able to see each other as often as possible. However, now that Vlady is left alone, she no longer remembers the difficulties, she only remembers love.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono

The love of the famous "Beatle" and the Japanese artist

The ill-wishers called her a demon in a female form, and him - an uncomplaining victim. Fans of the Beatles blamed her for the collapse of the famous Liverpool Four. The Beatles themselves disliked her. Except, of course, Lennon. Of meeting Yoko, he said, "It's like I won a big prize." And on the evening of their acquaintance, she wrote in her diary: “It seems that I have found someone I can love,” Yoko always knew exactly what she wanted.

And now Lennon began to receive postcards with the inscriptions "Breathe", "Dance", "Watch the fire before dawn." Yoko called him and talked to him for hours about art. Watched at the house. She wanted to win him over. And she succeeded. After some time, John discovered that he was not indifferent to her. After a while, John discovered that he did not want to live a single day without her. “The child of the ocean is calling me,” he sang in one of the songs. (Yoko means "child of the ocean" in Japanese).

By the age of 27, John Lennon had crazy popularity, a millionth fortune, a house with 100 bedrooms, luxury cars, a wife and a son. He had everything and he was bored. Yoko also missed her and was looking for something new. They immediately divorced their previous spouses and got married. Their honeymoon took place in Amsterdam, causing a buzz with their "bed interviews". Reporters gathered at the door of their Hilton suite expected the controversial couple to want to give interviews while having sex, but Yoko and John, in white pajamas, sat on the bed in the flower-decorated suite and talked about peace - it was their protest against the Vietnam War.

The album "Two Virgins" also came out shocking. On the cover, Yoko and John were photographed naked, and there was no music at all in the album - only groans, squeaks and other sounds. They participated in demonstrations, made films, John recorded songs. However, critics wrote: "The songs have become weaker." Former fans said: "Yoko John is not good." John developed depression again. Youko suggested that they separate for a while. She knew John needed time. He must decide for himself who he is and where he is.

Again parties, new friends and girlfriends. And new songs. Lennon's compositions were again at the top of the charts. However, was he happy? John is mad with longing for Yoko. He was catastrophically, painfully missing her. They met a year and a half later. And they didn't part again.

October 8, 1975, on the day of John's 35th birthday, Yoko gave birth to his son. Lennon found peace: "I am free as never before and ready for new creativity." They lived in unison - until that fatal shot of a crazy fan in December 1980. “Why doesn’t anyone believe that we just love each other?” Lennon laughed. “We just loved each other,” Yoko says the same thing now in rare interviews. Everything else is pop history.

Henry Ford and Clara Jane Bryant

The story of a great inventor and his great wife

In the late 1990s, a young mechanic worked for an electric company in Detroit for $11 a week. He worked 10 hours a day, and when he got home, he often worked half the night in his barn, trying to invent a new type of engine. His father believed that the guy was wasting time, the neighbors called him crazy, no one believed that anything good would come of these activities. Nobody but his wife. She helped him work at night, holding a kerosene lamp over his head for several hours. Her hands turned blue, her teeth chattered from the cold, she caught a cold every now and then, but ... She believed in her husband so much!

Years later, a noise came from the barn. Neighbors saw how a madman and his wife rode along the road without a horse, in the same cart. The eccentric's name was Henry Ford. By the age of fifty, Ford became a multimillionaire, and his car became one of the national symbols of America. When, while recording an interview with Henry Ford, a journalist asked who Ford would like to be in another life, the genius replied simply: “Anyone. If only my wife was next to me.

Alexander Pushkin and Natalia Goncharova

Deadly love of a poet

One of the first beauties of Moscow met Alexander Pushkin at the ball. The poet was so struck by the beauty and spirituality of a sixteen-year-old girl that he literally “fell ill with love” and soon asked for her hand. He was refused, because Pushkin was twice as old as Natalya - he was 30. He tried his luck a year later and this time he received consent.

For the six years that the couple lived together, Natalya Nikolaevna gave birth to her husband four children. But the young woman missed social entertainment and the success she enjoyed as a young and free girl. It is said that at every opportunity she flirted with men, considering this an entirely innocent occupation. Pushkin received a remark about the behavior of his wife even from Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich.

The French officer Dantes courted Natalya deliberately in public, so that everyone (and especially Pushkin) could see his undisguised passion and lust. There was nothing vicious between them, and it seemed to her that everything that was happening was completely innocent. The last straw was the libel, in which the jealous husband was awarded a "cuckold diploma". Natalya was indeed naive, believing that the hot descendant of an Ethiopian could survive such humiliation.

Pushkin challenged Dantes to a duel, where he was mortally wounded. And yet he did not blame his wife and before his death he told her: “You are not to blame for anything!”. And Natalya Goncharova did everything as the dying Pushkin told her: he asked her to leave the city, wear mourning for two years, and after ... after marry a decent person. The poet loved his wife so much that even being on his deathbed, he could not help thinking about her happiness.

Cleopatra and Caesar

The bloody love of the pharaoh and the emperor

Men went crazy over her, for the night spent in her arms, they were ready to give their lives and went for it voluntarily. The great Roman commanders also paid with their lives: Caesar and Mark Antony. Cleopatra was not a beauty, but she had incredible charm and charisma, she was seductive, insidious and very smart. This first female politician in history received an excellent education, studied mathematics, philosophy, literature, skillfully played musical instruments and knew 8 languages.

She made Caesar fall in love with herself by cunning: dressed in the most beautiful outfits, she ordered the servants to wrap her in a carpet and bring her as a gift to Caesar. Knowing the intricacies of all the love pleasures that existed at that time ancient world, Cleopatra, struck the spoiled emperor with ingenuity and a subtle sense of humor. Her movements and voice literally bewitched Caesar. Julius, that very night he became her lover. Thus, Cleopatra paid a huge national debt, received the Egyptian throne and the love of the great commander. But the Romans could not forgive him love relationships with an Egyptian, and as a result of an insidious conspiracy, Caesar was killed.

Cleopatra was able to fall in love with herself and another commander who fought for the "Roman throne" - Mark Antony. It was a crazy passion, sweeping away everything in its path, but even here the lovers were in for a failure. Rome went to war with Alexandria, Antony and Cleopatra lost. The Roman commander thought that his beloved had died, and, unable to bear it, threw himself on the sword. And Cleopatra, in order to avoid captivity and shame, ordered a poisonous snake to be brought to her.

Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine

The love story of the great commander and the beautiful Creole

They met when Napoleon was still poor, plain and unknown to anyone, and Josephine already had the status of a widow, often changed lovers, and besides, she was 6 years older than her future husband. But as if an unknown force attracted them to each other. After spending an evening with a beautiful Creole, Bonaparte was fascinated by her for the rest of his life. They became lovers, and then spouses, changing their age on paper.

On their wedding day in March 1796, Bonaparte presented his beloved with a sapphire ring. Inside the ring was an engraving: "This is fate." And soon fate made Josephine the empress, and Bonaparte the emperor. The great commander confidently conquered the whole world, winning one victory after another, and from each campaign he sent tender and passionate letters to his beloved wife, full of revelations and confessions.

But time passed, Napoleon dreamed of heirs, and Josephine could not get pregnant. In addition, rumors about the betrayals of the temperamental Creole, who remained alone for a long time, were confirmed. And then Bonaparte decides to enter into a new marriage with Princess Marie-Louise of Austria in order to preserve the dynasty and prolong her family. Josephine and Napoleon divorced in 1809. Josephine retains the title of empress at the urging of Bonaparte. And also receives the Elysee Palace, Navarre Castle, Malmaison, three million a year, coats of arms, escort, security and all the attributes of a reigning person.

But even after the divorce, the emperor continues to write tender letters to Josephine, full of love and warmth. A new marriage, the appearance of a long-awaited son does not bring happiness to Bonaparte. After the defeat at Waterloo, the emperor goes into exile on the island of St. Helena. Josephine is denied his escort, and a couple of months after Napoleon's abdication of power, she dies. And in 1821 he dies and great commander of all times and peoples Napoleon Bonaparte with the name of his beloved Josephine on his lips.

Edith Piaf and Marcel Cerdan

Paris sparrow and Moroccan scorer

This love story began in Paris. Edith Piaf was introduced to the "Moroccan scorer" and Marcel Cerdana was introduced to the "great Edith Piaf". A few days later, Marcel called the singer and asked for a meeting. The next morning they realized that they were in love. Next to the tall and muscular athlete "Paris Sparrow" Edith Piaf (piaf - sparrow from French), only 147 cm tall, looked like a little girl. At night, they often went for a walk around New York. Both loved to ride roller coasters. This extraordinary couple was recognized on the streets, with amazement watching them eat ice cream and squeal on the rides like mere mortals.

The love affair of the French singer and French boxing champion did not go unnoticed. The journalists wanted to stir up a huge scandal, but the boxer was the first to hold a press conference: “Do you want to know if I love Piaf? Yes I love! Yes, she is my mistress, only because I am married. And I can’t get a divorce!” he blurted out. In the morning, not a single newspaper wrote a single line about Edith and Marseille, and by lunchtime Edith Piaf brought a huge basket of flowers from journalists. A card was enclosed in the flowers: "From the gentlemen to the woman who is loved more than anything in the world."

On October 28, 1949, Serdan dropped everything and flew to New York, having received a telegram from his beloved: "I miss you." His plane crashed near the Azores. In the morning, Edith was awakened not by the long-awaited kiss of Marcel, but by terrible news. That evening, Edith Piaf was carried to the stage of the Versailles hall in her arms - she could not walk. Stopping the applause from the audience, she said softly, “You don't have to clap for me today. Today I sing for Marcel Cerdan. For him alone."

Editor's note: All stories are partly based on legend and do not claim to be historically accurate.

On the eve of Valentine's Day, we decided to recall the stories of the great novels of the 20th century - those that shocked the world and in one way or another influenced modern society.

The most touching and passionate, happy and unhappy novels famous people, stories mutual love and ostentatious prosperity, marriages of people equal in their greatness and the most famous misalliances.

Wallis Simpson – Edward VIII of England

The history of the most famous misalliance in recent history received an incredible response as the English monarch Edward VIII(Edward VIII) (1894–1972) became the first and only king in the history of England to voluntarily abdicate. The reason was passionate love to a twice-divorced American woman.

It was not even a scandal - it seemed that the end of the world had come and the collapse of the moral and ethical norms and foundations of secular society.

The heir to the main monarchy of the world was 36 years old when he met Mrs. Wallis Simpson (Wallis Simpson) (1896-1986), née Warfield. The woman was married for the second time and lived in London with her husband, wealthy businessman Ernest Simpson.

Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson The fateful meeting took place in early November 1930, when the Simpsons were invited to a dinner party, where the Prince of Wales was to attend. The legend says that English prince was fascinated at first sight, although Wallis was not even a beauty. According to contemporaries, she was unremarkable at first glance, special, but in communication she had an amazing charm.

Amazingly, the lovers did not hide their feelings, even despite the status of Edward and marital status Wallis. They appeared together on the streets, social events and in restaurants. The royal family did not even think that this shameful hobby would last long. But when it became clear that the romance was dragging on, attempts were made to hide the details of the prince's relationship from the public.

In January 1936, King George V of England died and Edward assumed the throne. In parallel, Wallis filed for divorce. About the legal union of Edward with an American The Royal Family nor did Parliament wish to hear. Edward was given a choice: either the throne or Wallis. His choice was unequivocal: the price for love was the abdication of the English throne.

On December 10, 1936, Edward VIII delivered his famous speech to the people: “You all know the circumstances that forced me to abdicate the throne. But I want you to understand that in making this decision, I have not forgotten about my country and empire ... But you must also believe that it is impossible for me to fulfill my duty as a king in the way I would like it, without help and support for the woman I love…”

The couple lived happily ever after, traveled, wrote memoirs. Them family idyll continued until 1972, until Edward died of cancer.

Vivien Leigh - Laurence Olivier

The most famous couple British theater and film actors Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier challenged the puritanical England of the 1930s when she stopped hiding her whirlwind romance. The difficulty of the situation was that both were married. The spouses did not give them a divorce, and the need to live in sin, deceit and an atmosphere of universal censure forced Vivien Leigh to give candid interview to The Times magazine, where she honestly outlined the details of her personal drama. The public unexpectedly went to meet the favorites of the public who were leaving for America - it was there that Vivienne won her right to play Scarlett O "Hara in the film adaptation" Gone with the wind».

Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier were not just movie stars, but intellectual actors who achieved the status of great performers. Both shone in the theater and cinema, and their love story unfolded on stage and in life - unlike most acting couples, they worked perfectly in the frame and on stage. So, they played together in the film "Flames over England" (1937) and the classic film version of "Lady Hamilton" (1941), where Lawrence played the role of Nelson, and Vivienne - Emma Hamilton. In addition, they were united by a huge number of joint theatrical works. Their tandem was recognized in their homeland as the most outstanding theatrical duet. Lawrence was called "the king among actors", and Vivienne became a national treasure after receiving two Oscars for her roles as Scarlett in Gone with the Wind and Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar Named Desire. Her international fame gained momentum. The image of the world's first beauty and the main British actress, as well as the marriage, which was called the happiest among acting unions - all this seemed like a dream come true for millions of viewers.

But there was no happy ending in this love story. Bright life two excellent actors was not so cloudless. As you know, Vivienne was an incredible woman. inner strength who wants what she wants at any cost. All biographers vied with each other to tell how she twice made fateful promises to herself. For the first time - being still nobody famous actress who saw the famous Laurence Olivier. After the first meeting, Vivienne resolutely told everyone she knew that she would marry him. At the time it seemed like pure madness. The second time she made a big promise was on the eve of the filming of Gone with the Wind, when the biggest film casting in the history of the United States was gaining momentum. First Hollywood beauties they dreamed of playing Scarlett, no one believed in the success of the visiting Englishwoman. "Larry will not play Rhett Butler, but I will play Scarlett!" Vivienne then announced.

It was said that Vivien was more practical than Larry in all matters, but, like a true woman, she gave the impression that her husband made all decisions. Strong character, however, was also her problem - like many great actresses, she had an extremely mobile psyche. Each absence of her husband for shooting could end in depression for her, and work on the role could lead to attacks of obsession. Her genius, turning into whims and wayward attacks, began to annoy her husband.

After 17 years together, Lawrence left her, unable to withstand another bout of hysteria. She was already seriously ill. Many fans of the actress consider Olivier, first of all, not a brilliant actor, but a cowardly traitor - depression aggravated the course of the disease, and Vivien Leigh died of pulmonary tuberculosis in the summer of 1967 at her home in Ethan Square in London.

Eva Duarte - Juan Peron Evita - a household name in Argentina and the most famous first lady of the twentieth century. The second wife of the 29th and 41st President Juan Peron, Eva Duarte, was an example of an ideal communicator, diplomat and ideological inspirer of the first person of the state.

She was born into a poor family and devoted her whole life to the struggle for better life. Legend has it that the young actress and the colonel became lovers on the very first day they met. Peron, who initiated the military coup, might not have had so many ambitions if not for Eva, who made him believe that he would definitely become the head of government. Perón appeared openly with his young girlfriend, shocking the officers with his relationship with the actress.

After the arrest of Peron, October 17, 1945 happened - this date went down in the history of Argentina as the day of "the liberation of Peron by the people." 5,000 workers and their families gathered in the May Square in Buenos Aires in front of the presidential palace, demanding "the return of the colonel." After such support, Peron began to prepare for the presidential election, having previously married Eva, who immediately left her work in the cinema and entered the headquarters of his closest aides. Peron relied on feminist slogans, and therefore wanted to have a wife next to him, a presidential candidate, personifying the increased role of women in the modern world.