Holy men who met their unholy ends
Her status and image was shaped by the masculine and feminine roles she took on as a ruler. She also participated in cultural activities during the Renaissance.
He's generally regarded as an intellectually brilliant administrator, politician, and financier. Hamilton also served as the first US secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795.
Another illegitimate child who played a big role in the Hundred Years' War, the French duke of Burgundy, Anthony, became a famed warrior and diplomat to the English court.
One of the Founding Fathers of the US, Alexander Hamilton was born out of wedlock in Charlestown in the island of Nevis. Orphaned as a child, Hamilton was taken in by a prosperous merchant.
One of the illegitimate children of Galeazzo Maria Sforza and his mistress Lucrezia Landriani, Caterina was an important Italian noblewoman.
Married to Juan Perón, he was elected president of Argentina in June 1946. During the next six years, Eva became powerful within the pro-Peronist trade unions, primarily for speaking on behalf of labor rights. In 1952, shortly before her death from cervical cancer at 33, she was given the title of "Spiritual Leader of the Nation" by the Argentine Congress.
The former First Lady of Argentina, Eva Perón was an actress-turned-humanitarian. Born in poverty to unmarried parents, her father had a whole other family.
The only acknowledged illegitimate child of Henry VIII of England, Henry FitzRoy was the half brother of King Edward VI, Queen Mary I, and Queen Elizabeth I.
French nobleman Jean d'Orléans, Count of Dunois was pretty important during the Hundred Years' War, for which he participated in military campaigns with Joan of Arc.
James Scott was the eldest illegitimate son of Charles II of England, Scotland, and Ireland with his mistress Lucy Walter.
He was the cousin of the famed Dauphin Charles, later Charles VII. His father was Louis I, Duke of Orléans, aka son of King Charles V of France.
He lived with his mom until the age of five, when she was married off. Then da Vinci went on to live with his father and his stepmother.
John of Austria became an admiral who served his half brother, King Philip II of Spain. Most famously, John defeated the Ottoman navy at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.
John of Austria was the secret love child of Emperor Charles V, king of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor. Charles met his son only once, recognizing him in a secret codicil to his will.
She was married three times. One union was annulled, another ended by alleged murder. A patroness of the arts, she also made a fortune from producing mozzarella cheese.
One of the greatest artists of all time, Leonardo da Vinci was born out of wedlock to a successful notary and a lower-class woman.
The illegitimate daughter of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, later Pope Alexander VI, and his longtime mistress Vannozza dei Cattanei, Lucrezia was known for being a femme fatale of her time.
Maurice de Saxe was a notable soldier, officer, and a famed military commander of the 18th century. He was the illegitimate son of Augustus II the Strong, King of Poland.
Passionate about Middle Eastern history and archaeology, Lawrence helped Prince Faisal, later king of Iraq, lead the Great Arab Revolt, thus changing the geopolitical face of the region.
Francesco married the heiress of Milan, another illegitimate noble named Bianca Maria. He had to fight hard to make himself duke of Milan, but eventually got his wish.
Commanding his own regiment at age 17, Maurice defeated the Brits and Dutch on behalf of the French. He became a favorite of Louis XV.
The grandfather of Caterina Sforza, Francesco I, duke of Milan, was also illegitimate. His father was a mercenary, a condottiero named Muzio, but that didn't stop him from founding the Sforza dynasty.
A direct ancestor to pretty much every European royal of today, William the Conqueror was the son of Robert of Normandy and his mistress.
Also known as Lawrence of Arabia, T. E. Lawrence was one of five illegitimate children born to his Welsh father by his family's governess. The couple pretended to be married, and he only discovered the truth after his father died.
The second son of Philip III, Duke of Burgundy and one of his mistresses, Jeanne de Presle, Anthony was legitimized by King Charles VIII in 1485.
Sources: (History Collection) (Ranker)
See more: Meet the children of infamous authoritarian rulers
The half brother of Empress Matilda, Robert was her chief military supporter during the civil war.
The eldest of King Henry I's many illegitimate children, Robert became a pretty important nobleman during the English civil war known as the Anarchy.
He was named FitzRoy, which is derived from the Norman French term for "son of the king." Henry later married Anne Boleyn's cousin Mary Howard, from one of the most powerful clans in England.
Heir to an important duchy, civil war erupted once his father died and he became duke. Powerful allies helped him secure his ducal throne, including the king of France and the royals of Flanders, whose daughter, Matilda, he married. In 1066, he launched a successful invasion of England.
James was pretty prominent at his father's court, and was showered with honors. However, his anti-Catholic sentiment made him unpopular among some nobles. Once Charles died, and the Duke of York became King James II in 1685, James Scott rebelled against the new Catholic monarch. However, he was soon defeated and executed.
Throughout much of history and across many cultures, being born out of wedlock was a big taboo. The morality system penalized illegitimate offspring for something they had absolutely no say in. These illegitimate children had to simply make their way through life as best they could, while dealing with the stigma attached to their birth. But it wasn't necessarily a massive hardship for all. And some even went on to change the world.
From admirals to generals and artists, here are some of history's most influential illegitimate children. Click on to discover them.
Prominent figures in history born outside of marriage
Despite their status, these illegitimate heirs left their mark on the world
LIFESTYLE Historical figures
Throughout much of history and across many cultures, being born out of wedlock was a big taboo. The morality system penalized illegitimate offspring for something they had absolutely no say in. These illegitimate children had to simply make their way through life as best they could, while dealing with the stigma attached to their birth. But it wasn't necessarily a massive hardship for all. And some even went on to change the world.
From admirals to generals and artists, here are some of history's most influential illegitimate children. Click on to discover them.