Prominent figures in history born outside of marriage

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.

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Jean de Dunois (1402-1468) -

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.

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Jean de Dunois (1402-1468) -

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.

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Caterina Sforza (1463-1509) -

One of the illegitimate children of Galeazzo Maria Sforza and his mistress Lucrezia Landriani, Caterina was an important Italian noblewoman.

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Caterina Sforza (1463-1509) -

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.

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Eva Perón (1919-1952) -

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.

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Eva Perón (1919-1952) -

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.

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Francesco I Sforza (1401-1466) -

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.

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Francesco I Sforza (1401-1466) -

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.

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Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) -

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.

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Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) -

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.

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Henry FitzRoy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset (1519-1536) -

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.

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Henry FitzRoy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset (1519-1536) -

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.

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John of Austria (1547-1578) -

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.

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John of Austria (1547-1578) -

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.

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Maurice de Saxe (1696-1750) -

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.

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Maurice de Saxe (1696-1750) -

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.

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Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester (1100-1147) -

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.

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Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester (1100-1147) -

The half brother of Empress Matilda, Robert was her chief military supporter during the civil war.

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Antoine de Bourgogne (1421-1504) -

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.

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Antoine de Bourgogne (1421-1504) -

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

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Alexander Hamilton (1757-1804) -

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.

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Alexander Hamilton (1757-1804) -

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.

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William the Conqueror (1028-1087) -

A direct ancestor to pretty much every European royal of today, William the Conqueror was the son of Robert of Normandy and his mistress.

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William the Conqueror (1028-1087) -

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Lucrezia Borgia (1480-1519) -

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.

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Lucrezia Borgia (1480-1519) -

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.

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T. E. Lawrence (1888-1935) -

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T. E. Lawrence (1888-1935) -

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.

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James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth (1649-1685) -

James Scott was the eldest illegitimate son of Charles II of England, Scotland, and Ireland with his mistress Lucy Walter.

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James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth (1649-1685) -

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Jean de Dunois (1402-1468) -

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.

Getty Images

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Jean de Dunois (1402-1468) -

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.

Getty Images

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Caterina Sforza (1463-1509) -

One of the illegitimate children of Galeazzo Maria Sforza and his mistress Lucrezia Landriani, Caterina was an important Italian noblewoman.

Getty Images

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Caterina Sforza (1463-1509) -

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.

Getty Images

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Eva Perón (1919-1952) -

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.

Getty Images

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Eva Perón (1919-1952) -

Getty Images

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Francesco I Sforza (1401-1466) -

Getty Images

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Francesco I Sforza (1401-1466) -

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.

Getty Images

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Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) -

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.

Getty Images

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Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) -

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.

Getty Images

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Henry FitzRoy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset (1519-1536) -

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.

Getty Images

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Henry FitzRoy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset (1519-1536) -

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.

Getty Images

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John of Austria (1547-1578) -

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.

Getty Images

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John of Austria (1547-1578) -

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.

Getty Images

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Maurice de Saxe (1696-1750) -

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.

Getty Images

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Maurice de Saxe (1696-1750) -

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.

Getty Images

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Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester (1100-1147) -

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.

Public Domain

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Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester (1100-1147) -

The half brother of Empress Matilda, Robert was her chief military supporter during the civil war.

Public Domain

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Antoine de Bourgogne (1421-1504) -

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.

Getty Images

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Antoine de Bourgogne (1421-1504) -

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

Public Domain

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Prominent figures in history born outside of marriage

Despite their status, these illegitimate heirs left their mark on the world

29/01/25 | StarsInsider

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.