Several Famous Men Who Married Female Relatives

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

Einstein, Darwin and 5 other famous men who married relatives

Today, marriage between relatives is considered unacceptable, but not so long ago it was in the order of things. Weddings of cousins and sisters were commonplace, especially when it came to members of the royal dynasties. Such couples were very often unhappy, but there are exceptions to all the rules - many famous people managed to create a strong family.

Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein had known his cousin since childhood. The boy and girl were very friendly, but adulthood divorced them. Albert did not see Elsa for many years - by the time they met again, each of them was married and already had children.

Relations between already mature people have resumed. Albert asked for a divorce from his first wife Mileva Maric, and Elsa also broke up with her husband. They lived in a happy marriage until the end of their lives (almost 30 years). The scientist never forgot his previous wife, who was left with two sons - he took care of them and supported them financially.

Prince Philip

This royal family is our contemporaries. The famous couple also has family ties. And on two lines at once. Elizabeth and Philip are second cousins through the Danish King Christian IX and fourth cousins through Queen Victoria. They met in childhood, when young Elizabeth was only 8 years old, and the prince was 13 years old.

All the relatives understood that these children would one day have to become husband and wife. They formed an alliance in 1947, as soon as Elizabeth came of age. Maybe marriage was based on calculation or a political coup, and not love, but life made adjustments - the family turned out to be very strong. They have lived together for over 70 years. Prince Philip is apparently quite happy with the role of the Queen of Great Britain's consort.

Edgar Alan Poe

One of the most mysterious personalities in world literature is Edgar Alan Poe. His whole life is filled with extraordinary events, and sometimes even supernatural. It would even be strange if the writer chose an ordinary girl as his wife. The history of their union is also very original.

At the time of the wedding, the groom was 27 years old, and his bride was only 13. Virginia Clemm was Edgar's cousin. Many believed that the young writer simply wanted to save the girl's family from ruin. Indeed, Virginia's relatives lived with them almost all the time after the wedding.

As time passed, Virginia grew up and was imbued with gratitude, respect and love for her husband. Unfortunately, she died early from tuberculosis. But for Poe, she will forever remain a muse, giving him inspiration. Edgar dedicated many poetic lines to her. One of the most famous poems is Annabelle Lee.

Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin and his cousin Emma Wedgwood were first and foremost friends. They were united by common interests, hobbies and a desire for adventure. Charles' entire family objected to his journey in the Beagle, and Emma admired his decision and fervently supported Darwin.

Darwin proposed to Emma many times, but the girl refused because she did not want to leave her mother and sister without support. And only when she was 30 years old, and he was 29, Emma finally accepted the hand and heart of Charles Darwin. The marriage was long and happy - the couple had 10 children.

True, three of them died in infancy, and some of the survivors were very painful. Perhaps these are the consequences of an alliance between close relatives.

Louis XVI

In those early days, marrying a cousin did not surprise anyone at all. Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette combined a dynastic alliance to strengthen the position of the ruling families. It even happened that the child was wooed immediately after birth for another baby of royal blood.

And in this case, the decision on marriage was made many years before the future spouses came of age. They were each other's second cousins and sisters, and on the other side - fourth cousins.

Thomas Jefferson

The third president of the United States was married to his second cousin Martha. Six children were born in the marriage, but only two daughters lived for a long time, and the rest of the boys and girls died at an early age.

The couple lived happily, despite Jefferson's brief hobbies for other women. There was even an unusual love triangle in the fate of the family. When the future president served as the US ambassador in Paris, he had an affair with a former black slave - the daughter of Martha's father.

The girl could have stayed in Europe, but returned to the United States and settled in the Jefferson house. There is an assumption that she gave birth to a son from the future president. But, nevertheless, after the death of his wife, who was unable to recover from the sixth birth, Thomas never married.

John Adams

One of the happiest examples is the union of John Adams and his second cousin Abigail. The second president of the United States was a very educated person, and his wife could not boast of the same academic knowledge.

But it was always interesting for them to be together. John called his wife "dear friend" and treated her very carefully. The couple had nine children, and they lived together for 51 years.