A royal bastard is a child of a reigning monarch born out of wedlock. The king might have a child with a mistress, or the legitimacy of a marriage might be questioned for reasons concerning succession. Notable royal bastards include Robert, Earl of Gloucester, son of

Henry I of England Henry I ( – 1 December 1135), also known as Henry Beauclerc, was King of England from 1100 to his death in 1135. He was the fourth son of William the Conqueror and was educated in Latin and the liberal arts. On William's death in 1087, Henr ...

, Henry FitzRoy, son of

Henry VIII of England Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

, and the

Duke of Monmouth Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they ar ...

, son of Charles II. The Anglo-Norman surname Fitzroy means son of a king and was used by various illegitimate royal offspring, and by others who claimed to be such. In

medieval England England in the Middle Ages concerns the history of England during the Middle Ages, medieval period, from the end of the 5th century through to the start of the Early modern Britain, early modern period in 1485. When England emerged from the co ...

, a bastard's

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

was marked with a bend or baton sinister. Notable fictional examples include

Mordred Mordred or Modred ( or ; Welsh: ''Medraut'' or ''Medrawt'') is a major figure in the legend of King Arthur. The earliest known mention of a possibly historical Medraut is in the Welsh chronicle ''Annales Cambriae'', wherein he and Arthur are a ...

, the villainous illegitimate son of

King Arthur According to legends, King Arthur (; ; ; ) was a king of Great Britain, Britain. He is a folk hero and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In Wales, Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a le ...

. Some fictional portrayals of royal bastards are less negative, such as the character of Philip the Bastard in

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's '' King John''.

Ancient Rome

Unlike medieval royalty, the Romans were more concerned with continuity of family name than with bloodline. Catharine Edwards,
The Politics of Immorality in Ancient Rome
', pp. 51–52. If a man recognized a child as his, this was accepted by law, and the issue of who the biological father was did not arise. Children not recognized could be exposed or brought up as a slave. For example, Emperor

Claudius Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; ; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54), or Claudius, was a Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Nero Claudius Drusus, Drusus and Ant ...

initially accepted a girl as his daughter, but later rejected her and had her exposed. Emperors often adopted their successors. There are no recorded examples of aristocrats in classical times accusing other aristocrats of being illegitimate, as was common in later periods.

Caesarion Ptolemy XV Caesar (; , ; 47 BC – late August 30 BC), nicknamed Caesarion (, , "Little Caesar"), was the last pharaoh of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, reigning with his mother Cleopatra VII from 2 September 44 BC until her death by 10 or 12 ...

was possibly the illegitimate son of

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (; The name Cleopatra is pronounced , or sometimes in both British and American English, see and respectively. Her name was pronounced in the Greek dialect of Egypt (see Koine Greek phonology). She was ...

, which would also make him Caesar's only known child besides Julia.

Belgium

A book published in February 2011 claimed that Albert II of Belgium has an illegitimate half-sister named Ingeborg Verdun, the daughter of King Leopold III and Austrian-Belgian ice skater Liselotte Landbeck. In October 2020, the illegitimate daughter of Albert II of Belgium was legally acknowledged after DNA testing to be titled

Princess Delphine of Belgium Princess Delphine of Belgium (''Delphine Michèle Anne Marie Ghislaine de Saxe-Cobourg''; born 22 February 1968), known previously as '' Jonkvrouw'' Delphine Boël, is a Belgian artist and member of the Belgian royal family. She is the daughte ...

by the Belgian Court of Appeal. Ms Delphine Boël intends to change her surname to her father's Saxe-Coburg.

Flanders and Brabant

Older illegitimate children founded important family branches, as reported in the ''Trophées de Brabant: tome 1:'' * House of Witthem, legitimised son of John II, Duke of Brabant. * House of Brant, legitimised son of

John III, Duke of Brabant John III (; 1300 – 5 December 1355) was Duke of Brabant, Duke of Lothier, Lothier (1312–1355) and List of rulers of Limburg, Limburg (1312–1347 then 1349–1355), the last Brabant male to rule them. Biography John was the son of John II, ...

. * House of Glymes, legitimised son of John II, Duke of Brabant. * House of Nassau-Corroy, legitimised son of Henry III of Nassau-Breda * House of Dongelberghe, legitimised son of John I, Duke of Brabant. * House of Mechelen, legitimised son of John I, Duke of Brabant.

England, Scotland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom

English kings

Papal legates decree in 786

In the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy then Kingdom, descendants of kings were called aethelings, whether legitimate or not. When a kingship became vacant, a Witan would meet to name an aetheling as king. Papal legates visited the great hall of

Offa of Mercia Offa ( 29 July 796 AD) was King of Mercia, a kingdom of Anglo-Saxon England, from 757 until his death in 796. The son of Thingfrith and a descendant of Eowa, Offa came to the throne after a period of civil war following the assassination of ...

in 786 and decreed that an English king "must not be begotten in adultery or incest" and that "he who was not born of a legitimate marriage" could not succeed to the throne.John Cannon, Ralph Griffiths, ''The Oxford Illustrated History of the British'', p. 37 It is likely no rule of succession had set as to bastardy before this decree.

Anglo-Saxon kings

Two Anglo-Saxon kings of England had sons who faced opposition to their succession seemingly based on the status of their mother. Leading figures in the kingdom refused to accept the succession of

Æthelstan Æthelstan or Athelstan (; ; ; ; – 27 October 939) was King of the Anglo-Saxons from 924 to 927 and King of the English from 927 to his death in 939. He was the son of King Edward the Elder and his first wife, Ecgwynn. Modern histori ...

, eldest son of

Edward the Elder Edward the Elder (870s?17 July 924) was King of the Anglo-Saxons from 899 until his death in 924. He was the elder son of Alfred the Great and his wife Ealhswith. When Edward succeeded to the throne, he had to defeat a challenge from his cousi ...

. Some medieval chroniclers writing centuries later describe his mother,

Ecgwynn Ecgwynn or Ecgwynna (Old English ''Eċġwynn'', lit. "sword joy"; ''fl''. 890s), was the first consort of Edward the Elder, later King of the English (reigned 899–924), by whom she bore the future King Æthelstan (r. 924–939), and a daughte ...

, as a concubine or of low social status, while others portray her as a noble wife, and some modern historians have attributed the challenge to his succession as related to questions of the status of his mother. Edward the Martyr, eldest son of

Edgar the Peaceful Edgar (or Eadgar; 8 July 975), known sometimes as Edgar the Peacemaker or the Peaceable, was King of the English from 959 until his death in 975. He became king of all England on his brother Eadwig's death. He was the younger son of King Edm ...

, likewise faced opposition due to the nature of his birth. A contemporary charter calls the king's later spouse his 'lawful wife' and seems to afford her son, Edmund, a higher status than his elder half-brother, Edward. Later chroniclers are contradictory, one making Edward an illegitimate child born to a nun, another calling his mother a noblewoman wed to his father. Scholarly opinion is divided whether Edward was born to an extramarital liaison or simply bore lesser status because his mother had not been consecrated as queen, unlike the powerful Ælfthryth, mother of his younger half-brothers.

Henry I

Henry I had about two dozen recognized illegitimate children, including

Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester Robert FitzRoy, 1st Earl of Gloucester (c. 1090 – 31 October 1147 David Crouch, 'Robert, first earl of Gloucester (b. c. 1090, d. 1147)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 200Retrieved 1 ...

, Sybilla of Normandy (wife of King Alexander I of Scotland), Maud FitzRoy (wife of

Conan III, Duke of Brittany Conan III, also known as Conan of Cornouaille and Conan the Fat (, and ; c. 1093–1096 – 17 September 1148) was duke of Brittany, from 1112 to his death. He was the son of Alan IV, Duke of Brittany and Ermengarde of Anjou (d. 1146), Ermengard ...

), Constance FitzRoy, Mabel FitzRoy, Alice FitzRoy, Gilbert FitzRoy, and Emma. "It might be permissible to wonder how it was that Henry I managed to keep track of all his illegitimate children, but there is no doubt that he did so," wrote historian Given-Wilson.

Stephen

Gervase de Blois ( written variously, often in latest books Gervais of Blois), an illegitimate son of

Stephen Stephen or Steven is an English given name, first name. It is particularly significant to Christianity, Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; he is w ...

, was

Abbot of Westminster The Abbot of Westminster was the head (abbot) of Westminster Abbey. The position of Abbot of Westminster was a significant role in English history, with the abbots overseeing Westminster Abbey from its early days as a Benedictine monastery throug ...

from 1138 to 1157.Chris Given-Wilson, Alice Curteis, ''The royal bastards of medieval England'' (1984). Stephen had two other illegitimate children from the same mother – Ralph and Americ of Blois.

Henry II

Henry II Henry II may refer to: Kings * Saint Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (972–1024), crowned King of Germany in 1002, of Italy in 1004 and Emperor in 1014 *Henry II of England (1133–89), reigned from 1154 *Henry II of Jerusalem and Cyprus (1271–1 ...

had several illegitimate children, most notably Geoffrey, Archbishop of York and

William Longespée, 3rd Earl of Salisbury William Longespée, 3rd Earl of Salisbury (In or before 11677 March 1226) ("Long Sword", Latinised to ''de Longa Spatha'') was an Anglo-Norman nobleman, primarily remembered for his command of the English forces at the Battle of Damme and for ...

(who inherited his earldom from his wife's father, William of Salisbury). William's mother was Ida de Tosny, while Geoffrey's may have been called Ykenai.

Richard I

Richard the Lionheart Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language">Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'st ...

had at least one illegitimate child:

Philip of Cognac Philip of Cognac (early 1180s – after 1211) was an illegitimate son of King Richard I of England, by an unidentified mother. Life Philip had reached adulthood by the end of the 1190s. His father married him to his ward, Amelia, the heiress of ...

, who died young (possibly in battle). He features as Philip the Bastard in Shakespeare's ''King John''.

John

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

had at least five children with mistresses during his first marriage to Isabelle of Gloucester, two of whom are known to have been noblewomen. He had eight or more others including Jeanne/

Joan, Lady of Wales Joan, Lady of Wales and Lady of Snowdon, also known by her Welsh language, Welsh name often written as Siwan (said, approximately /''sɪuːan''/) (/92 – 2 February 1237) was an Royal bastard, illegitimate daughter of King John of England, and t ...

(wife of

Llywelyn the Great Llywelyn ab Iorwerth (, – 11 April 1240), also known as Llywelyn the Great (, ; ), was a medieval Welsh ruler. He succeeded his uncle, Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd, as King of Gwynedd in 1195. By a combination of war and diplomacy, he dominate ...

) and Richard FitzRoy.

Henry IV

Henry IV had one known illegitimate child, a son named Edmund by an unknown woman. Edmund was born in 1401, after Henry overthrew his cousin Richard II but before his second marriage to Joan of Navarre occurred in 1403. Edmund took holy vows in 1412 (the year before his father's death), at which point he disappears from the historical record.

Edward IV of England

Edward IV Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470, then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in England ...

had at least five illegitimate children, including

Arthur Plantagenet, 1st Viscount Lisle Arthur Plantagenet, 1st Viscount Lisle, KG (died 3 March 1542) was an illegitimate son of the English king Edward IV, half-brother-in-law of Henry VII, and an uncle of Henry VIII, at whose court he was a prominent figure and by whom he was appo ...

(later Lord Deputy of Calais) by his mistress Elizabeth Lucy.

Perkin Warbeck Perkin Warbeck ( – 23 November 1499) was a pretender to the English throne claiming to be Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York, who was the second son of Edward IV and one of the so-called "Princes in the Tower". Richard, were he alive, would ...

closely resembled Edward IV and claimed to be his son Richard of Shrewsbury; it has been theorised that Perkin was one of Edward's illegitimate children.

Richard III Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...

acceded to the throne after Parliament declared his brother's marriage to

Elizabeth Woodville Elizabeth Woodville (also spelt Wydville, Wydeville, or Widvile; c. 1437Karen Lindsey, ''Divorced, Beheaded, Survived'', p. xviii, Perseus Books, 1995. – 8 June 1492), known as Dame Elizabeth Grey during her first marriage, was Queen of Engla ...

invalid and thus all of their children illegitimate. This ruling, known as

Titulus Regius ' ("royal title" in Latin) is a statute of the Parliament of England issued in 1484 by which the title of King of England was given to Richard III. The act ratified the declaration of the Lords and the members of the House of Commons a year ea ...

, was decided on the grounds that Edward had allegedly been pre-contracted (which was considered to be legally binding) to marry another woman, Eleanor Butler (née Talbot), at the time of their marriage. Most historians consider this to be nothing more than a dubious pretext for Richard to usurp the throne from his nephews and it was quickly repealed under Henry VII as he had married Edward IV's eldest surviving child

Elizabeth of York Elizabeth of York (11 February 1466 – 11 February 1503) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England from her marriage to King Henry VII of England, Henry VII on 18 January 1486 until her death in 1503. She was the daughter of King E ...

Richard III

had at least two illegitimate children: John of Gloucester ( Captain of Calais for a time) and Katherine, second wife of

William Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke William Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (5 March 145116 July 1491) was an English nobleman and politician. Early life He was the son of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (8th Creation), William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke and Anne Devereux. ...

Henry VII

Sir Roland de Velville was, in one account, the illegitimate son of Henry VII and "a Breton lady."

Henry VIII

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

had one acknowledged illegitimate child,

Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset Henry FitzRoy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset (c. 15 June 1519 – 23 July 1536) was the son of Henry VIII of England and his mistress Elizabeth Blount, and the only child born out of wedlock whom Henry acknowledged. He was the younger ...

. As he had many mistresses, historians put forward six other likely instances including the mercenary Thomas Stukley, the poet

Richard Edwardes Richard Edwardes (also Edwards, circa 1523 – 31 October 1566) was an English poet, playwright, and composer; he was made a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal, and was master of the singing boys. He was known for his comedies and interludes. Life ...

and two of

Mary Boleyn Mary Boleyn, also known as Lady Mary, (Antonia Fraser, ''The Wives of Henry VIII'' (Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1992), p. 119 – 19 or 30 July 1543) was the sister of List of English royal consorts, English queen consort Anne Boleyn, whose fami ...

's children. His daughter Elizabeth was in then Catholic canon law illegitimate, as Henry had married her mother,

Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the Wives of Henry VIII, second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and execution, by beheading ...

having divorced Queen Catherine; it was lawful under his new Anglican legal system.

Scottish kings

* Máel Coluim mac Alaxandair (''fl''. 1124–1134) was an illegitimate son of Alexander I of Scotland (r. 1107–1124) who unsuccessfully claimed his throne. *

William the Lion William the Lion (), sometimes styled William I (; ) and also known by the nickname ; e.g. Annals of Ulster, s.a. 1214.6; Annals of Loch Cé, s.a. 1213.10. ( 1142 – 4 December 1214), reigned as King of Alba from 1165 to 1214. His almost 49 ...

(r. 1165–1214) had at least 6 illegitimate children, including Isabella Mac William. * Alexander II's (r. 1214–1249) illegitimate daughter Marjorie married

Alan Durward Alan Hostarius (or Alan Durward) () (died after 1264, or in 1275) was the son of Thomas de Lundin, a grandson of Gille Críst, Mormaer of Mar. His mother's name is unknown, but she was almost certainly a daughter of Máel Coluim, Mormaer of ...

. *

Robert the Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (), was King of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329. Robert led Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland during the First War of Scottish Independence against Kingdom of Eng ...

(r. 1306–1329) had possibly six illegitimate children, including Robert Bruce, Lord of Liddesdale. * Robert II (r. 1371–1390) had 13+ illegitimate children, including Thomas Stewart, later

Bishop of St Andrews The Bishop of St. Andrews (, ) was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of St Andrews in the Catholic Church and then, from 14 August 1472, as Archbishop of St Andrews (), the Archdiocese of St Andrews. The name St Andrews is not the town or ...

. * Robert III (r. 1390–1406) at least two illegitimate children, including John, ancestor of the Shaw Stewart baronets. * James II (r. 1437–1460) had an illegitimate son, John Stewart, Lord of Sticks (d. 1523). *

James IV James IV (17 March 1473 – 9 September 1513) was King of Scotland from 11 June 1488 until his death at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. He inherited the throne at the age of fifteen on the death of his father, James III, at the Battle of Sauch ...

(r. 1488–1513) had at least 5 illegitimate children with his mistresses, including Alexander Stewart, Archbishop of St Andrews,

James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray (c. 1531 – 23 January 1570) was a member of the House of Stewart as the illegitimate son of King James V of Scotland. At times a supporter of his half-sister Mary, Queen of Scots, he was the regent of Scotl ...

and Lady Janet Stewart, ''la Belle Écossaise''. *

James V James V (10 April 1512 – 14 December 1542) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Scotland from 9 September 1513 until his death in 1542. He was crowned on 21 September 1513 at the age of seventeen months. James was the son of King James IV a ...

(r. 1513–1542) had at least 9 illegitimate children with his mistresses, including Lady Jean Stewart (by Elizabeth Bethune), Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney (by Euphemia Elphinstone) and

(by Margaret Erskine).

Kings of Great Britain

Charles II

Charles II fathered at least 20 illegitimate children, of whom he acknowledged 14. The most famous of these was

James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, 1st Duke of Buccleuch, (9 April 1649 – 15 July 1685) was an English nobleman and military officer. Originally called James Crofts or James Fitzroy, he was born in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, the eldest ill ...

, his son by Lucy Walter. After Charles' death, Monmouth led a rebellion against his uncle James II. Charles had no legitimate children who survived childhood. When Nell Gwynn brought her first child to Charles, she told it, "Come hither you little Bastard and speak to your father!". Charles responded, "Nay, Nellie, do not call the child such a name", to which Gwynn replied "Your Majesty has given me no other name by which I may call him." Charles then named the child " Beauclerk" and bestowed the title "Earl of Burford". Charles I and James II

=Illegitimate children of Charles II

= By Lucy Walter (c.1630–1658): #

(1649–1685), found and executed nine days after skirmish of his forces'

Battle of Sedgemoor The Battle of Sedgemoor was the last and decisive engagement between forces loyal to James II and rebels led by the Duke of Monmouth during the Monmouth rebellion, fought on 6 July 1685, and took place at Westonzoyland near Bridgwater in S ...

. By Elizabeth Boyle, Viscountess Shannon (1622–1680): # Charlotte FitzRoy, Countess of Yarmouth (1650–1684), By Catherine Pegge #

Charles FitzCharles, 1st Earl of Plymouth Charles FitzCharles, 1st Earl of Plymouth ( 1657 – 17 October 1680), was the illegitimate son of King Charles II of England and Catherine Pegge. He had a sister, Catherine, who is believed to have become a nun. His mother went on to marry S ...

(1657–1680), known as "Don Carlo", created Earl of Plymouth (1675) # Catherine FitzCharles (born 1658; she either died young or became a nun at Dunkirk) By Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland (1641–1709) # Anne Lennard, Countess of Sussex (1661–1722). She may have been the daughter of Roger Palmer, but Charles accepted her. #

Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Cleveland Charles Palmer, later Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Cleveland, 1st Duke of Southampton, Chief Butler of England (18 June 16629 September 1730) was an English nobleman and illegitimate son of Charles II. He was styled Baron Limerick before 1670 ...

(1662–1730). # Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton (1663–1690). Ancestor of the

Dukes of Grafton Duke of Grafton is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1675 by Charles II of England for Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton, Henry FitzRoy, his second illegitimate son by the Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland, Duchess of Cl ...

. # Charlotte Lee, Countess of Lichfield (1664–1717). # George FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Northumberland (1665–1716). # Lady Barbara FitzRoy (1672–1737). She was probably the child of the Duke of Marlborough. She was never acknowledged by Charles. By

Nell Gwyn Eleanor Gwyn (also spelled Gwynn, Gwynne; 2 February 1650 – 14 November 1687) was an English people, English stage actress and celebrity figure of the Stuart Restoration, Restoration period. Praised by Samuel Pepys for her comic performances ...

(1650–1687): # Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans (1670–1726) # James, Lord Beauclerk (1671–1680) By Louise de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth (1649–1734) # Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond and Lennox (1672–1723). Ancestor of the

Dukes of Richmond Duke of Richmond is a title in the Peerage of England that has been created four times in British history. It has been held by members of the royal Tudor dynasty, Tudor and House of Stuart, Stuart families. The current dukedom of Richmond was ...

and Lennox. By

Moll Davis Mary "Moll" Davis (c. 1648 – 1708), also spelt Davies or Davys, was a courtesan and mistress of King Charles II of England. She was an actress and entertainer before and during her role as royal mistress. Early life Mary Davis was born i ...

, courtesan and actress of repute: # Lady Mary Tudor (1673–1726)

James II and VII

James II and VII James II and VII (14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701) was King of England and Monarchy of Ireland, Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II of England, Charles II, on 6 February 1 ...

had 13 illegitimate children.

George I

George I had 3 illegitimate children by his mistress, Melusine von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal, including Melusina von der Schulenburg, Countess of Walsingham.

Monarchs of the United Kingdom

William IV

William IV William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded hi ...

had 11 illegitimate children.Roger Powell, MA & Peter Beauclerk Dewar, ''Royal Bastards'' (2008). They used the surname "FitzClarence", because he was Duke of Clarence.

Edward VII

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910. The second child ...

was claimed to be the natural father of the model Olga de Meyer. German comedian Hape Kerkeling claims to be his great-grandson from a liaison between Edward and his great-grandmother in Marienbad.

France

Anthony, bastard of Burgundy was the illegitimate son of Philip the Good of Burgundy. He was known as ''le grand bâtard'' (the great bastard). He was legitimized by King Charles VIII in 1485.

Henri IV

Henri IV had many mistresses and illegitimate children. The children of

Gabrielle d'Estrées Gabrielle d'Estrées, Duchess of Beaufort and Verneuil, Marchioness of Monceaux (; 157310 April 1599) was a mistress, confidante and adviser of Henry IV of France. She is noted for her role in ending the religious civil wars that plagued France ...

are notable because the King may have signed a wedding agreement with their mother before her unexpected death in 1599. * By Gabrielle d'Estrées **

César, Duke of Vendôme César de Bourbon, ''Légitimé de France'' (June 1594 – 22 October 1665) was the illegitimate son of Henry IV of France and his mistress Gabrielle d'Estrées, and founder of the Bourbon-Vendome, House of Bourbon-Vendome. He held the titles o ...

, legitimized ** Catherine Henriette, mademoiselle de Vendôme, legitimized ** Alexandre, Chevalier de Vendôme, legitimized * By Madame de Verneuil ** Gaston Henri, Duke of Verneuil, legitimized ** Gabrielle Angélique, mademoiselle de Verneuil, legitimized * By Madame de Moret ** Antoine, Count of Moret, legitimized * By Charlotte des Essarts ** Jeanne Baptiste, legitimized ** Marie Henriette, legitimized

Louis XIV

Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...

had many mistresses and illegitimate children. Madame de Maintenon was their governess.Cruttwell, Maud, ''Madame de Maintenon'', p. 67. "The bastards", as they were called, were compared to mules, unnatural hybrids who should not reproduce. "No issue should come of such species," the king once said.Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie, Jean-François Fitou, ''Saint-Simon and the court of Louis XIV'', p. 106 Louis, nonetheless, found appropriate spouses for his illegitimate children. As illegitimate children were considered impure, their mothers might attempt to purify them through pious behavior.

Louise de La Vallière Françoise-Louise de La Baume Le Blanc, Duchess of La Vallière and Vaujours (6 August 1644 – 6 June 1710) was a French nobility, French noblewoman and the Royal mistress, mistress of King Louis XIV of France from 1661 to 1667. La Vallière ...

had six children by Louis XIV, including Marie Anne de Bourbon (1666–1739) and Louis de Bourbon (1667–1683). She repented by joining a Carmelite convent. There she wore a belt of iron spikes that cut into her flesh. Church leaders denounced Madame de Montespan, Louis' best-known mistress, who had seven children by him. In 1675, Father Lécuyer refused to give her absolution. "Is this the Madame that scandalises all France?" he asked. "Go abandon your shocking life and then come throw yourself at the feet of the ministers of Jesus Christ." The king's efforts to legitimize his illegitimate children showed his, "Olympian disdain for public opinion," according to one modern author. The edict of Marly, issued in July 1714, granted two of Louis' sons by Montespan the right to succeed to the French throne.Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie, ''The Ancien Régime: a history of France, 1610–1774'', p. 284. This hugely unpopular decision led to a political crisis called the "bastard distortion" in 1714–1715. It was reversed by the Parliament of Paris in July 1717, after Louis had died. * By Mademoiselle de La Vallière ** Charles de La Baume Le Blanc ** Marie Anne, mademoiselle de Blois, legitimized and married in the royal family **

Louis, Count of Vermandois Louis de Bourbon, ''Légitimé de France'', Count of Vermandois, born Louis de La Blaume Le Blanc, also known as Louis de/of Vermandois (2 October 1667 – 18 November 1683) was a French nobleman, Illegitimacy, illegitimate but legitimised s ...

, legitimized * By Madame de Montespan **

Louis Auguste, Duke of Maine Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, duc du Maine (31 March 1670 – 14 May 1736) was an illegitimate son of Louis XIV and his maîtresse-en-titre, official mistress, Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart, Marquise de Montespan, Madame de Montespan. The kin ...

, legitimized and made dynast (1714-1715). ** Louis César, Count of Vexin, legitimized ** Louise Françoise, mademoiselle de Nantes, legitimized and married in the royal family ** Louise Anne, mademoiselle de Tours, legitimized ** Françoise Marie, mademoiselle de Blois, legitimized and married in the royal family **

Louis Alexandre, Count of Toulouse Louis Alexandre de Bourbon (6 June 1678 – 1 December 1737), a Legitimacy (family law), legitimated prince of the blood royal, was the son of Louis XIV and of his mistress Françoise-Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan. At the age of five, he ...

, legitimized and made dynast (1714-1715) * By Mademoiselle des Œillets **

Louise de Maisonblanche Louise de Maisonblanche, Baronne de La Queue (17 June 1676 – 12 September 1718), was a French noblewoman, the illegitimate daughter of Louis XIV, King of France and his mistress, Claude de Vin des Œillets. She became the Baroness of L ...

Louis XV

Like his great-grandfather,

Louis XV Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached maturity (then defi ...

had many mistresses and illegitimate children, but contrary to him, he never legitimized any of them. * By Pauline Félicité de Mailly ** Charles Emmanuel Marie Magdelon de Vintimille du Luc *By Jeanne Perray: **Amélie Florimond de Norville *By Marie-Louise O'Murphy **Agathe Louise de Saint-Antoine de Saint-André **Marguerite Victoire Le Normant de Flaghac. * By Françoise de Chalus ** Philippe Louis Marie Innocent Christophe Juste de Narbonne-Lara ** Louis Marie Jacques Amalric de Narbonne-Lara *By Marguerite Catherine Haynault **Agnès Louise de Montreuil **Anne Louise de La Réale *By Lucie Madeleine d'Estaing **Agnès Lucie Auguste **Aphrodite Lucie Auguste *By Anne Coppier de Romans ** Louis Aimé de Bourbon, called the ''Abbot of Bourbon''; he was the only one of the illegitimate children of Louis XV who was officially recognized. * By Jeanne Louise Tiercelin de La Colleterie ** Benoît Louis Le Duc

Monaco

Prince Albert II of Monaco has two illegitimate children, Jazmin Grace Grimaldi and

Alexandre Grimaldi-Coste Albert II (Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre Grimaldi; born 14 March 1958) is Prince of Monaco, reigning since 2005. Born at the Prince's Palace of Monaco, Albert is the second child and only son of Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace. He attend ...

Portugal

King

Peter I of Portugal Peter I (; 8 April 1320 – 18 January 1367), known as Peter the Just () or Peter the Cruel (), was King of Portugal from 1357 until his death in 1367. Early life Born on 8 April 1320 in Coimbra, Peter was the fifth child of Afonso of Portuga ...

had an illegitimate son,

, who became Grand Master of the Order of Avis, and following the childless death of his legitimate half-brother, King

Ferdinand I of Portugal Ferdinand I (; 31 October 1345 – 22 October 1383), sometimes called the Handsome () or occasionally the Inconstant (), was the King of Portugal from 1367 until his death in 1383. He was also briefly made King of Galicia, in 1369 (a claim whi ...

and the ensuing

1383–1385 Portuguese interregnum The 1383–1385 Portuguese interregnum () was a war of succession in Portuguese history during which no crowned king of Portugal reigned. The interregnum began when King Ferdinand I died without a male heir and ended when King John I was c ...

, he succeeded as King John I, founding the House of Avis that would rule Portugal for the next two centuries. John I had an illegitimate son, Afonso, who was named Duke of Braganza by his half-brother, the regent Peter, Duke of Coimbra. He thus founded the

House of Braganza The Most Serene House of Braganza (), also known as the Brigantine dynasty (''dinastia Brigantina''), is a dynasty of emperors, kings, princes, and dukes of Portuguese people, Portuguese origin which reigned in Europe and the Americas. The hous ...

that in 1640 would successfully claim the Portuguese crown on the basis of this descent, and rule into the 20th century. King

Carlos I of Portugal Dom (title), ''Dom'' Carlos I (; 28 September 1863 – 1 February 1908), known as "the Diplomat" (), "the Oceanographer" () among many other names, was List of Portuguese monarchs, King of Portugal from 1889 until his Lisbon Regicide, assassin ...

allegedly had an illegitimate daughter who became one of the most famous and controversial royal bastards in the history of European royalty: Maria Pia of Saxe-Coburg and Braganza.

Russia

Empress

Catherine the Great Catherine II. (born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 172917 November 1796), most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter I ...

(reigned 1762 to 1796) had an illegitimate child in 1762, Alexei Grigorievich Bobrinksy, who was born a few months before she took the throne. Catherine officially acknowledged him in a letter sent in 1781. Later, his half-brother Emperor Paul made him a count of the Russian Empire and promoted him to general-major. He married Baroness Anna Dorothea von Ungern-Sternberg and had issue that continues to this day.

Spain

In 783, Mauregatus of Asturias, the illegitimate son of King

Alfonso I of Asturias Alfonso I of Asturias, called the Catholic (''el Católico''), ( – 757) was the third king of Asturias, reigning from 739 to his death in 757. His reign saw an extension of the Christian domain of Asturias, reconquering Galicia and León. ...

allegedly born to a Moorish serf, took the throne upon the death of his brother-in-law Silo of Asturias, reigning for about 5 years. The will of

Sancho III of Pamplona Sancho Garcés III ( 992–996 – 18 October 1035), also known as Sancho the Great (, ), was the Kingdom of Pamplona, King of Pamplona from 1004 until his death in 1035. He also ruled the County of Aragon and by marriage the counties of County o ...

, who died in 1035, lands in the

County of Aragon The County of Aragon () or County of Jaca () was a small Franks, Frankish Marches, marcher county in the central Pyrenees, Pyrenean valley of the Aragon river, comprising Ansó, Echo, Aragón, Spain, Echo, and Canfranc and centered on the small to ...

were left to his illegitimate son

Ramiro Ramiro is a Spanish and Portuguese name from the latinisation of the Gothic given name *𐍂𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌼𐌹𐍂 (*Ranamir). Notable people with the name include: Given name * Ramiro I of Asturias (c. 790–850), king of Asturias * Ramiro ...

, who would grow these holdings into the

Kingdom of Aragon The Kingdom of Aragon (; ; ; ) was a medieval and early modern Monarchy, kingdom on the Iberian Peninsula, corresponding to the modern-day Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon, in Spain. It became a part of the larger ...

, and whose son Sancho Ramírez, became

King of Pamplona The Kingdom of Navarre ( ), originally the Kingdom of Pamplona, occupied lands on both sides of the western Pyrenees, with its northernmost areas originally reaching the Atlantic Ocean (Bay of Biscay), between present-day Spain and France. The me ...

. Ramiro's illegitimate son, also named Sancho Ramírez, was made Count of Ribagorza. King

García Sánchez III of Pamplona García Sánchez III (; 1012 – 1 September 1054),''Europäische Stammtafeln'': II #56, III.1 #145; Moriarty, ''Plantagenet Ancestry of King Edward III and Queen Philippa of Hainault'', p80, 109 nicknamed García from Nájera (, ) was King of ...

, had an illegitimate son Sancho Garcés, and when King

Alfonso the Battler Alfonso I (7 September 1134), called the Battler or the Warrior (), was King of Aragon and Kingdom of Navarre, Navarre from 1104 until his death in 1134. He was the second son of King Sancho Ramírez and successor of his brother Peter I of Arago ...

died in 1134, grandsons of royal bastards Sancho Ramírez of Ribagorza and Sancho Garcés of Uncastillo were among the candidates for succession, with the latter being successful, becoming King García Ramírez of Navarre. Alfonso VI, King of León and Castile, had a complex family born to multiple wives and mistresses, but only one son, Sancho, born to a fugitive Muslim mistress, Zaida of Seville. Sancho was named his father's heir in 1107, but was killed following a battle the next year. Alfonso's legitimate daughter Queen

Urraca of León Urraca (also spelled ''Hurraca'', ''Urracha'' and ''Hurracka'' in medieval Latin) is a female first name. In Spanish, the name means magpie, derived perhaps from Latin ''furax'', meaning "thievish", in reference to the magpie's tendency to collect ...

succeeded, but her rule in Portugal was challenged by her illegitimate half-sister,

Theresa, Countess of Portugal Theresa (Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''Teresa''; Galician-Portuguese: ''Tareja'' or ''Tareixa''; Latin: ''Theresia'') ( 1080 – 11 November 1130) was Countess of County of Portugal, Portugal, and for a time claimant to be its independent ...

, whose ambitions for independence were realized by her son,

Afonso I of Portugal Dom Afonso IOr also ''Affonso'' (Archaic Portuguese-Galician) or ''Alphonso'' (Portuguese-Galician languages, Portuguese-Galician) or ''Alphonsus'' (Latin version), sometimes rendered in English as ''Alphonzo'' or ''Alphonse'', depending on th ...

. Urraca herself, as queen regnant, would have two recognized illegitimate children by nobleman Pedro González de Lara, her main supporter against her former husband Alfonso the Battler. In the 14th century, the English-allied King Peter of Castile would be overthrown by an alienated nobility in favor of his illegitimate half-brother, Henry of Trastámara, who thus became king as

Henry II of Castile Henry II (13 January 1334 – 29 May 1379), called Henry of Trastámara or the Fratricidal (''el Fratricida''), was the first List of Castilian monarchs, King of Castile and List of Leonese monarchs, León from the House of Trastámara. He became ...

and was ancestor of the later royal family. In the 16th century

John of Austria John of Austria (, ; 24 February 1547 – 1 October 1578) was the illegitimate son of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. Charles V recognized him in a codicil to his will. John became a military leader in the service of his half-brother, King Phi ...

(Spanish: Juan de Austria) was an illegitimate son of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. In his last will of 1558, the Emperor officially recognized Juan as his son and put him to the service of his legitimate successor Philip II. He devoted his life to the service of his half-brother, King Philip II of Spain, and is best known for his role as the admiral of the Holy Alliance fleet at the Battle of Lepanto. In 2003, Leandro Ruiz Moragas, an illegitimate son of King

Alfonso XIII Alfonso XIII (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Alfonso León Fernando María Jaime Isidro Pascual Antonio de Borbón y Habsburgo-Lorena''; French language, French: ''Alphonse Léon Ferdinand Marie Jacques Isidore Pascal Antoine de Bourbon''; 17 May ...

's, gained the right to call himself a prince.

References

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