Random Most Influential Illegitimate Children Throughout History (15 items)

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  (#13) Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset

  • Dec. at 17 (1519-1536)

  The only acknowledged illegitimate child of Henry VIII of England, Henry FitzRoy (whose surname means "son of the king") was a legitimate source of potential power in Renaissance England. When Henry's first and second wives, Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, didn't give birth to living sons, only daughters, FitzRoy, who was Henry's son by his ex-mistress Bessie Blount, became increasingly important at court as a potential future monarch.

  Early on, he was made a duke and Lord High Admiral (despite his lack of experience with the navy). Later, he was married to Anne Boleyn's cousin Mary Howard, scion of the dukes of Norfolk, one of the most powerful clans in England. Was Henry setting up his then-only son to be his heir? Possibly, but sadly FitzRoy died young, in 1536, before any of this could be realized.
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  (#15) Maurice De Saxe Beat The Brits In Battle

  A great general, Maurice de Saxe was one of many, many illegitimate children of Augustus of Poland - also leader of Saxony - who started fighting in armies at age 12. Commanding his own regiment at age 17, Maurice fought in pretty much every major war of succession across the European continent; in particular, he defeated the Brits and Dutch on behalf of the French and became a favorite of Louis XV.
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  (#8) Jean de Dunois

  • Dec. at 66 (1402-1468)

  Better known as the "Bastard of Orleans," this French nobleman was pretty integral to his countrymen winning the Hundred Years' War. He was the cousin of the famed Dauphin Charles (later Charles VII, the prince Joan of Arc helped put on the French throne); their dads were brothers. Jean's papa was Louis, duke of Orleans, a French royal lothario who was best known for the brutal way he was assassinated. 

  Although Jean was illegitimate, he helped his cousin a lot, winning quite a few battles in Charles's name and leading his armies; after Charles's death, he even served that king's son, King Louis XI. He also was close allies with Joan of Arc and told historians a bit about her.
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  (#6) Lucrezia Borgia

  • Dec. at 39 (1480-1519)

  The illegitimate daughter of the 15th-century Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia - later Pope Alexander VI - and his longtime mistress Vannozza Cattanei, Lucrezia Borgia was a beauty and a bad girl, all in one. She was married three times - one awkward union annulled, the other ended by alleged murder - and endured tons of crazy rumors. Lucrezia was well-known as a skilled poisoner and might even have conducted a torrid affair with her brother, Cesare. A patroness of the arts, she also made a fortune from producing mozzarella cheese.
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  (#9) John of Austria

  • Dec. at 31 (1547-1578)

  This Don Juan wasn't much of a playboy, but he did work pretty hard to help out his legitimate family members, the Imperial House of Habsburg. He was the secret love child of Emperor Charles V, ex-king of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor, and he served his half-brother, King Philip II of Spain, as an admiral. Most famously, John defeated the Ottoman navy at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. Later, he held the Netherlands for his brother, but only after getting warning his brother about his mad nephew, Prince Carlos's, rebellious tendencies.
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  (#2) T. E. Lawrence

  • Dec. at 47 (1888-1935)

  T.E. Lawrence - better known as "Lawrence of Arabia" - was one of five illegitimate child born to his Welsh dad by his family's governess/father's mistress; the couple pretended to be married, and Lawrence only found out the truth after his dad died. Passionate about Middle Eastern history and archaeology his entire life, Lawrence helped Prince Faisal, later king of Iraq, lead the Great Arab Revolt, in which he shook off the yoke of the Ottoman Empire, changing the course of history in the Middle East.

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