Famous Couples in History

Do you believe in long-lasting love? That a first sight love can turn into a life long passion and companionship? True love is eternal and timeless. If you discard this thought as meaningless, have a look at the famous couples in history whose undying love for each other have stood the test of time throughout centuries. Here are the names of famous couples in history who were successful in love or were doomed for a lifetime.

Most Famous Couples in History ~ Real Life

Here are the world's most famous and noted couples whose real life love stories have now become legends.

Antony and Cleopatra
Many of us must have heard or read the love story of Cleopatra and Mark Antony. Mark Antony and Cleopatra were one of the famous couples in history who were immortalized by William Shakespeare in his works. It is believed that these two powerful people (he was a Roman general and she was an Egyptian Queen) fell in love with each other in their first meeting. Their love was doomed when Antony committed suicide (either due to losing in a battle or by hearing the false news of Cleopatra's death) and Cleopatra, unable to live without Antony, followed suit.

Napoleon and Josephine
Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine were married when he was a general in the army and she was a wealthy widow. Although married for convenience, they grew to love each other with utter passion. Emperor Napoleon wrote passionate letters to his beautiful wife during his campaigns. They both committed adultery, parted ways as Josephine couldn't produce an heir, Napoleon remarried; but the love and undying passion between the two never faltered. In fact, the last words of Emperor Napoleon were, "France, armée, tête d'armée, Joséphine." (France, army, head of the army, Joséphine).

Emperor Shah Jahan and Queen Mumtaz Mahal
The love between Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and Queen Mumtaz Mahal (Arjumand Banu) led to the construction of one of the most beautiful monuments in the world, the Taj Mahal. Mumtaj Mahal died while giving birth to the couple's 14th child which grieved the Emperor to no end. He built the Taj Mahal in the memory of his beautiful wife and today it is the only structure symbolizing eternal love in the whole world. Shah Jahan and Mumtaj Mahal are remembered as one of the most famous couples in history.

King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson
True love requires sacrifice, but one of the greatest one was made by David, or King Edward VIII when he abdicated his throne to marry his love Wallis Simpson. He was the King of United Kingdom and the Emperor of India and she was a twice divorced socialite. They married and remained so for 35 years, until his death. Edward VIII (later known as Duke of Windsor) could never bear to live without his Duchess for more than a couple of days and was found dejected and melancholy in her absence. They are rated among the most famous married couples in history.

Most Famous Couples in History ~ Mythical

Apart from the real life ones, there are several famous couples in mythical and fictitious legends that are equally popular and often misunderstood as real.

Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet, the most famous star crossed lovers in the world, are fictitious characters in William Shakespeare's tragedy by the same name. These two belong to two feuding families and meet with tragic and untimely end. The story of Romeo and Juliet is a symbol of unconditional love, sacrifice and tragedy.

Salim and Anarkali
This is one of the most popular love stories in Indian history. There is a great debate on the verity about the love story between Prince Salim (later Emperor Jahangir) and a beautiful courtesan Anarkali. Emperor Akbar (Prince Salim's father), enraged by the love between the Prince and the commoner, orders death sentence to Anarkali and she is entombed alive.

Lancelot and Guinevere
Lancelot and Guinevere are one of the famous couples in history of the Arthurian era. Sir Lancelot was a knight in King Arthur's Round Table, who fell in love with Queen Guinevere, Arthur's wife. Their secret affair is revealed leading to death penalties for the two, division of the Knights and weakening of Arthur's kingdom. Sir Lancelot saves Guinevere from death. Both spend their last days in seclusion; he as a hermit and she, as a nun.

Layla and Majnun
The story of Layla (also Laila) and Majnun (also Majnu) is yet another popular tragic Arabic love story from the poem of Nizami of Ganje, an Iranian poet. The story is told in many versions. In one of these, Majnun falls in love with Layla at the first sight but they can not get married as Layla's parents do not approve of the match. Majnun cannot bear this and spends the rest of his life as a mad man.

Famous Couples in History List (Real Life & Mythical)

The following is a list of some more famous people or fictitious character whose love stories have inspired many others, all around the world.

• Rama and Sita
• Queen Victoria and Prince Albert
• Marie and Pierre Curie
• Tristan and Isolde
• Bajirao and Mastani
• Paris and Helena
• Justinian and Theodora
• Orpheus and Eurydice
• Odysseus and Penelope
• Paolo and Francesca
• Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler
• Heathcliff and Catherine
• Jane Eyre and Rochester
• Eloise and Abelard
• Pyramus and Thisbe
• Elizabeth Bennett and Darcy
• Annie Oakley and Frank Butler
• Pocahontas and John Smith

These were some of the famous couples in history known for their undying, selfless and unconditional love for each other. They have even inspired popular literature in the world. As mentioned above, their love has really stood the test of time as they are still popular today!