4. Alice Perrers Extorted King Edward III
Royals don’t usually have much of a reputation for marital fidelity, but Edward III of England was inordinately devoted to his wife, Philippa. However, after she died, he made the tragic mistake of taking himself up with her lady in waiting, Alice Perrers, who was already married to a court dignitary. She supported him in his vulnerable state of grief, and he was ever grateful for her kindness. Too bad she was already married. However, that didn’t matter. She knew an opportunity when she saw one, and she was not going to let the possibility to have an affair with the king slip away.
Alice soon had Edward under her spell and used her influence over him to empty the royal treasury for herself, quickly becoming the wealthiest woman in all of England. Historians ascertain that from 1370-1376, she effectively ruled the country vis-à-vis her profound influence on the king. She also extended legal favors to her friends, usually contrary to the law. Edward died in 1376, and she is said to have taken the rings off of his hands as he lay on his deathbed. However, that is when her fortunes changed, as newly enacted laws meant that she could be punished for subverting the law to her own ends.