11. Mathilde Kschessinska Slept Her Way to Becoming Prima Ballerina
Mathilde Kschessinska was a Polish-born ballerina who grew up in St. Petersburg and danced for the highly esteemed Imperial Ballet. During her first performance in 1890, she danced so splendidly that Emperor Alexander III sought her out at the post-performance dinner and told her that she was the glory of the ballet. She went on to attain influence in the Russian imperial court and even seduced the future tsar, Nicholas II before he fell in love with Alexandra. Their relationship lasted for three full years and ended with his marriage to Alexandra. Her consorts didn’t stop there, as Mathilde also seduced two grand dukes, one of whom fathered her son, who was born in 1902.
When she was named the prima ballerina – an envious title, indicating that she was the first and most crucial dancer – of the Imperial Ballet in 1896, Marius Petipa, the maestro of the ballet, did not give his consent. He insisted that though she was a talented and skillful dancer, she attained her prestige within the ballet as a result of her consorting with the royal family. He may have been on to something, given that she might have married Nicholas and become tsarina had she been of the same royal pedigree as Alexandra.
Photo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nell_Gwyn#/media/File:Nell_gwyn_peter_lely_c_1675.jpg
Portrait of Nell Gwyn by Peter Lely