16. Princess Charlotte of Belgium couldn’t resist the chance to become Empress of Mexico, though she soon tired of the role, becoming paranoid and an unfaithful wife
As the only daughter of King Leopold of Belgium, Princess Charlotte was perhaps the most desirable woman in all of mid-19th century Europe. In the end, she married her cousin, Archduke Maximillian of Austria in 1857. And she might have led a happy and uneventful life in Vienna had it not been for Napoleon III. In the 1860s, the French Emperor was keen to make Mexico a satellite state of France. He needed a regal figurehead and so he offered Maximillian the job. Against the advice of his family, the Duke accepted. He and Princess Charlotte moved to Mexico, where she became Empress Carlota.
For a while, Charlotte was a diligent ruler, travelling her land and meeting her people. Before long, however, France lost interest in Mexico. Charlotte returned to Europe, mentally exhausted, and heartbroken as she came to realize Maximillian only married her for her family fortune. She became increasingly paranoid and angry. Moreover, according to the rumors of the time, the Princess found solace in the bed of another man, and even had an illegitimate child with him. Charlotte went to the Pope for help, even sleeping in his private chambers. However, he could do nothing. In the end, she was left alone with her mental and emotional demons. She died in 1927, an old, broken and lonely woman.