14. Robert Dudley
The first man to make it on this list is an interesting character by the name of Robert Dudley. He is was known as the companion to Elizabeth I, the “Virgin Queen.” The Dudley family had ties to both Elizabeth and the Tudors. His father was Duke of Northumberland until he fell from the family’s good graces after failing to keep Mary I off the throne. Robert attempted to avenge his father and promptly ended up in the Tower of London accused of treason. Dudley bonded with Elizabeth while they were in prison together. The two remained close from that point forward. When Elizabeth ascended the throne, Dudley came with her.
Elizabeth appointed him to prestigious positions, such as Master of Horse, Knight of the Garter, and Protector of the Realm. She didn’t allow Robert away from her side very often, though he was married to someone else. The two were almost always together, with bed chambers side by side. Suspicions arose when Dudley’s wife died under “mysterious” circumstances. Shortly after that, a young man claimed to be the son of Elizabeth and Robert. Dudley tried repeatedly to get the queen to marry him, but for the good of the kingdom, she always declined. The two had a falling out for a few years when he secretly married her cousin which resulted in her banishing them from the court. Their strong bond later reunited the couple once more until his death in 1588. History remembers Robert as the love of Elizabeth’s life, though the two never officially married.