12. Odette de Champdivers
If you like your men a little on the crazy side, then you have something in common with Odette de Champdivers. Born in the year 1390, her relatives were actually rivals of the current king. All of this changed when 17-year-old Odette caught the eye of King Charles VI of France. Charles married Isabeau of Bavaria in 1385 and had 8 children by the time he met Odette. It also didn’t matter that he was 22 years her senior. He saw her, liked her and then took her as his mistress. Unlike most on this list, Charles’ queen Isabueu had no problem with Odette coming into the picture. In fact, she seemed pretty happy about it. What woman would be happy about their husband picking up a side piece? A woman whose husband beat and abused her, that’s who.
Charles VI often experienced frequent bouts of psychosis. This earned him the moniker of “The Mad King.’ He sometimes became violent during these episodes and Isabueu reportedly suffered at his hands. However, when he met Odette, she appeared to have a calming effect on him during his delusions. She possessed a gentle spirit and remained constantly loyal to her king. The couple produced one daughter together and Odette remained by his side until his death in 1422. ” The Little Queen” disappears from the record shortly thereafter. Some scholars believe she died in relative poverty. Even still, her kindness and peaceful spirit were so legendary that Alexandre Dumas wrote of her, and there is a breed of French rose named for her as well.