10. Grigory Potemkin
Grigory Potemkin is an interesting character that you don’t often hear about. This is rather surprising when you learn the extent of his association with the Russian royal family. Grigory was a favorite of Catherine the Great of Russia. He came from a military family and became a military man himself. His professional connections allowed him access to the empress who with the help of her other lover, overthrew her husband. Catherine was a powerful woman that any man would want to be close to. For years he worked in and around the palace before becoming Catherine’s lover.
In 1744 their relationship finally became more than just a passing flirtation. He became Catherine’s favorite and as such his military status increased as well. He commanded various regiments and continued to gain political power. His relationship with Catherine is documented in many of their letters and appears to be passionate, funny, and loving. Scholars believe that it is highly likely that the couple married at some point, but kept their union a secret. Unfortunately for him, another man superseded him in Catherine’s affections just 2 years later. Despite the end of their affair, the two remained very close and Grigory maintained his military and political pull. 15 years later he succumbed to bronchial pneumonia while on a campaign. In response, Catherine ordered a period of mourning in the capital city and halted all social activities.