Henry VIII

Do you think Henry VIII was bad hmm ...

I guess his Russian counterpart beats Henry at this he had 8 wives and killed his son...

Did Ivan Kill His Eight Wives?

Ivan was married eight times during his 37 year reign as Tsar. Of the seven wives he replaced, two cheated on him (one executed, one imprisoned), three died from illness or poison, one was infertile but was allowed to live a long life, and one was imprisoned and murdered for unknown reasons.

Ivan certainly had his seventh wife executed for adultery, and he may have ordered the deaths of his second (poisoned), fifth, and sixth wives (both died in captivity), but there is little supporting evidence. In general, Ivan's marriages were punctuated by betrayal or tragedy.

It should also be noted that Ivan clearly loved his first wife, and he became increasingly paranoid as his wives met unusual and suspicious ends. Ivan was also prone to fits of anger, although he appeared to respect the bonds of marriage and the status of his Tsaritsas. Despite killing his son in a bout of rage, Ivan was expressively remorseful and despondent.

Ivan the Terrible is seen by many as a monster and a tyrant, and it does nothing for his reputation to have had eight wives. However, the real Ivan Vasilyevich was also capable of love, a victim of tragedy, and a slave to dispositional anger.

PS: Ivan was on the list of the foreign spouses for Elizabeth I whom she declined.