The only king in history to only have 1 wife?

[CCHIPSS]

I am trying to find a list of kings/emperors that only every had 1 wife (no known 2nd wives, concubines, mistresses or lovers) before the modern era. That means I am looking for kings who held real power over their country, not the kings of the modern era which mostly are kings in name only with no power.

Now no one knows the whole life of these kings and so they might well have had hidden extramarital sex. Or they might have had sex before marriage. But I decided to give them the benefit of doubt.

To my surprise, even with the above leniency, there seems to be only 1 king in the whole human history that only ever had 1 wife in his whole life: Hongzhi Emperor

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hongzhi_Emperor

This is a great surprise to me. There are at least 5 thousand years of human history and hundreds of kingdoms in each era. And there was only 1 king with only 1 wife.

Does this shows just how hard it is for a successful person to do what is right in God's eyes. (Matthew 19:24)

 

[Ubuntu]

What you say might be true when it comes to Chinese history, but I had a look at the list of English monarchs and several kings apparently had only a single wife:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_monarchs

Sure, they might have had lovers, though.

 

[Goodbook]

Are you talking of kings in the bible or kings in general? Theres so many.

 

[Cearbhall]

I am trying to find a list of kings/emperors that only every had 1 wife (no 2nd wives or concubines) before the modern era. That means I am looking for kings who held real power over their country, not the kings of the modern era which mostly are kings in name only with no power.

Now no one knows the whole life of these kings and so they might well have had extramarital sex. Or they might have had sex before marriage. But I decided to give them the benefit of doubt.

What about if they had known mistresses or lovers who weren't concubines?

And how are you defining "modern era?" Tsar Nicholas II fits the bill regarding having real power and only one wife, even though he ruled into the 20th century.

 

[Saucy]

Are you talking about only married once their whole lives never divorcing? Or having multiple wives at the same time?

 

[SnowyMacie]

Most European kings before the protestant reformation.

 

[CCHIPSS]

What about if they had known mistresses or lovers who weren't concubines?

And how are you defining "modern era?" Tsar Nicholas II fits the bill regarding having real power and only one wife, even though he ruled into the 20th century.

If they had known mistresses or lovers they are out. I should clarify in the OP.

Tsar Nicholas II had a mistress. So he is out. But he had real power over his nation, not a puppet king, so he would be considered.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathilde_Kschessinska

 

[CCHIPSS]

Are you talking of kings in the bible or kings in general? Theres so many.

Any king is ok, bible or history.

 

[CCHIPSS]

What you say might be true when it comes to Chinese history, but I had a look at the list of English monarchs and several kings apparently had only a single wife:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_monarchs

Sure, they might have had lovers, though.

I think most of them had lovers. I guess when history goes that back they just weren't recorded properly.

Take Alfred the Great for example. He probably had a illegitimate son called Osferth.

 

[CCHIPSS]

Are you talking about only married once their whole lives never divorcing? Or having multiple wives at the same time?

I mean faithful to their wife. So while married, they did not sleep with anyone else. Ideally a virgin before marriage, but I guess not a requirement.

Once again these kings might well have hidden lovers. But if they do not have known 2nd wives, concubines, mistresses and lovers we will let it slide.

 

[Cearbhall]

I mean faithful to their wife. So while married, they did not sleep with anyone else. Ideally a virgin before marriage, but I guess not a requirement.

Tsar Nicholas II had a mistress. So he is out. But he had real power over his nation, not a puppet king, so he would be considered.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathilde_Kschessinska

That says it ended before his marriage, though.

 

[Goodbook]

Good king wencaslas?

I dont know.

 

[Cearbhall]

Good king wencaslas?

I dont know.

Looks like he never married.

 

[Saucy]

Wasn't Edward 1 faithful? I just looked it up and apparently he was faithful, even for many years after his wife's death.

 

[JeffofGallifrey]

Most European kings before the protestant reformation.

Actually, nope. A surprising number of them had mistresses... Or, ocasionally, misters.

Wasn't Edward 1 faithful? I just looked it up and apparently he was faithful, even for many years after his wife's death.

He had two wives... does that count?

 

[Saucy]

At the same time?

 

[JeffofGallifrey]

No. One first, the other second.

 

[Rhamiel]

Emperor Charles I
the last emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
Emperor of Austria, Apostolic King of Hungary, of this name the Fourth, King of Bohemia, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia, and Galicia, Lodomeria, and Illyria; King of Jerusalem, Archduke of Austria; Grand Duke of Tuscany and Cracow, Duke of Lorraine and of Salzburg, of Styria, of Carinthia, of Carniola and of the Bukovina; Grand Prince of Transylvania; Margrave of Moravia; Duke of Upper and Lower Silesia, of Modena, Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla, of Auschwitz and Zator, of Teschen, Friuli, Ragusa and Zara; Princely Count of Habsburg and Tyrol, of Kyburg, Gorizia and Gradisca; Prince of Trent and Brixen; Margrave of Upper and Lower Lusatia and in Istria; Count of Hohenems, Feldkirch, Bregenz, Sonnenberg; Lord of Trieste, of Cattaro, and in the Windic March; Grand Voivode of the Voivodship of Serbia.

 

[CCHIPSS]

That says it ended before his marriage, though.

Ok then. I guess Tsar Nicolas II counts. =)