Top 5 Most Romantic Real Couples of All Time

Ahh, love.  When I write about happily ever after, I'm thinking long term. I'm thinking couples who were meant to be together for the remainder of their lives. What could be more romantic than real life couples dedicated to one another? There are so many wonderfully romantic couples from royalty to Hollywood, from politics to fashion, from ancient history to the present. Hollywood boasts quite a collection, including Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn, Lawrence Olivier and Vivienne Leigh, and Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. While this was a tough list to winnow down, without further ado, here's my Top 5 Most Romantic Real Couples of All Time.

1. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert – This royal couple embodied the notions of romance. It was said that Queen Victoria was besotted by Albert, and he her. Queen Victoria ruled England for 63 years, and for 21 of those years she had Albert by her side as consort, advisor, and mediator. After Albert's death in 1861, Victoria plunged into deep mourning, withdrew from public view, and wore black in mourning for him for the rest of her long life. Even more touching, Albert's rooms in all his houses were kept as they had been, with hot water brought in the morning, and linen and towels changed daily.

Queen Victoria is buried in Frogmore Mausoleum, Windsor, next to her beloved husband, Prince Albert.

2. Abelard and Heloise – Theirs is one of the most beautiful and tragic true love stories of all time. Peter Abelard, a French Philosopher and one of the greatest thinkers of the 12^th century, persuaded Heloise’s uncle to let him teach Heloise. Heloise, a well-educated, beautiful woman, who was more than 20 years younger than Abelard, fell in love with him. Heloise became pregnant and gave birth to a son out of wedlock. Later the two married in secret.

Both prominent intellectuals in Medieval France, their love affair fell victim to Heloise’s vengeful uncle. 

When her uncle learned of the marriage, he hired a thug to attack and castrate Abelard. Abelard was exiled to Brittany, where he later became a monk, and Heloise entered a convent. During this separation, the two exchanged their now-famous letters, compiled in The Love Letters of Abelard and Heloise. The letters are some of the most beautiful, most tragic, most moving of any I have ever read.

3. Clark Gable and Carole Lombard – One of Old Hollywood’s glamorous couples, the dashing Clark Gable and the beautiful, talented Carole Lombard, were only together a short time, but their great love is remembered today. Gable and Lombard, both of whom were married to other people at the time, worked with together on No Man of her Own in 1932. The two reconnected at a party in 1935. This time Carole was divorced, but Clark was still married.

Finally, they married in 1939, shortly after Clark’s divorce was final, and become one of Hollywood’s most famous couples. Despite their busy acting schedules, they spent as much time together as was possible, playfully referring to one another as Ma and Pa. Their love affair ended tragically in 1942, when the plane carrying Lombard crashed into a mountain near Las Vegas. Gable learned of the news on a radio station when he was on his way to pick her up.

Gable twice-remarried, and lived out his life until he died of a heart attack at age 61, but he was never the same man. His wife at the time of his death had him buried next to his beloved Carole.

4. Ronald and Nancy Reagan – Another of Hollywood’s glamorous couples, they made their way

all the way to the Whitehouse. Think what you will of Ronald Reagan’s politics and Nancy Reagan’s conspicuous consumption, there was never a doubt the two were devoted to one another. It is said that Reagan’s whole demeanor changed when she entered the room, and the loving gaze Nancy bestowed on her husband openly demonstrated her affection for him. The love letters they wrote to one another are on par with the letters of Abelard and Heloise, minus the tragedy, of course.

Nancy’s dedication to Reagan throughout his long illness touched those around the U.S. and around the world. As I watched President Reagan’s funeral on television, I cried for Nancy’s loss. Her grief was palpable and her broken heart made my own heart ache. With a last touching last goodbye as she caressed his coffin, I’m not ashamed to admit that tears ran down my face.

5. Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall – Yes, another of Hollywood’s famous couples. Bogart and Bacall met in 1944 on the set of the film To Have and Have Not. Bogart was married at the time, but he was quite taken with Bacall’s youth (she was 25 years younger than he was), beauty, and outspokenness. The two had an affair, but in 1945, Bogey divorced his first wife, and the two were married several months later in a quiet ceremony.

Their onscreen chemistry, and what chemistry it was, carried over into their real life love affair. Their relatively short marriage ended with Bogey’s death in 1957.  In an interview on CBS Sunday Morning, Bacall said of Bogey, “He was the love of my life.” Their names are forever linked, even making an appearance in the 1981 hit song “Key Largo” sung by Bertie Higgins.

These real life couples, whose love touched millions both during their lifetimes and after their deaths, are perfect inspiration to romance authors, film makers, and musicians. 

Who would make your top 5 most romantic real life couples list?