Husbands Who Made History (And Their Wives) Miserable

Life with Charles VI of France was a total gamble because no one knew which version of him would show up. Born in 1368 and crowned in 1380, he began having severe mental health crises in 1392. During these episodes, he often didn’t recognize his wife, Isabeau of Bavaria, and behaved erratically, in sometimes dangerous ways. He would run through palace halls in fear or confusion, and at times believed his body was made of glass. Isabeau was left to handle the political chaos of France while her husband’s condition made daily life unpredictable and deeply unsettling.