The Women Who Risked Everything for Love, Ranked by Chutzpa

Agnes Bernauer, the daughter of a barber, likely met Albert, son of the Duke of Bavaria, while he was living in Straubing. Their relationship crossed strict social boundaries, and many historians believe they secretly married around 1432, though no official record survives. Albert’s father, Duke Ernest, feared the match could disrupt the Bavarian succession and weaken the family’s political position. In October 1435, Agnes was arrested and accused of witchcraft without solid evidence. She was sentenced to death and drowned in the Danube with her hands bound. Albert later reconciled with his father, but he never stopped honoring her memory.