Behind the Romance: Famous Troubled Marriages Quiz

Answer: It was declared null and void

Henry argued that his marriage to Catherine of Aragon was never valid in the eyes of God because Catherine had previously been married to his older brother, Arthur. He referred to Leviticus 20:21 in the Bible, using the wording of the Latin Vulgate, which says that a man who marries his brother's wife will be 'without children'. Henry interpreted the passage as applying to his own marriage and pointed to Catherine's failure to provide a surviving male heir as evidence that God had not blessed the union.

Pope Clement VII refused to grant the annulment under political pressure from Catherine's nephew, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. The resulting deadlock led Henry to break away from the Roman Catholic Church entirely and establish the Church of England with himself as Supreme Head.

Thomas Cranmer, the newly appointed Archbishop of Canterbury, subsequently declared Henry's marriage to Catherine null and void in 1533, clearing the path for him to marry Anne Boleyn.

Answer: His relationship with one of his nurses

Doctors initially gave Stephen only a few years to live. Jane devoted much of her life to managing his around-the-clock care, running the household, and raising their three children, while Stephen's global scientific fame grew. His progressive illness took a physical and emotional toll on the family. A rotating roster of 24-hour nurses and medical staff inside their home also strained their private life.

The breaking point arrived in the late 1980s when he grew close to one of his primary nurses, Elaine Mason. The relationship led to Stephen leaving the family home in 1990. They formally divorced in 1995, and he married Elaine shortly after. Stephen and Jane later reconciled their friendship, a journey chronicled in Jane's memoir and the subsequent film 'The Theory of Everything' (2014).

Answer: A possible scientific collaborator

Mileva Marić studied physics and mathematics alongside Albert Einstein at the Zurich Polytechnic. Letters between them show that they discussed scientific ideas, and some historians believe she may have contributed to his early work. However, the extent of her contribution remains disputed, and she was never credited as a co-author of Einstein's published papers.

The marriage broke down after Einstein began an affair with his cousin Elsa Löwenthal in 1912, and the couple separated in 1914. When they divorced in 1919, the settlement included a clause giving Mileva the money if Einstein ever won the Nobel Prize. He won it in 1922, and the money was transferred to her over time.

Answer: Political differences

When Jane Wyman filed for divorce from Ronald Reagan, she cited political differences as her reason for the split. At the time, Reagan was serving as president of the Screen Actors Guild and was involved in the anti-communist hearings that shaped post-WWII Hollywood politics. According to court documents, Jane said her husband's focus on union and political affairs had left them with nothing in common to sustain the marriage.

Reagan's growing interest in public policy and political activism contrasted with Wyman's acting career, which was reaching its peak. She won the Academy Award for 'Johnny Belinda'. Their divorce was finalised in 1949, making Reagan the only U.S. president to have been divorced.

Answer: They were quarrelling

On their wedding day in November 1836, onlookers and the officiating clergyman witnessed Richard and Minna quarrelling shortly before the vows were exchanged. Their life together was marked by financial difficulty, clashing personalities, and infidelity on both sides for decades.

Minna wanted a stable, conventional domestic life, while Wagner's spending and debts repeatedly forced them to flee creditors. As Wagner's musical style moved in increasingly experimental directions, Minna struggled to support his ambitions. Though they remained legally married until Minna's death in 1866, they spent their final years apart.

Answer: Deeply unhappy and acrimonious

Leo Tolstoy and Sofya Tolstaya were married for 48 years. In the early years, Sofya managed their estate, raised thirteen children, and hand-copied the manuscript of 'War and Peace' multiple times. Later in life, Tolstoy underwent a spiritual and philosophical conversion that put the couple at odds. He wanted to renounce his wealth, give away the copyrights to his books, and live in poverty, a path Sofya resisted to protect the family's finances. Their final years involved hidden diaries, eavesdropping, and frequent arguments.

In October 1910, the 82-year-old Tolstoy left their home in the middle of the night, travelling third-class and dressed as a peasant, accompanied only by his physician. He left Sofya a note asking her not to look for him. He fell ill on the journey and was taken into the stationmaster's house at the railway station in Astapovo. Newspapers across Russia tracked his condition daily, and Sofya was not allowed to see him until his final hours. He died there of pneumonia a week later.

Answer: He didn't want to split his wealth and artworks with her

Pablo Picasso married the Ukrainian ballerina Olga Khokhlova in 1918, but their relationship deteriorated after Picasso began an affair with Marie-Thérèse Walter. Olga left him in 1935 and moved to the south of France with their son, Paulo. Although they lived apart, they remained legally married. Picasso refused to divorce Olga because he did not want to accept the division of their property that a divorce would have required.

This included valuable artwork and other assets. As a result, they remained legally married until Olga died in 1955.

Answer: Mutually destructive, marked by rivalry and instability

Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald's marriage was marked by alcoholism, financial instability, and creative rivalry. Scott drew on Zelda's diaries and personal struggles for material in his novels, which Zelda resented, as she wanted recognition as a writer in her own right.

As the 1920s gave way to the 1930s, the relationship deteriorated. Zelda was diagnosed with schizophrenia and spent much of her remaining life in psychiatric clinics. Scott's health declined alongside his career, and the couple lived largely apart before both died relatively young.

Answer: A sudden realisation while out cycling that he no longer loved her

In 1901, while out cycling, Russell suddenly realised that his feelings for Alys had changed. He later wrote that he had no idea what had triggered the thought and that the change was not prompted by any specific argument. When he told Alys, she was devastated, but he didn't pretend otherwise.

They continued to share a house for several years, but the marriage had effectively ended. They separated in 1911 and divorced in 1921.

Answer: His 'second wife'

Carl Jung had a relationship with Toni Wolff, a former patient who became an analytical psychologist in her own right. Jung didn't hide the relationship from his wife, Emma, telling her he regarded Wolff as his 'second wife'. The relationship lasted for about four decades.

The arrangement caused Emma significant distress, and she threatened divorce more than once. Over time, Wolff became a regular presence in the Jung household, including at family meals. Emma remained married to Carl until her death in 1955.