Random Historical Rulers Who Executed Members Of Their Own Families (13 items)

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  (#13) James II of England

  • Dec. at 68 (1633-1701)

  Royal Title: King of England 

  Relative Killed: 

  His nephew, James Scott, Duke of Monmouth. James II's brother, King Charles II, had at least fourteen illegitimate children, but it was his eldest, James, that was a big thorn in his side. Given the title Duke of Monmouth, the handsome and charming James became a court favorite once the Stuarts resumed the throne after the English Civil War.

  England was mostly Protestant by that point, as was Charles II. But Charles's immediate heir, his brother, James, Duke of York, was a Catholic. Charles died in 1685, at which time James II took over the throne. Soon after, the Protestant Monmouth initiated a rebellion and proclaimed himself rightful king of England. Needless to say, that didn't go over well; his uncle the King proclaimed his nephew a traitor and executed Monmouth that same year.
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  (#11) James I of Scotland

  • Dec. at 43 (1394-1437)

  Royal Title: King of Scotland

  Relatives Killed:

  Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany. James was kept captive for decades in England, but when he returned north to Scotland, he wasn't keen on how much power his royal relatives had seized in his absence. Once he got the throne back in 1425, James captured and executed his troublesome cousin Murdoch. 

  Walter Stewart, son of Murdoch. He was tried by his peers and executed at the same time as his father.

  Alexander Stewart, another son of Murdoch, and Walter's brother, was also killed in 1425.
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  (#5) Agrippina the Younger

  • Dec. at 44 (15-59)

  Royal Title: Empress of Rome

  Relatives Killed: 

  Allegedly, her uncle and husband Claudius. Agrippina was his fourth wife, and she started jockeying for power soon after their marriage. She started pushing her own son, Nero, to be Claudius's heir, rather than his own son Britannicus; Claudius adopted little Nero and betrothed him to his own daughter.

  In 54 CE, Claudius died following a big feast. Rumor had it that Agrippina convinced Claudius's eunuch, who tasted all the imperial food before his master, to poison Claudius's mushroom dish. Other versions of the tale have Agrippina more directly poisoning her husband.
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  (#3) Cleopatra

  • Dec. at 39 (68 BC-29 BC)

  Royal Title: Pharaoh of Egypt

  Relatives Killed: 

  Her sister Arsinoe IV. Cleopatra's little sister wanted to be pharaoh herself and even rallied an army in support of her claim, but Cleopatra and her Roman allies defeated her. Arsinoe was exiled to Turkey and later murdered on her sister's orders.

  Her two brothers (also her husbands), Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV. In true royal Egyptian fashion, Cleopatra married both her brothers, but they died under suspicious circumstances. Ptolemy XIII set himself up as Cleopatra's rival in Alexandria but died in battle with her Roman allies, led by Caesar. Next up was Ptolemy XIV, who was possibly killed by Cleopatra so that her son by Caesar, Caesarion, could assume power.
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  (#1) Elizabeth I of England

  • Dec. at 70 (1533-1603)

  Royal Title: Queen of England

  Relatives Killed:

  Her royal arch-rival, Mary, Queen of Scots. Always a Catholic rival to Elizabeth, Mary thought of herself as the rightful queen of England. She was raised in France but came back home to Scotland in her teens. Mary married her own first cousin, had an heir, and got into a lot of political trouble (her alleged lover and third husband might have killed her second spouse). Mary wound up in battle against her own nobility, abdicated her throne, and threw herself on the mercy of her cousin Elizabeth by fleeing to England. Mary was imprisoned by her for decades until a plot to kill Elizabeth that allegedly implicated Mary was revealed. The Queen of Scots was executed in 1587.

  Her second cousin, Thomas, Duke of Norfolk. One of the Queen of Scots's followers was Elizabeth's own cousin, an English duke named Thomas Howard. He became involved in multiple insurrections against Elizabeth, leading to his execution in 1572. 

  Elizabeth's first-cousin-twice-removed, Robert, Earl of Essex. One of the Virgin Queen's favorites was Robert Devereux, son of her first-cousin-once-removed, Lettice Knollys. He charmed the much older Elizabeth but offended her many times and may have even possibly tried to overthrow the government. Elizabeth ultimately had him beheaded at the Tower of London in 1601.
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  (#8) Suleiman the Magnificent

  • Dec. at 72 (1494-1566)

  Royal Title: Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, dubbed "the Magnificent" for his renowned military, cultural, and legal exploits 

  Relatives Killed:

  Several of his sons. The father of multiple heirs, Süleyman experienced a typical imperial problem: his favorite wife, Roxelana, tangled with his other consorts. Once she became Süleyman's number one lady, Roxelana allegedly conspired to oust her husband's sons by other women from the succession in favor of her own sons. In particular, she wanted a prince named Mustapha out of the way; once he became sultan, he'd probably kill his half-brothers (her own sons), as was customary.

  In 1553, he supposedly forged a letter implicating Mustapha in a rebellion against his father. Süleyman wasn't sure how to punish him, but Roxelana likely urged him to have his son killed. Süleyman ordered Mustapha dead, making Roxelana's son Selim heir to the throne.

  This story has a violent postscript. Several years later, Mustapha's brother Bayezid clashed with Selim, who defeated him in battle. Bayezid and his sons were later strangled to death in 1561.

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