20 Historical Figures Who Inflicted Atrocious Suffering on Their Children

Peter the Great aspired to a modern and dynamic Russia, but his son Alexis was far more drawn to traditional religious and conservative circles. When Alexis fled abroad, Peter regarded this as treason, had him forcibly brought back, and interrogated him as part of an investigation into treason. Alexis was subsequently sentenced to death and died in the Peter and Paul Fortress after being tortured. 

Ivan the Terrible had long been known for turning his suspicions into bloodbaths, and this temperament eventually took its toll on his own family. In 1581, he struck his son Ivan Ivanovich during a violent altercation, and the blow proved fatal. Ilya Repin painted the scene that followed, which only made this story even more memorable. 

Constantine the Great is often remembered for redrawing the boundaries of the Roman Empire, but his family’s history includes a dark chapter that is not always highlighted. His eldest son, Crispus, was a seasoned commander and the heir to the throne, but Constantine had him executed in 326 under circumstances that remain unclear to this day. 

Herod the Great was so distrustful that even his own children were not safe from his paranoia. He ordered the execution of his sons, Alexander and Aristobulus, after court intrigues had convinced him that they were plotting against him; and as if that were not enough, he later had another of his sons, Antipater, executed as well. 

Suleiman the Magnificent had one of the most impressive reigns in Ottoman history, but the way he treated his son, Mustafa, left an indelible stain on his legacy. In 1553, Mustafa entered his father’s tent during a military campaign and was strangled by executioners after being suspected of rebellion. To be fair, contemporaries believed that Mustafa may have been the victim of a set-up, but that does not change the outcome.

Philip II of Spain had a son, Don Carlos, who did not really have his father’s trust, and whose political recklessness also made him a formidable threat to the monarchy. Thus, in 1568, Philip had him arrested and imprisoned after learning of his plans and his contacts with opponents in the Netherlands. Don Carlos died in prison a few months later.

Auguste built his public image around a number of principles: order, morality, and family values. All of this sounds fine—until we remember what it meant for his daughter, Julia, who refused to bow to this propaganda. Following scandals involving adultery and politics, he exiled her to the island of Pandataria in 2 B.C., where she later died in exile.

Frederick William I of Prussia wanted a son who was a hardened soldier, but life doesn’t always give us what we want; young Frederick preferred music, books, and French culture… a life less dominated by military drills. This did not please William I at all; he insulted his son, beat him, humiliated him in public, and regarded his interests as personal offenses. 

Mithridates VI did not stop at taking his son’s life. True, he killed Xiphares after the boy’s mother, Stratonice, had surrendered a fortress and a treasure to Pompey. But he also took Xiphares’s life in full view of Stratonice, then left the body unburied, for the sole purpose of causing her pain. 

Irene did not merely sideline her son Constantine VI; she had him overthrown, blinded, and removed from power in 797. Why, you may ask? So that she could rule the Byzantine Empire alone. Her plan worked; after being blinded in the royal palace, Constantine eventually succumbed to his injuries.

In 1603, Mehmed III had his son, Prince Mahmud, imprisoned, beaten, and then strangled after suspicions that he might become a rival to the throne had grown. Mehmed even waited outside during the execution, then entered the room to make sure his son was indeed dead. 

Lord Byron had hoped to have a son and was somewhat disappointed to have a daughter instead. So disappointed, in fact, that she remained with him barely long enough for him to remember her. Ada Lovelace was only a few weeks old when her mother left Byron, and he made no serious effort to gain custody of her afterward. 

King Yeongjo of Korea was faced with a terrible problem involving Crown Prince Sado, whose violent behavior had struck terror into the court. In 1762, Yeongjo ordered that his son be locked in a wooden rice chest, where Sado remained imprisoned for several days until he died. 

The paranoia of Shah Abbas I of Persia turned his dynasty into a hotbed of danger, threatening virtually all claimants to the throne. He had his eldest son, Safi Mirza, assassinated, and then had other sons and grandsons blinded so that they could not reign. Of course, while this strategy protected Abbas from imaginary rivals, it also left the empire in a precarious situation regarding succession.

The son of Ptolemy VIII, Ptolemy Memphite, fell victim to the civil war that pitted Ptolemy against Cleopatra II. Sources indicate that Memphite, the son of Ptolemy VIII and Cleopatra II, was murdered by his father around 130 B.C., a murder attributed to dynastic revenge and political terror.

Emperor Wu of Han once had a promising heir in Crown Prince Liu Ju, but the paranoia that reigned in the palace and accusations of witchcraft shattered that relationship. Liu Ju rebelled against forces linked to his father’s court, and Emperor Wu sent soldiers in pursuit of him. The prince took his own life, and the emperor later expressed his regret, but regret is little consolation once the heir has been destroyed.

Henry VIII didn’t need to kill his daughters to make their lives miserable. Mary was declared illegitimate after Henry’s separation from Catherine of Aragon. Elizabeth lost her royal status after Anne Boleyn’s execution. True, both eventually became queens, but that didn’t make their childhoods any easier.

Shortly after coming to power, the Mughal emperor Jahangir had to deal with a rebellion led by his eldest son, Khusrau. Once captured, Khusrau was imprisoned and partially blinded, which permanently removed him from the line of succession. The only glimmer of hope, so to speak, was that Jahangir subsequently showed signs of remorse, even though this did nothing to change the situation.

After years of animosity, George II banished his son Frederick, Prince of Wales, and his family from the court. This incident caused a deep rift within the House of Hanover, and Frederick died before he could even inherit the throne.

The relationship between Catherine the Great and her son Paul was… strained, to put it mildly. She kept Paul away from real power for decades, surrounded herself with favorites whom he despised, and left him convinced that she had deprived him of the position that was rightfully his. That said, Paul eventually became emperor after her death.