11 influential British royal lovers

Circa 1535, King Henry VIII of England (1491 - 1547) and his second wife, Anne Boleyn (1507 - 1536). He had broken with the papacy following the divorce of his first wife, Catherine of Aragon in 1533. Anne Boleyn was beheaded in 1536 and Henry married Jane Seymour. Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Wallis Simpson is one of the most famous women in British royal history: Her romance with Edward VIII led to the abdication of 1936 and changed the line of succession. Not only was Britain spared the reign of a very questionable king, but it led to the accession of his niece, Elizabeth II, who is Britain's longest reigning monarch.

And yet, despite her immense influence, Wallis was never queen. And like her, some of the most influential people in British history have been the monarch's lover rather than their spouse. Here are 11 royal lovers who left their mark.