Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet between 1591 and 1596, 432 years ago. Four centuries later it is still known as one of the great love stories ever.
Is it though???
Romeo was 16, Juliet was 13, and their love played out over FIVE days, with both of them ending up dead.
If you asked me about a great love story, I would say Princess Lilian and Prince Bertil of Sweden.
Lilian was a British divorcée who met and fell in love with Swedish Prince Bertil in 1943. They could not get married or even be known to have a relationship, because Bertil’s brother and heir to the Swedish throne had died in a plane crash and his next brother renounced his title in order to marry a commoner. Prince Bertil would have lost his title and place in the order of succession had he married Lilian at the time, sparking a constitutional crisis. The reigning King – Bertil’s father – was old, so Bertil had to stay single until his infant nephew (the present King of Sweden) came of age and could take the throne. When that happened, the new King allowed Bertil to marry his beloved Lilian and keep his title, 33 years after they first fell in love. Before this, Lilian and Bertil never made any official appearances in public and he always carried out his official duties alone. It was well known to the media that Bertil and Lilian had a relationship, but the media never reported on it. They were married in 1976, and remained so until his death in 1997. They were married for 21 years and together for fifty four years.
