Even Crazier In Love

I had so much fun writing about the crazy stories of love, loss, and romance that Laura T. Coffey uncovered for TODAYshow.com that I couldn't resist posting a few more to get you into the Valentine's Day spirit!

We've already heard two stories of how modern technology helped a brokenhearted woman win her ex back, and allowed a concerned son to try to find love for his divorced mother. We also heard the tales of two only-in-NYC moments that ranged from the sweet story of a missed connection on the subway, to the slightly strange account of a man who posted extremely specific hand-written personal ads around Manhattan.

Crazy love stories are most definitely not unique to the 21st century, however. Consider England in the 1500s, when King Henry VIII fell for the woman who would become his second wife, Anne Boleyn. In order to be with Anne, the king needed to end his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon. When the Pope refused to grant the annulment, Henry retaliated by assuming the role of Supreme Head of the Church of England, annulling his marriage to Catherine, and marrying Anne (and getting excommunicated from the Catholic Church along the way).

And then things got even crazier. When Anne gave birth to Elizabeth, the future queen of England, Henry was furious that she failed to give him a son. After several miscarriages and stillbirths, he lost hope that she would give birth to a male heir and turned his attentions to Anne's maid of honor, Jane Seymour, instead. As proof of his love for Anne, Henry believed charges of adultery, incest, and treason against Anne, and had her beheaded.

The British royal family is the source of yet another story of an act of extreme love. When King Edward VIII (maybe there's just something special about the VIII's?) met Wallis Simpson, a two-time divorcee and American socialite, he fell deeply in love. When he announced that he wanted to marry her, the country was thrown into turmoil. The prime ministers of the United Kingdom, other government officials, church leaders, and many of his subjects strongly opposed the marriage on the grounds that the people of England would not accept a divorced woman as Queen. Rather than end his relationship with Simpson, Edward chose to abdicate the throne - after just 325 days as king - and marry his love, who he remained with until his death 35 years later.

Their story was later turned into a movie directed by Madonna, and if that isn't an example of a crazy love story, I don't know what is!

How about you, readers? What's your most extreme love story?