There is one side of life, usually hidden from the eyes of people, but very significant both for the development of the state itself and for the well-being of the people. This hidden side of the life of the “tops” is the favorites and favorites of the throne, the favorites and favorites of sovereigns and empresses, their influence on sovereigns, their policies, methods of government and, consequently, on the history of the country. Before you, dear reader, is a book that presents materials about the most famous favorites, mistresses and lovers who, from the 15th to the beginning of the 20th century, lived and acted under the kings and queens of the most significant European states at that time - France, England, Scotland, Denmark and Spain, where favoritism at the throne manifested itself most clearly and had tragic consequences. In the proposed book there is no savoring of alcove royal stories, because the main goal of the author was the desire to find out what is the difference between favoritism in the countries of Western Europe and favoritism in Russia and how the influence of these phenomena affected the international relations of the countries we have chosen. The book was published in the author's edition .