Sham marriage

A sham marriage is a union (marriage) between a man and a woman motivated not so much by love but instead by a desire for political advantage or personal convenience. Examples of the former include many royal marriages of the Middle Ages, one of the most famous being the marriage between Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine in the 12th Century. Eleanor was a full ten years older than Henry II but the marriage made France more powerful politically. Other sources, however, claim that Eleanor wanted to experience Henry's reputedly insatiable sex drive as much as she wanted to experience greater political power.

Related Topics:
Marriage - Henry II - Eleanor of Aquitaine - France

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Sham marriages for personal convenience usually involve a desire to conceal homosexuality or other aspects of one's true self from a public that might view that true self with derision or intolerance. Rock Hudson's marriage was encouraged by his studio to camouflage his increasingly well-known desire for same sex relations. Several have claimed that pop singer Michael Jackson's two marriages in the 1990s to women have also been sham marriages motivated by a desire to conceal a still unconfirmed bizarre love life.

Related Topics:
Homosexuality - Rock Hudson - Michael Jackson

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While referred to as a 'sham', such a marriage is still a legal union (provided it conforms to necessary legal details).

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