Most of the people consider sibling rivalry as a childhood phenomenon, and to some extent it is. But in some cases, it brings out the absolute worst in us if it grows into envy in later life. While most parents love their adult kids, it’s surprisingly normal for a parent to be closer to or more supportive of, particular grown-up child over others, sparking sibling rivalry and especially, sister rivalry. You will be not surprised to know that this phenomenon can also be seen in famous personalities and we bring you the list of most famous sister rivalries in the history.
Famous Sister Rivalries in the History
Anne and Mary Boleyn
Mary Boleyn and her younger sister, Anne, had affairs with King Henry VIII, but only one married him. That sibling wasn’t Mary; she was married to one of the King’s friends in 1521. That left Anne, and apparently lucky for her but it wasn’t long before Henry grew tired of her and her inability to provide him a living male heir. Henry started thinking of his next wife and had Anne imprisoned on false accusations. In 1536, he had her executed; the possible reason she is one of the royal ghosts that still haunts Britain to this day.
Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth
Henry VIII had been married to Catherine of Aragon, who’d borne him a daughter named Mary before marrying Anne. Henry divorced Catherine to marry Anne Boleyn and Anne did give Henry a daughter, Elizabeth before she died. Mary finally became Queen in 1553. Worrying Elizabeth was more prevalent than she, Mary had Elizabeth imprisoned and banished; but, Elizabeth was the winner overall when Mary died childless in 1558, leaving Elizabeth to mount the throne and become one of the most popular Queens in all of history.
Catherine and Pippa Middleton
The Middleton sisters have always been friendly but rivalrous. When Catherine married Prince William, it was obvious that she’d “won.” Isn’t she? On the day of the royal wedding, while the new Duchess of Cambridge was undeniably an absolutely beautiful bride, her sister, Pippa got more attention for her impressive figure in her fitted, white bridesmaid’s dress.
Joan Fountain and Olivia de Havilland
Olivia and Joan, born in 1916 and 1917, respectively, both grew famous Hollywood stars, and tales of their professional rivalry accompanied them throughout their lives. Theirs wasn’t just a known dispute, however; Olivia had envied Joan from birth, and their conflicts sometimes became physical (Joan once claimed Olivia broke her collarbone in 1933). Joan died in 2013 while Olivia is still alive; now 103 but their rivalry will live on always.
The Andrews Sisters
No one can challenge the Andrews Sisters trio in terms of their being the best-selling female vocal group of all time. But listen; did they challenge one another too? You can also relate the worst sister rivalries in the history to them. Their rivalry lasted two years when Maxene and LaVerne wouldn’t talk to Patty. After LaVerne died, Maxene and Patty continued to sing together, but they never really quit feuding. The AV Club states that when asked about the sisters’ dispute, Patty responded that there’d only ever been one argument. “It started in 1937 and it’s still going!”
Jessica and Ashlee Simpson
Jessica and her younger sister, Ashlee, competed strongly for record sales during the early aughts, but according to VH1 at least, they’ve had “equal success” with hits including “Irresistible” and “Pieces of Me,” respectively. Both have been widely criticized (Jessica for being an airhead, and Ashlee for plastic surgery), but “they sustained scrutiny and have powered on.
Serena and Venus Williams
It’s just simple Venus and Serena would be famous for their sisterly rivalry, which has been worked out in some 30 professional tennis matches since 1998, most lately in 2019. Serena leads Venus in terms of wins and the number of weeks ranked as the number one female tennis player in the world. But there are no hard feelings from Venus openly; the Williams sisters start their rivalry on the clay or grass depending on the court.
Zsa Zsa and Eva Gabor
Eva Gabor was famous for portraying the pampered socialite married to a farmer on television’s Green Acres. Both of her elder sisters, Zsa Zsa and Magda were in the showbiz industry too, but it was the rivalry between Zsa Zsa and Eva Gabor that was most popular. In 1990, the Los Angeles Times even gone too far as to playfully comparing their “wins”: Eva was skinnier. Zsa Zsa had more marriages. Eva sold wigs. Zsa Zsa sold costume jewelry and skin cream. Finally, even though Eva was the more successful celebrity, ironically, people often confused the two Gabor sisters.
