8 Hidden Figures Who Quietly Shaped Nations (3 of 5)

5. Madame de Pompadour

Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, or Madame de Pompadour if you prefer to call her something fancy, got her start as King Louis XV’s mistress. However, she earned so much respect for her intelligence and political acumen that he kept her on as his most trusted advisor long after their bedroom romps had ended. She was the gatekeeper to the monarch, and held a lot of sway when it came to policy matters. Ministers and diplomats alike learned very quickly that if they wanted to gain favor with the king, she was the one they’d need to suck up to.

4. Edith Bolling Galt Wilson

When President Woodrow Wilson suffered a debilitating stroke in 1919, his second wife, Edith, essentially took the reins. Among other things, she managed his schedule, filtered communications, and made most of the important decisions on his behalf. Although she liked to insist she was merely “helping” her husband, some historians argue that she was the one running the country.