The president of the United States is arguably the most powerful person on Earth. That's partly what makes learning about their personal lives so interesting. Over the years, there have been so many presidential scandals of the romantic sort that it's hard to keep up. And it might make for quality gossip, but what about the stories of lasting love?
There have been many beautiful relationships between presidents and their wives. Those relationships might stay out of the mainstream news because they aren't as riveting as affairs or drama-filled romances, but they are fascinating nonetheless.
That's especially true because it can't be easy being married to the president. If a relationship isn't rattled by the pressures of being in the highest office in the land, then there's probably something truly special there.
Here are 12 presidents and first ladies whose relationships stood the test of time.
1. Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter
Former President Jimmy Carter and first lady Rosalynn Carter have one of the most beautiful and inspiring relationships ever. They've been married for 75 years, making them the longest-married couple of any president and first lady, and they say that their love only gets deeper with time. They share common interests, and both have a deep love of humanitarian work. But they also know how important it is to give one another space. In a recent interview with Good Morning America, Jimmy Carter called their relationship "extraordinary."
One of the things they do together on the regular is read the same passages from the Bible, no matter where they are. "When I'm overseas and Rose is at home, we know we're reading the same biblical text, and even though we're separated physically, it makes us think about the same scripture and admonition from God, direction from God, before we go to sleep," Jimmy said. "So it helps a lot."
2. Theodore and Edith Roosevelt
Theodore and Edith Roosevelt are a really interesting historical couple. One of the reasons is because they were childhood friends who actually grew up together, sharing tutors and schoolbooks.
It wasn't until after Theodore's first wife died that he and Edith became romantically involved. He turned to his childhood friend while deep in his grief. Rather quickly, he proposed, and the two became engaged. According to historian Kathleen Dalton, "Theodore Roosevelt adored Edith Roosevelt and she was devoted to him." Theodore died at just 60, long before his wife, but they are buried next to one another at Youngs Memorial Cemetery.
3. John and Abigail Adams
It wouldn't be considered romantic today, but John Adams met his future wife, Abigail, when she was just 15 and he was 27. They were immediately drawn to one another. He found himself fascinated by her knowledge of politics. They went on to marry and had six children in the span of 10 years.
Because of John Adam's duties as part of the revolution, he was often physically away from Abigail. They spent years not living in the same place, but what's incredible about their story is how they stayed connected through writing letters. Those letters are now published in what is considered one of the greatest historical artifacts ever, The Letters of Mrs. Adams.
In the letters, a great deal of affection between the two is apparent. When he was president, she was such a strong force behind him that people often called her "Mrs. President."
4. Barack and Michelle Obama
As the first Black president in US history, Barack Obama had his work cut out for him. Luckily, he had a strong woman by his side. Michelle and Barack had each other's back throughout their time in the White House, even when it wasn't easy. Michelle has opened up in recent years about the intense racism they endured, even the time when a bullet was fired into their home.
They were one another's safe place through it all. Even now, they only have kind things to say about the other. Barack often calls Michelle his "best friend," and it's clear that, at least in part, their strong foundation of friendship is what makes them such a strong couple.
5. Abe and Molly Lincoln
Another reason presidential relationships are so interesting is because there is simply so much going on behind the scenes that we seldom get to hear about. Abraham Lincoln and wife Mary, whom he called Molly, had a truly intriguing relationship.
The pair met when she was 21 and he was 31. Though her family objected to the relationship, she was deeply in love with him and accepted his proposal. She clearly saw something in him that the rest of the world didn't, and vice versa. People thought she was cold and ruthless. But there was no mistaking that she was brilliant.
Molly became her husband's biggest supporter throughout his presidency, but what a lot of people don't know is that Molly was highly political and came up with many of Lincoln's best ideas.
6. George W. and Laura Bush
George W. Bush and Laura Bush are one of the strongest couples in the public eye. But their 44-year marriage is pretty incredible because they only knew each other for three months before they got married.
Still, George has often said he didn't question it. He even said that when he first met his wife at a friend's barbecue, she gave him heart palpitations. In a recent interview with one of his daughters, he talked about the instant connection.
“So you knew it right away?” Jenna Bush Hager asked her dad.
“Yeah,” he said. “You should’ve seen your mom. Those blue eyes, oh my God.”
7. James and Dolley Madison
James Madison met and married wife Dolley within just a few months. Dolley was heartbroken after the death her first husband and their younger son, but when she met James she felt her heart had healed. She wrote to her best friend, Eliza Collins, just after they wed: "In the course of this day, I give my hand to the man who of all others I most admire … in this union I have everything soothing and grateful in prospect … and my little Payne will have a generous and tender protector."
The two were together for 42 years, and it has been said that they only loved each other more as time passed. They were true opposites in every way. He was quiet and had a strong work ethic. She was known to be a social butterfly. But their relationship withstood everything they encountered. When James died, Dolley was utterly devastated and consumed by grief.
8. Harry and Bess Truman
Harry and Bess Truman had a deep connection. They always knew one another and had even gone to Sunday school together as kids. Harry always thought there was something special about his future wife.
In the book First Ladies by historian Nicole Anslover, she writes, "Harry always spoke of the girl with the beautiful blue eyes and the long golden curls, and he claims that he fell in love with her that day."
The biographer also noted, "He just didn't function with quite as much vigor when Bess wasn't near."
9. George H. W. and Barbara Bush
"I could hardly breathe I thought he was so beautiful," Barbara Bush adorably revealed in a 2018 NBC interview about the first time she met her future husband. It was at a Christmas dance in 1941. That night would seal their fate.
They never stopped loving each other. They wrote letters when he was away at war, and of course she followed him to the White House. They had five children and 17 grandchildren. Through it all, Barbara said he always made her laugh — that was why she married him and why she stayed married to him.
10. Ronald and Nancy Reagan
Ronald and Nancy Reagan were madly in love with one another. In her memoir, she wrote of her gratitude at meeting him: "My life didn’t really begin until I met Ronnie."
He felt the same about her. “Beginning in 1951, Nancy Davis seeing the plight of a lonely man who didn’t know how lonely he really was, determined to rescue him from a completely empty life,” Ronald wrote. The two were married the following year.
“If either of us ever left the room, we both felt lonely,” Nancy wrote of their deep love. “People don’t always believe this, but it’s true. Filling the loneliness, completing each other — that’s what it still meant to us to be husband and wife.”
11. Ulysses and Julia Grant
According to FirstLadies.org, Ulysses Grant seemed to be somewhat of a romantic. When he joined the Mexican-American War, he and his new partner, Julia, wrote one another letters. According to the Smithsonian, Julia included flower petals in one letter, "but when Grant opened it the petals scattered in the wind. He searched the barren Mexican sands for even a single petal, but in vain." He sent her back a wildflower, and after years of writing letters, they wed in 1848.
Ulysses clearly loved his wife for exactly who she was. She was supportive but also gave him harsh feedback in private, making her a strong partner during his presidency. But Julia was very self-conscious about her appearance because she had a lazy eye. She even looked into having it corrected, but her husband told her "that he had fallen in love with her the way she was."
12. Gerald and Betty Ford
Betty Ford was one of the most admired first ladies ever and an incredible partner to her husband. She is perhaps best known for spearheading the Betty Ford Center after overcoming her own personal addictions. But she was also an incredible partner to Gerald Ford.
When Betty died, Nancy Reagan spoke about their partnership. "She was Jerry Ford’s strength through some very difficult days in our country’s history," Nancy said, "and I admired her courage in facing and sharing her personal struggles with all of us."
