In a lot of ways I find "peripheral" characters from history more fascinating than those who ended up as part of history by default. The former had achieved their fame on their own - regardless by what means, but nevertheless, while the latter could not have avoided fame even if they wanted to just by being who they were. Women like Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth Woodville and Katherine Swynford are conceivably a lot more interesting than many others that came from royalty, and I have a feeling that had someone like Mary Tudor, Catherine of Aragon or Elizabeth of York (and many of the royal men too) not been born of royal parents, we would never have heard their names in history, no matter how remarkable they seem now...