12. Madam Nhu (Tran Le Xuan)
Tran Le Xuan, known as Madam Nhu, was a prominent political figure in South Vietnam during the 1950s and early 1960s. As the sister-in-law of President Ngo Dinh Diem and wife of his brother, Ngo Dinh Nhu, she effectively served as the country’s first lady. Her outspoken remarks, including ridiculing Buddhist monks’ self-immolations, intensified the Buddhist crisis and strained U.S.-Vietnam relations. (britannica.com)
