In the vernacular of the street, kingship, sometimes can be a bummer. How so?

Answer: Some monarchs haven’t been all that keen to take the job. When Nicholas II unexpectedly became Russian Tsar in 1894, he cried inconsolably in his mother’s arms. Bavaria’s ‘mad monarch’ Ludwig II would’ve been given an ‘F’ for diligently performing his royal duties. He much preferred spending his time as the adoring dog’s-body to composer Richard Wagner.

England’s King George VI took over as monarch when his wayward – ‘I’d rather be partying’ – brother Edward the eighth, jumped ship in 1936 to marry an American divorcee. The nervous, stammering George, ever reluctantly dutiful to his unrequested new responsibilities, would sometimes call out when being dressed by courtiers, for yet another official function, “Oh, how I hate being a king!’

Other royal aspirants couldn’t wait to get the job. The fifteenth century English Wars of the Roses were a series of bloody civil wars, over which royal offshoot family would get to ascend England’s throne. Catherine the Great jettisoned her husband for the top job.

In 1871, the king of Prussia became kaiser of all Germany. You would’ve thought he’d be happy at this. Instead, his majesty complained bitterly to German chancellor Otto von Bismarck that this elevation had killed off his beloved, ancient Prussian title.

Source: Modern World Encyclopedia

More at: History

Comments are closed.