The king of Thailand, Rama X, whose birth name was Vajiralongkorn Borommachakkrayadisonsantatiwong Thewetthamrongsuboriban Aphikhunuprakanmahittaladunladet Phumiphonnaretwarangkun Kittisirisombunsawangkhawat Borommakhattiyaratchakuman, is the wealthiest ruler on Earth with a net worth of $30b.
kings
Despite being seriously ill…
Despite being seriously ill at the siege of Acre in the Third Crusade, Richard I, better known as Richard the Lionheart, had his men carry him on a stretcher on the front lines so he could shoot enemies on the walls of the city with his crossbow.
The four kings in a deck of cards represent real rulers. The King of Diamonds shows Julius Caesar, the King of Clubs displays Alexander the Great, the King of Spades depicts David of Israel, and finally the King of Hearts shows Charles of France.
When Edward I of England was coming back from the ninth crusade in 1272, he…
When Edward I of England was coming back from the ninth crusade in 1272, he learned that his father had died and that he had been made king of England. Instead of returning home to be crowned, Edward went on a leisurely trip in Italy and France for almost two years and only came back in 1274.
The “glass delusion” is a psychiatric disorder, recorded in the late…
The “glass delusion” is a psychiatric disorder, recorded in the late Middle Ages in which the sufferers believed themselves to be made out of glass and likely to shatter into pieces. One famous early sufferer was King Charles VI of France who refused to allow others to touch him and wore protective clothing to prevent himself from “shattering”. To maintain a perfectly serene environment he required all the windows in his palace to remain shut and that anyone who approached him to do so on tip-toe.
King Otto of Bavaria – who ‘ruled’ from 1886 to 1913, and was quite mad…
King Otto of Bavaria – who ‘ruled’ from 1886 to 1913, and was quite mad – exercised his right to shoot one peasant every day. Luckily for Bavaria’s peasants, his attendants gave him pistols loaded with blanks and dressed up as peasants, playing dead whenever he ‘shot’ them.
The King George III was known as “Farmer George” for his love of nature…
The King George III was known as “Farmer George” for his love of nature and agriculture. He began ignoring the laws of nature and attempted to plant a steak, perhaps hoping to create a new species of meat-producing tree.
When the current King of Thailand was born in Cambridge…
When the current King of Thailand was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the hospital room in which he was born was declared Thai territory for the duration of the birth so that he could be born on Thai soil.
Future King Henry V was struck in the face by an arrow…
Future King Henry V was struck in the face by an arrow in his first battle leading soldiers. Rather than leave the field, he reportedly stated that “he would rather die than stain his soldierly reputation by flight.” He was sixteen at the time.
After French soldier Jean Bernadotte sho …
After French soldier Jean Bernadotte showed kindness to a few Swedish soldiers, he became so popular in Sweden that the Swedes decided to make him their king when a vacancy came up, despite him never having set foot in Sweden before. The House of Bernadotte rules Sweden to this day.