3 Stupidest Rulers In History You Would Ever Read About
When thrones and insanity went hand-in-hand.
A popular opinion would have it, that if the poor do something decidedly unusual, it is madness. But if the elite does it, it's given a more sophisticated term: eccentric.
As is there is a certain charm in the inanities and unusual behaviour royals have exhibited throughout history. There have been such names as the Roman Emperor Gaius Caligula, notorious for his cruelty, madness and other excessive behaviours.
He is known to levy heavy taxes on his citizens or execute senate and council members he deemed untrustworthy. On the other hand, there are also versions of a more tamed madness that in a twisted turn of events, would even border on hilarity.
For instance, King George III was once witnessed having his carriage halted at Windsor Park for the very important business of conversing with an oak tree. Yes, you heard that right.
The great monarch thought the oak tree was the king of Prussia, so necessitated respect. Meanwhile, the highly catatonic King Henry VI would go into such a catatonic state that he was unfit to rule.
This led to the creation of a power vacuum in the English politics of that time. It even led to a bloody conflict known as the War of Roses. However, this is just scratching the surface of what history has in store for us. Let us look at more instances of monarch madness.
1. Roman Emperor Nero
The citizens of Rome thought it distasteful that Rome’s chief citizen should engage in performing dance and poetry in public.
This was brought about during the hours Nero demanded senators should sit and watch him perform or recite his poetry.
Perhaps it was this insane obsession with the arts and literature that led to the famous adage of “fiddling while Rome burns”.
That may necessarily not have been the case and Nero might have not been singing at the time a great fire broke out all over the city but he did end up building himself a golden palace in the middle of the part of the city that had been destroyed. So, that was a low move!
However, his eccentricities also took a dark turn as well. It is believed he had his brother (also, a rival for his throne) murdered to ascend the throne, kicked one of his three wives to death himself, and had the other killed.
He was also suspected of having a hand in orchestrating the vile death of his mother. So that’s one bloody gruesome chain of events. He ended up ruling Rome from 54 to 68 AD.
2- French King Charles VI
King Charles VI ruled from 1380 to 1422. After his father’s death and his consequent ascension to the throne, King Charles showed signs of being a sensible head of state and a good ruler.
It was not until 1382 that things went awry. It is said he was on a campaign, going through the forest of Le Mans.
This was where he had a severe seizure and attacked everyone who was with him. He ended up killing four of his closest men. From then on, he could be seen rambling about in his castle like a madman.
He sometimes even forgot his name or had delusions where he thought he was made of glass and hence could shatter any minute.
Then on one fateful January day, he attended a wedding with his attendants dressed curiously as men of the wild, covered in pitch. The King had commanded torch-bearers to be on the side.
The dresses were soaked in the wax, swen on their bodies and the faces masked. King’s brother who arrived late, handled one of the torches to identify the individuals.
Unfortunately, these bizarre costumes caught fire and this incident became known as the “Ball of the Burning Men.”
Way to throw one of the world’s most catastrophic parties. One could even say, in modern slang that this party was lit, quite literally!
This indeed makes it hard to believe that it was his son, Charles VII who drove the English from France when the English invaded.
3- Juana of Castille
In a bid to add a bit of diversity here, Juana of Castille was a Queen who became known as Juana la Loca, which means Juana the Mad. She is most famous for her epic and irrevocable love for her husband, Phillip, son of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian.
Although he was deeply in love with Philip, their married life was tragically cut short. Typhoid claimed Phillip’s life and rendered Juana mad with grief.
She would often have his coffin opened and caress him, even months after his death. Talk about true love, but there was no true love’s kiss that could bring poor Phillip back and that drove Juana to the edge of despair and sanity.
This was so devastating for her to handle and her behaviour kept getting even more bizarre and eccentric. Until she was placed under confinement for the rest of her life.
Twisted Rulers
So, it could be seen that some of the eccentricities these monarchs had and the behaviour they exhibited were dangerous.
From causing political instability to executing their own family and colleagues in cold blood, history is fraught with such instances of insanity, cruelty, and sometimes even hilarity.
So, which monarch surprised you the most? Which other monarchs deserve to be up here?
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