Just because you are a king, doesn’t mean that you are the essence of cleanliness and good manners. In this article, you will learn what set King Louis XIV of France apart from other rulers, as well as other interesting facts and trivia about royals, such as Queen Boadicea and Richard I the Lion-Hearted.
The Final Resting Place of a Rebellious Queen
Boadicea was the queen of a British Iceni tribe who led an uprising against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire around 60 or 61 AD. Her body is thought to have been buried on a site that is now covered by the number 10 platform of King’s Cross Station.
Allergic to Baths?
It probably was pretty hard to be in the same room with King Louis XIV of France. He detested washing so much that he is estimated to have taken only three baths during his lifetime (1638”“1715).
Not Just a Nursery Rhyme
Many kids have uttered the words of the nursery rhyme titled “Old King Cole” ”“ who happened to be a real person. Coel was actually a British prince that ruled during the 4th century. He is believed to be the father of St. Helen, who was the mother of Roman emperor Constantine. Coel was fond of music, which is probably why the nursery rhymes make a reference to “his fiddlers three.”
Sunday is a Day of Rest
The tradition of reserving Sunday as a day of rest dates back to 321 when Roman emperor Constantine chose this day of the week to please both Christians (as it was seen as the day of the resurrection) and pagans ”“ many of which worshipped one of the sun-gods of the empire.
Charlemagne was the oldest son of Pepin the Short, and grew up to become the founder of the Carolingian Empire ”“ ruling from 768 until his death. During this time, he expanded the Frankish kingdom, fought off the Saxons and Bavarians, and added Italy to his land. He had the curious habit of collecting berets.
The Ultimate Ruler of Egypt
The ancient historian Herodotus wrote that ancient ruler Khufu (of the 4th Dynasty) shut down the temples in Egypt. During his reign, he is believed to have crowned himself the Egyptian sun god, Ra.
A Pricy Offsite King
When Richard I the Lion-Hearted was captured by Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI in 1194, the ruler was able to raise the largest king’s ransom in history for his release. The English people paid close to 150,000 marks to free their king. Ironically, King Richard only spent six months of his 10-year reign in England ”“ briefly in the land in 1189 and 1194. During the majority of his reign, he was off on the Third Crusade or in France. Richard’s queen spent the majority of her position in Italy and France ”“ never setting foot on English soil. Richard the Lion-Hearted was also known for embracing cannibalism before the Crusades started.