Oddest Facts About Royals Through History

Royal families are always the subject of intense speculation and media coverage.

Royal weddings and events are often broadcast worldwide, with an address from the Queen drawing huge figures in Canada in 2020. Even 40 years after the event, the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana is big news here, with Global News explaining how a new documentary became available for Commonwealth viewers. It covers all aspects of the wedding, including the fascinating fact that Lady Diana was the first bride of a British heir without a Royal title in over 300 years.

Little facts like that, not only about the British Royal Family, but all monarchs, fuel the interest of Royal watchers. That’s why we’ve scoured the record books to find other fascinating facts about Royals through time which you may not know. Enjoy.

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark Illustrated Artwork for Lord of the Rings

Credit: Johannes Jansson/norden.org, Drottning Margrethe av Danmark, CC BY 2.5 DK
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It seems unlikely that you’d find the artwork of a Royal on your local library bookshelf, but if you live in Denmark, you can. Queen Margrethe is reported to have sent author Tolkien some sketches from the series in the early seventies. She didn’t want her Royal title to curry favor, so she used a pseudonym, Ingahild Grathmer. Those images appeared in The Lord of the Rings Danish edition in 1977.

Roman Emperors Poisoned Themselves

It would seem utterly nonsensical to poison oneself, especially when you’re the head of the biggest empire in the world, but that is exactly what Roman Royalty did. According to Gala Bingo, it was a subtle plan to avoid being assassinated. They believed if they took a small, non-lethal dose of poison every day, then they’d avoid being murdered by such means should someone decide to do away with them. Sadly, for Julius Caesar, there is no resistance to be built up to prevent being stabbed multiple times.

Queen Elizabeth II Doesn’t Have a Passport

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With the recent political events in the UK, passports have been a major topic. They’re changing color after the country left the European Union, and however recognizable you are, you need one to enter other countries. Unless you’re Queen Elizabeth II, then you don’t need a passport at all. It makes sense, all British passports are issued in her name, so it would be nonsensical for her to issue one to herself. If there’s any doubt at border control, she could always whip out a ten-pound note to settle the argument.

Mary, Queen of Scots Bathed in Wine

Credit: François Clouet artist QS:P170,Q336747, MaryQueenofScotsMourning, marked as public domain, more details on Wikimedia Commons

Mary, Queen of Scots, is famed for her alabaster complexion, and she ruled Scotland for 15 years between 1542 and 1567. She was executed in 1587 after the Babington Plot, which was a scheme to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I and seize the English throne. Before all of that, she is reported to have regularly washed her face in wine to protect her cherished complexion. Some reports even suggested she bathed in wine, which certainly sounds like the habit of Royalty.

One thought on “Oddest Facts About Royals Through History

  1. Bathing in wine! I can think of a much better use for that particular liquid! 😉 TBH, I would have thought milk would have been a better choice for a bath. However, I have heard of wine being a good antioxidant, helping reduce wrinkles and reduce sagging skin, so I guess it’s not that crazy.

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