Unlike in the past, today we have the opportunity to elect our governors. We follow their campaign while they’re showing us how wise they are. Because, the wisest is always the right choice, isn’t it? Well, in monarchies people didn’t have the right to vote. Whoever was born in the royal families could be the next king. Sometimes it was an intelligent man, but sometimes it was a plain lunatic. Here’s a list of ten of them, although the list could be much longer.
1. Justin II
Justin II is a nephew of famous Justinian I. Although he had shown some symptoms of madness he had been aware enough to abdicate the throne due to his mental illness. He is famous because of his wheeled throne and biting all the people in the palace. In last days as Emperor he ordered an organic music to play all the time in order to soothe his mind.
www.livius.org
2. Ibrahim I
Ibrahim I was the Sultan of Ottoman Empire for only eight years, from 1640 to 1648, but it was long enough to become famous. It’s known that he was obsessed with obese women. He ordered his agents to search for the fattest woman in the world. The research had finished either in Georgia or Armenia. Ibrahim I liked the 330 pounds weight woman very much and called her “piece of sugar.” He fell in love so much he even gave her a government pension and the title of Governor General of Damascus. His madness had gone as far as he drowned 280 of his harem staff when there were rumors that his concubines were compromised by another man.
www.curiousexpeditions.org
3. Nebuchadnezzar
Nebuchadnezzar was the King of Babylon from 605BC to 582BC. He is well known because of construction of the famous Hanging gardens of Babylon, but it’s also known that he had spent several years living in wilderness. According to the legend, after years of conquering and construction of the greatest buildings ever seen, he was humbled by God, so he spent seven years living in the wood. Hi imagined that he was a goat and ate grass with the cattle. After that his sanity was restored and he had returned to civilized world. Scientists explain his actions as a result of mental illness.
www.commons.wikimedia.org
4. Ludwig II of Bavaria
Ludwig II of Bavaria was ruler of Bavaria from 1845 to 1886. He is famous because of his eccentric style of governing and his passion for art. It’s rumored that he had suffered from mental illness but it was never proved. However, he had said for him “I wish to remain an eternal enigma to myself and to others.” And, yes, he stayed. His death still remains a mystery, while his obsession with building expensive fantasy castles financially exhausted the Kingdom. Ironically, those castles today are very profitable due to tourists’ income.
www.herren-chiemsee.de
5. Caligula
In first two years of his reign Caligula was known as moderate Emperor. But, then he went mad. He had become famous due to his cruelty, sexual perversion, extravagance, luxury dwellings, and tyranny. Most of all, he’s known as insane because of his claim of divinity. He began appearing in public dressed like different gods, as Apollo, Mercury, Venus, and even Hercules. He introduced himself as Jupiter in public occasions or when he was signing documents. Finally, up to god’s standards, he removed some god’s heads out of some temples and replaced with his own, having all Romans worship him as physical living god.
www.myspace.com
6. Charlotte of Belgium
Charlotte of Belgium was Empress of Mexico as a consort of Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico. They moved to Mexico, and when Charlotte had to return to Europe to talk to the pope, the comments of her madness began. First, in a letter to her husband who was on the battlefield fighting against liberators, she described Napoleon III of France as possessed by devil. It’s known that her insanity reached its pick during the visit of Vatican. One morning, she burst into pope’s apartment kneeling and screaming that his staff tried to poison her. After that she put her finger into his cup of chocolate milk and licked it. But she didn’t stop yet. She asked to stay the night into Vatican’s rooms. Her request was grudgingly accepted. She slept in the library, officially the only woman that has spent the night in Vatican ever. The next day she visited an orphanage with a handkerchief on her face, burned her hand, and showed up the chickens in her room tied for the table.
www.flickriver.com
7. Joanna of Castile
Joanna of Castile, better known as Juana la Loca (Joanna the Mad), was Queen of Castile after the death of her husband Philipe the Handsome. She was badly in love with him, and her mental health got worse when he died. She used to open her husband’s coffin and embrace and kiss him. When she had to move from Burgos, where the palace was, because of epidemics, she took the coffin with her.
www.etsy.com
8. Robert III of Scotland
King Robert III of Scotland was worried about his kingdom future due to the character of his ancestor. His son David was high-spirited but spoiled young man. Robert named his son Duke of Rothesay and gave him royal authority, hoping that his attitude will improve. But he showed great lack of judgment and also left her fiancée, turning her father Robert of Fife into an enemy. Robert of Fife later managed to persuade Robert III to arrest his own son. David was imprisoned in his uncle’s Falkland Palace, where he died. Then Robert III began to fear about the future of his only son alive, James. He sent the 11 years old boy to a rocky island waiting for a ship to transport him to France. Robert of Fife had previously informed English monarch about this and James became hostage of England. Robert III fell in depression, refused food and died few days later.
www.mac-sothis.com
9. Murad IV of Turkey
As the vast majority of Turkish sultans, Murad IV is well known for his cruelty. It’s believed that he beheaded over 25000 people during his reign. He prohibited consumption of cigarettes, alcohol and coffee in the whole Empire. If someone was caught to break the rules, he lost his head. His musician was killed just because of playing Persian song. But, despite this, he is famous because he hated women. Her mother, knowing the strife among harem women, made him hate them and showed him handsome boys, encouraging him to homosexual love. Till the end of his life he was to show his hatred for women. One day, when he met a group of girls singing on a meadow, he ordered his soldiers to drawn them because they’ve been disturbing his peace.
www.network54.com
10. Alfonso VI of Portugal
It’s believed that Alfonso VI was mentally handicapped. He is described in resources as complete lunatic. His dressing style consisted six or seven coats one over the other and three or four hats perched one on top of the other. He adored wild parties and used his royal authority to make love with the nuns in the nunneries. He didn’t want to bother to go to the church, so he requested the priests to do their masses in his bedroom, while he was snoozing between the sheets. Later he got married but he neglected his wife, who dethroned him later.
www.xs4all.nl
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