Unbelievable Facts - Strange Facts - Monarchs

Manic Monarchs

Catherine the Great of Russia took such a liking to a primrose in the palace garden that she ordered a sentry to guard the plant day and night.

During one of his many bouts of insanity, George III insisted on ending every sentence with the word “peacock”. He tried to open parliament with a speech which began “My lords and peacocks …” He also started wearing a pillowcase on his head and once, believing himself to be dead, wore black and announced that he was in mourning for “that good man, King George”.

Henry III of France frequently appeared with a basket of small dogs hanging from his neck.

George III’s finest moment was when driving through Windsor Great Park one day. After ordering his carriage driver to stop, the king walked over to an oak tree, shook hands with one of its branches and talked to it for several minutes. He thought he was talking to the King of Prussia.

After staying at London’s Ritz Hotel, King Amanullah of Afghanistan became so fascinated by English traditions that he tried to make the wearing of bowler hats compulsory amongst men in his native country.

Ludwig II of Bavaria decided o reverse night and day. He had moon painted on his bedroom ceiling and started going on long coach drives in the middle of the night. Another of his moonlight escapades involved riding on horseback round and round the courtyard for up to seven hours at a time, pausing only to change horses. The object of the exercise was to stimulate the distance of heroic journeys – like the one from Munich to Innsbruck - and the riding time was calculated accordingly.

Queen Juana of Spain was devastated by the death of her husband Philip in 1506. unable to be parted from him, she refused to allow him to be buried and had his coffin accompany her wherever she went.