Insane English Kings

Aethelred

I have been watching Henry VIII on NGC, great show if you didn't happen to see it. This has made me think about which English kings were nuts.

Henry VI


Henry VIII


George III


Anyone have any other additions to the list?

Bailathacl

Charles III or whatever he decides to call himself....

spinaker2000

You forgot one!!!!!!

Aethelred

<< <i>You forgot one!!!!!!

>>




D'oh!

1jester

<< <i>You forgot one!!!!!!

>>



You beat me to it!

harasha

I do not know about Henry VI. However, I believe that Henry VIII was more ruthless than insane, and he probably had to be, considering the times.
As for George III, I believe that it is somewhat established that he suffered from some sort of genetic malady which these days would be easily controllable. Nevertheless, the American Revolution notwithstanding, and despite political misjudgements, George III was probably one of the better sovereigns. To categorically classify him as insane misrepresents his character.

Sylvestius

<< <i>I do not know about Henry VI. However, I believe that Henry VIII was more ruthless than insane, and he probably had to be, considering the times.
As for George III, I believe that it is somewhat established that he suffered from some sort of genetic malady which these days would be easily controllable. Nevertheless, the American Revolution notwithstanding, and despite political misjudgements, George III was probably one of the better sovereigns. To categorically classify him as insane misrepresents his character. >>



The antimony/arsenic based medicine they gave him for his porphyria caused that.

George IV had his moments though.

Sylvestius

Two monarchs they did miss off of the list that deserve mention though;

James I (lived in fear of assassination all his life), and of course Richard II (his greed for power drove him to tyrannical absolutism... depends on the historian's view point though).

Aethelred

<< <i>I do not know about Henry VI. However, I believe that Henry VIII was more ruthless than insane, and he probably had to be, considering the times.
As for George III, I believe that it is somewhat established that he suffered from some sort of genetic malady which these days would be easily controllable. Nevertheless, the American Revolution notwithstanding, and despite political misjudgements, George III was probably one of the better sovereigns. To categorically classify him as insane misrepresents his character. >>



Henry VI may have suffered from the same problem that George III did (porphyria). As to Henry VIII, at the start of his reign he was ruthless, but by his later years he seems to have been quite mad, perhaps as a result of his friend Sif.



<< <i>George IV had his moments though. >>



I think George IV and William IV were simply among the dumbest people to sit on the English throne.

Sylvestius

<< <i>by his later years he seems to have been quite mad, perhaps as a result of his friend Sif.



<< <i>George IV had his moments though. >>



I think George IV and William IV were simply among the dumbest people to sit on the English throne. >>




William IV is actually considered to have been a fairly nice guy. He swore a blue streak from his days in the navy and had no idea about royal ettiquette or behaviour, seen spitting in the streets. But he loved riding around London in his open carriage stopping every so often to have a conversation with people. If you've seen the film King Ralph, well William IV is the closest you'll get.

George IV however, was into food, women and expensive tastes. He bankrupted himself and then got depressed and turned to comfort eating in a big way... they say by the end even the porphyria got him.

Victoria wasn't particularly bright either.

Aethelred

<< <i>

Victoria wasn't particularly bright either. >>



I didn't want to say anything about her for fear that Wybrit and Mac would come after me! From what I have read is seems Edward VII was also something of a dim-wit.

It might be harder to try to think of the smart English monarchs.

satootoko

<< <i>It might be harder to try to think of the smart English monarchs. >>

I don't know, Edward VIII (despite his Nazi sympathies) was bright enough to dump the throne on his kid brother.

wybrit

I didn't want to say anything about her for fear that Wybrit and Mac would come after me!



George V was also not a particularly bright bulb it is written.

Aethelred

I understand that there are fish who have higher IQs than Henry III did.

nicholasz219

Yeah a thousand years of living on an island and only breeding with your cousins can tend to thin out the gene pool.

Hey, I like the royal family but even in America we call people who sleep only with relatives hillbillies.

ManyQs

<< <i>I have been watching Henry VIII on NGC, great show if you didn't happen to see it. This has made me think about which English kings were nuts. >>



In my humble peasant opinion, anybody who wishes to let anyone else refer to them as a "king" and believes it is true is not altogether normal to start with.

Sylvestius

Henry VII was quite bright, he knew how to run a country well and he understood economics. There hadn't been a king like him since Henry I, who was another shrewd businessman style monarch (except perhaps Edward IV). All three implemented financial policies that were way ahead of their times, maintained stability and ran the country at a profit. Henry I and Henry VII were perhaps amongst the small handful of monarchs that died leaving the country with full coffers.


Henry VIII was actually fairly bright, he wrote a complete argument against Martin Luther and was awarded the title 'defender of the faith' by the Pope. A few years later things changed a bit. Unfortunately the one failing point with Henry was he did not understand economics at all, as exemplified when he destroyed the lead market. Having just dissolved all the monasteries and raided all the roofing to sell for mega groats he thought he was onto a winner. Indeed, he would have been if he hadn't dumped it all on the market in one go.

Elizabeth I was extremely intelligent, she could speak several languages fluently. She had the best of both worlds though, Henry wasn't exactly dumb and Anne Boleyn was intelligent.

Edward VI wasn't stupid either, although Mary was.

MacCrimmon

<< <i>I didn't want to say anything about her for fear that Wybrit and Mac would come after me! >>



"I am not amused!" -MacToria

Concerning the diminutive Queen; able council was obtained in her PMs, and Albert.