- It’s good to be the king, until you find out how many bizarre traditions you have to follow every day.
In the U.K., the monarch owns all the swans and organizes an annual census to count the precious birds. This unconventional tradition is called Swan Upping, and we explained it in detail yesterday.
That story got us asking ourselves what other strange tradition monarchies follow — not just in Great Britain but all over the world. So, we decided to look into it.
Without further ado, here are eight unusual royal traditions from around the globe, both past and present.
1. Heirs Can’t Travel with Ruling Monarchs
This tradition is and has been observed all over the world for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. In most monarchies, the current ruler and their heir aren’t allowed to travel together.
That’s not to say that they can’t travel to the same destination. However, they absolutely must not do so in the same vehicle.
It’s all to protect the succession of the royal family. For example, imagine if a king and his heir were on the same ship that sank, and both of them drowned. That might result (and historically has resulted) in a crisis of succession that could lead to all-out war.
So, it makes sense to have monarchs and their heirs travel in separate carriages. Unfortunately, that will also double the travel expenses.
2. Shaming for Overeating
It’s very easy to pack on extra pounds when indulging in Christmas. That must’ve been a particular problem for the Habsburg rulers of Austria, who were renowned for their extravagantly lavish feasts.
So, they’re rumored to have put a special practice in place for Christmas dinners. Each member of the royal family was weighed before dinner.
If their weight had gone up since their last weigh-in, you can bet the others would keep an extremely sharp eye on how much they ate. If they were seen as overindulging, they would receive an equally sharp chastisement.
Now, there are few reliable sources documenting the Habsburg Christmas weigh-in. However, considering all the other weirdness surrounding the Habsburgs, this tradition is easy to believe in.
3. Electing the King
In most monarchies, succession travels in a straight line within a small group of the royal family. Some kingdoms, however, have been more democratic and elected their kings.
The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth perhaps had the most robust royal election system in history. Between 1572 and 1791, any (male) noble could stand as a candidate for the king and vote in the elections.
As such, there were as many as 500,000 potential candidates for the King of Poland at any one time. That said, the candidate didn’t need to be Polish — even popular nobles were elected as kings on a couple of occasions.
4. Unemployed Royalty
You probably wouldn’t expect nobility to have day jobs, but it’s actually not that uncommon. Rank-and-file nobles often work like anyone else, and even members of the royal family can dabble in their interests.
But not in Japan.
Members of the imperial household are strictly forbidden from employment. At most, they may do representational work for non-profits that benefit the general public — but doing even that will require a special permission from the emperor.
This enforced unemployment police aims to uphold a strict separation of the imperial family from everyday politics. In a similar vein, they aren’t allowed to stand for political office or even vote.
5. Rotating Succession System
Historically, disputes over succession between different branches of a royal family have led to many bloody wars. To avoid such a situation, the state of Perak in Malaysia has come up with an ingenious, if a bit convoluted, rotating succession system for the title of Sultan.
Male members of different branches of the royal house are assigned princely titles that fall on a strict hierarchical ladder. When the holder of one title dies or has their title revoked, the holder of the title below him rises up one rank, dragging everyone below him up one notch as well.
To avoid favoritism, the eldest son of the current Sultan will always receive the least prestigious available title in the succession ranking. This way, Perak aims to maintain equal balance between different royal lineages.
6. Raven-headed Crown
Gold crowns laden with jewels are typical symbols of a monarch’s power. In contrast, the ruler of Bhutan wears a seemingly humble hat of silk and satin.
However, this hat — known as the Raven Crown — is loaded with impressive details. To begin with, it’s topped with the head of its titular bird, which represents Mahakala, the guardian deity of Bhutan.
Beneath the bird are the three “wrathful eyes” of Mahakala, lifted from the battle helmet of the first Bhutanese king. The brim of the hat features grinning white skulls, with flames pouring out of their mouths.
Oh, and wearing the crown grants the Bhutanese ruler the title of the Dragon King. Really, Bhutan’s monarchy is probably the most badass in the world
7. Ban on Playing Monopoly
Let’s assume you get to spend an evening with the British royal family, and somebody asks you what you’d like to do for entertainment. You’d better not suggest playing Monopoly, as the board game is strictly banned in the royal household.
In 2008, Prince Andrew let it slip that Monopoly is a big no-no in the British royal family. According to him, it’s due to the games getting “too vicious.”
In other words, someone must’ve flipped the table.
That said, part of the reason for the Monopoly ban is likely the preservation of the royal family’s image. After all, having the royals play a game where the entire goal is to grub as much money for yourself as possible isn’t the best look.
8. A Separate Language for Addressing Royals
In every country with a monarchy, the ruler is always treated with a degree of respect. In Thailand, however, the veneration is on a whole other level.
They even have a whole other language for addressing royalty.
Known as rajasap, this special manner of talking to royals really is its own language. It’s based on the Khmer language, whereas regular folks in Thailand speak… Well, Thai.
Thailand’s royal house is a big deal in the country, and the people treat the monarch with genuine reverence. Using rajasap is meant to communicate submission to the ruler’s will.