10 mediocre sons of great monarchs, on whom nature clearly rested

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

In the history of Europe there have been many rulers, without whom the development of the continent would have been simply impossible. But it often happened that after the great rulers, their absolutely mediocre sons ascended to the throne, who could not preserve the achievements of their fathers.

1. Edward II

Edward II was faced with a difficult task when his father, King Edward I of England, died suddenly in 1307 - he had to match his father's deeds. King Edward I of England, known as Edward the Long-Legs, is best known for suppressing and executing William Wallace's rebellion, and for preventing an uprising in Wales. Ultimately, he made his son Edward II the first Englishman in history - the Prince of Wales. When Edward II was crowned the English throne in 1307, much was expected of the young king. But his reign was overshadowed by defeat at the Battle of Bannockburn by Scottish King Robert the Bruce when Edward II was forced to flee back to England.

Edward stopped listening to his advisers and completely neglected his own wife, preferring to communicate with the men who were his "favorites." Ultimately, he was forced to abdicate in favor of his 14-year-old son, Edward III, and was later executed in controversial circumstances after being imprisoned. Edward II was later called the only mistake of Edward I.

2. Napoleon II

Napoleon II did nothing wrong in trying to cope with the gigantic legacy of his father, Napoleon Bonaparte (aka Napoleon I), but his life ended very early and he never lived up to the potential expectations placed on him. His father was arguably the most prominent leader in French history and became the first emperor of France. Considering how many battles he won during the Napoleonic Wars, Napoleon Bonaparte is still respected today for his military tactics and for making the First French Empire one of the greatest countries in the world under him. The birth of Napoleon's son was celebrated in Paris with a 100 cannon fireworks. However, after Napoleon lost the Battle of Waterloo, he was exiled and abdicated in favor of his young son. However, legally, Napoleon II never became emperor and eventually died at the age of 21 in 1832 from tuberculosis, leaving no heir.

3. Edward VIII

Edward VIII succeeded his father, George V, on the throne in 1936 after he ruled the British Empire with great success for 26 years. The British simply adored George V, despite the fact that they ruled in rather difficult times (the First World War, revolutions in other countries and the changing political climate in England). But he had a tense relationship with his eldest son Eduard, who led a promiscuous and dissolute life, and also loved to "grumble" with aristocrats. Edward was considered unconventional and unpredictable, but when George V died in January 1936, Prince Edward became King Edward VIII. However, his reign lasted less than a year.

A scandal erupted when Edward proposed to marry a divorced American woman, Wallis Simpson. This was completely unacceptable to the king of England (who is also the head of the Church of England). Eventually, Edward VIII abdicated to marry Simpson, causing a huge public sensation. It was rumored that he harbored pro-Nazi views and visited Germany right before the outbreak of World War II. As a result, the "monarch for a year" spent most of the rest of his life with Simpson abroad and is hardly remembered in England.

4. Charles IV and Ferdinand VII

In this case, we will talk about the son and grandson who could not become worthy heirs of the Spanish king Charles III. Charles III ascended the throne in 1759 and successfully ruled for almost 30 years, during which Spain achieved great achievements. His consistent and intelligent leadership led to the fact that the country began to be reckoned with in Europe. It was Charles III who played an important role in the creation of the flag and national anthem of Spain, and also spent a lot of money on creating a decent infrastructure in the country. When Charles III died in 1788, his son, Charles IV, became king of Spain. Charles IV was unlike his father in the sense that he did not play an active role in politics; instead, he shifted the administration of Spain to the shoulders of advisers. He also made a serious mistake in his choice of allies, "deserting" from France to Great Britain, showing himself unreliable in the eyes of all of Europe.

Charles was so disliked by the public that his own son Ferdinand attempted a coup d'état to overthrow him. As a result, Ferdinand VII ascended the throne of Spain in 1808, but almost immediately abdicated under pressure from Napoleon I. He was later reinstated as monarch in 1813, and Ferdinand reigned until 1833, essentially watching Spain lose one for another their territories in America. He is considered one of the worst monarchs in the history of the country. It is safe to say that both the son and grandson of Charles III did not even meet the high standards set by him.

5. Louis the Pious

Louis I the Pious was King of the Franks and Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from 814 to 840. He originally reigned jointly with his father, the inimitable Charlemagne, from 813 until his death in 814. Charlemagne united many regions of Western Europe and imposed Christianity on local peoples. He is usually remembered as "the father of Europe." When Charles died, he left behind a continent united under his leadership, and when his son took the throne, everyone expected Louis to continue his father's great deeds.

Louis's reign lasted 26 years, and although he managed to successfully hold together the Carolingian empire that his father had created, the king essentially led it into civil war. Louis had three sons and divided the empire between them, but this eventually led to conflicts. At one point, Louis was dethroned and twice forced to publicly confess his sins. Despite the fact that he managed to return to the throne, the authority of the king was undermined, and when he died, Europe broke out in another civil war over the territory of the empire.

6. Edward VI

Edward VI, after his father Henry VIII, took the throne of England and Ireland in 1547, trying to continue the work of one of the most famous monarchs in history. It is undeniable that the legacy of Henry VIII was extremely great, and his reign completely broke all templates. Henry changed six wives during his life, trying to acquire a male heir, and Edward was the son of Jane Seymour's third wife.

It was previously claimed that Edward VI was a very sickly boy, however, more modern researchers say that this is not the case. He was too young when Henry VIII died, so during the entire reign of Edward VI, the country was effectively ruled by a council of regents. England suffered from civil unrest, and the war with Scotland continued (by the way, failed). Ultimately, Edward VI's tenure on the throne was short-lived; he developed a fever and eventually fell ill and died when he was only 15 years old.

7. John Landless

John, who was King of England from 1199 to 1216, was the successor to one of the most famous kings of England in history, Richard the Lionheart. In fact, he was Richard's younger brother, and John's father, Henry II, was also quite a successful king of England. Henry laid the foundations of modern law in the country, and also successfully established the rule of England in Ireland. John became one of the most unfortunate rulers in English history.

The king received the nickname "Landless" due to the fact that he lost many of his father's lands, including Normandy (his original homeland). It is said that John was paranoid and murderer, and many people died because of his suspicions (in particular, even his 16-year-old nephew Arthur, Duke of Brittany). Not surprisingly, they try not to mention John in history textbooks.

8. Constantine III

Heraclius Novus Constantine Augustus, also known as Constantine III, ruled the Byzantine Empire for just four months in 64 AD. He succeeded his father Heraclius on the throne, who in about 30 years achieved significant development of the country. Heraclius won battles against such powerful rivals as the Persians and Arabs, and appointed Greek instead of Latin as the official language of the empire. After his death in 641, Constantine III ascended the throne, sharing power with his half-brother Iraklon. After only 4 months, Constantine died under mysterious circumstances, after which Iraklon remained the only emperor.

9. Richard Cromwell

Richard Cromwell was never really king in the literal sense of the word, but he held the position of Lord Protector of the Commonwealth for a while after his father, Oliver Cromwell, died in 1658. Oliver Cromwell revolutionized the country like no other leader before him during the English Civil War, defeating King Charles I and signing him a death warrant, and becoming the first-ever Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland.

He successfully ruled the country for five years before his death. Richard was appointed Oliver's successor after his father's death, but resigned less than a year later. His reign was marked by "many dastardly deeds," and his lack of real power was seen by many as an opportunity to end the Commonwealth. It is known that he lacked military experience, and that he was more interested in leisurely conversations and walks, rather than rule. Richard was deposed in 1659 and later went into exile when Charles II was invited back to the throne.

10. George IV

More commonly remembered as the Prince Regent, George IV ruled the United Kingdom for ten years after the death of his father, George III. George III held the throne for just under 60 years, significantly developing the country's agriculture during this time, as well as becoming known as the "tyrant" who ruled the overseas territories that became the United States after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. However, his son completely disappointed everyone.

Georg led a riotous lifestyle and was constantly reveling, spending huge sums. He had many illegitimate children, full of debts, obesity, and the king also drank a lot. The ruler was remembered only for his hedonistic lifestyle, and not for the successes achieved by the country under his rule.