Random Bizarre Obsessions Of Royals In History (15 items)

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  (#1) The King Of Prussia Was Obsessed With Giants

  Friedrich Wilhelm I ruled Prussia from the year 1713 until his passing in 1740. During this time, Wilhelm grew the Prussian Army from 38,000 to over 80,000. In addition to growing the overall ranks, Friedrich also had a preoccupation with developing his own personal regiment of unusually tall soldiers. These soldiers were known formally as the Grand Grenadiers of Potsdam. However, they were widely known and referred to as the "Potsdam Giants."

  There was only one criterion that needed to be met in order to join the ranks of the Giants: you had to be at least six feet tall. Once you were in, you were treated very well, with the best food, pay, and uniforms. Some soldiers volunteered to be a part of the regiment, but Wilhelm had other means of “recruiting.” He would often pay men for their tallest sons and farmhands. Leaders from other countries would even send him their tallest men in order to foster civil relations. Wilhelm attempted to make these soldiers even taller by stretching them on the rack, which often led to the soldier being crippled or killed.
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  (#2) Queen Juana I Of Castile Really Liked Spending Time With Her Deceased Husband

  Queen Juana I of Castile, often referred to as "Joan" or "Juana the Mad," was the daughter of Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. Juana married Philip the Handsome of Austria when she was a teen and, soon after, began having children with him. Philip became increasingly unfaithful to his wife, which sent Juana into fits of rage and despair that revealed her delicate mental health.

  When Philip passed in 1506 at the age of 28, Juana’s deteriorating psychological state worsened. She is reported to have caressed and kissed Philip's corpse and did not part with it until it was embalmed and interred in a Monastery near Burgos.

  Soon after, she had the coffin opened again to look at it -  kissing the corpse’s feet. The body and coffin followed her to Torquemada, protected by armed guards under orders not let other women near it. She went on other journeys and had the coffin brought along until she was imprisoned in a palace in 1509, where she remained for the rest of her life.
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  (#3) Caligula Had A Weird Relationship With His Pet Horse

  Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus (what a mouthful) was better known as Caligula. Caligula was a Julio-Claudian dynasty member and Roman Emperor from 37-41 CE. Caligula made his share of controversial decisions, which included having incestuous relations with his sisters. But his love for his sisters paled in comparison to the love he had for his horse, Incitatus. According to certain historical accounts, Caligula gave the horse a marble stall and a house and would even invite Incitatus in to eat dinners where he was fed oats mixed with golden flakes.

  Another rumor maintains that Caligula made Incitatus a consul, although this has been disputed by historians.
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  (#4) Sultan Ibrahim I Wanted A 'Wild Heifer' Woman

  Ibrahim I was born in Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman empire. Afraid of having his throne usurped, Ibrahim's older brother slew all of his younger brothers except for Ibrahim because he found him to be of no threat due to his lack of mental stability. Ibrahim I was obsessed with lust, had a large harem, and ordered his men to search for a unique kind of woman: one who was made in the manner of "a wild heifer." 

  They found such a woman and gave her a nickname that translates literally to “piece of sugar.” 
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  (#5) Ivan The Terrible Got A Kick Out Of Torturing Animals

  Ivan IV was crowned the first czar of all of Russia in 1547. He was an extremely paranoid ruler and had an obsession with maiming and slaying people. With a name like Ivan “the Terrible,” are you really surprised?

  Although Ivan would torture and slay many people throughout his adult life, his fascination with violence began at an early age. As a young boy, Ivan would spend his free time torturing small animals. He would capture birds and mutilate their bodies for fun, including plucking out the birds’ feathers, stabbing them in the eyes, and cutting open their bodies. He would also find stray cats and dogs and toss them off of high places.
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  (#6) Czar Peter III Of Russia Spent His Free Time Playing With Dolls

  Czar Peter III was actually born in Germany, but after his parents passed, he was taken under the care of his aunt Elizabeth, the Empress of Russia. Peter had a short-lived rule in the middle of the 18th century before his wife, Catherine the Great, forced him out of power and he was slain. But before this, Czar Peter didn’t seem to care about being the ruler because he just wanted to play with his toys - yes, his toys. According to reports that include Catherine's memoirs, he would spend a lot of time setting up and playing with his toy soldiers rather than face intimacy with his wife. 

  In one account, Czar Peter III charged a rodent with treason and sentenced it to death by hanging - an act Peter performed with a little rope.
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  (#7) Louis XIV Had A Lot Of Friends And Enemas

  Louis XIV had the longest reign of any European monarch, ruling France for 72 years. Louis was known as the Sun King, but he had an affinity for sticking things where the sun doesn't shine. Like many other noblemen in his day, Louis XIV frequently used enemas, believing they contributed to good health.

  However, Louis may have taken the colon cleansing a little further than his peers. Louis was reported to have received thousands of enemas throughout the course of his life. According to one historical blog, the water in the enemas was often infused with color and scented with rose, bergamot, and angelica.
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  (#8) Christian VII Of Denmark Couldn't Keep His Hands Off Himself

  Christian VII became king of Denmark at the age of 17 despite his child-like behavior and fits of madness. Christian exhibited many antisocial behaviors, but his most notorious was his obsession with pleasuring himself. 

  According to accounts by the royal physician (who had a long affair with the king's wife, Princess Caroline), the king was a chronic masturbator. He masturbated so much that it interfered with his duties as a leader. Later experts believe Christian VII's problems were actually due to schizophrenia or porphyria. 

   
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  (#9) Amalie Of Bavaria Had A Glass Delusion

  Alexandra Amalie was the princess of Bavaria in the mid-19th century. Princess Amalie was an eccentric woman with a love of literature, producing many literary works. In addition to her obsession with writing, though, she had some more peculiar obsessions. The princess most likely suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder. She had a fixation on cleanliness that went beyond the ordinary. She refused to wear any color besides white.

  It also warrants mention that she was convinced she had swallowed a glass piano - this was something called a "glass delusion" that other people also suffered from. She would walk around with great caution, especially when passing through doorways, so as to not break the piano.
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  (#10) Napoleon Loved Him Some Licorice

  Most people know about Napoleon Bonaparte, the French emperor and military leader that conquered a majority of Europe in the 1800s. There are many well-known facts and myths about Napoleon, but the man with a complex also had some lesser-known quirks. One of which being his addiction to - wait for it - licorice.

  Napoleon carried the stuff with him everywhere he went and reportedly ate it daily. He used it for pleasure as well as treatment for a wide variety of ailments, consuming it in lozenges. Napoleon ate so much licorice that his teeth became stained black. 
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  (#11) Qin Shihuang Was Determined To Find The Key To Immortality

  Qin Shihuang founded the Qin dynasty and is considered the first emperor of China. He had everything a mortal could ever want and wasn’t prepared to give any of it up. Qin Shihuang spent much of his time, effort, and money trying to find the key to everlasting life.

  Qin Shihuang believed an ancient legend that there were three "spirit mountains" in the middle of the sea that were inhabited by immortals. He sent search parties there to find magic, immortality-granting herbs.

  The emperor would often drink elixirs and potions that he thought would prolong his life. These potions, crafted by alchemists, often contained jade and poisonous mercury, which was most likely the cause of his demise.
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  (#12) Fyodor I Of Russia Liked To Ring Church Bells

  Fyodor I was the last tsar of the Rurik dynasty and the developmentally disabled son of Ivan the Terrible. Ivan and his father had two very different ideas of a good time. While Ivan the Terrible was never one to pass up a good old-fashioned killing spree, his son preferred more tranquil means of fun. Fyodor was very religious and often seen praying. He would visit various churches and monasteries throughout the region.

  His favorite hobby was ringing the church bells to invite in the churchgoers. This led to his very literal nickname of "Fyodor the Bellringer."
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  (#13) Nero Took Great Pleasure In Slaying Christians

  Nero was a tyrannical and self-absorbed Roman Emperor that took the throne at the age of 16. Nero had a fondness for the arts, sexual depravity, and murder. Nero didn’t discriminate when it came to killing. He was quick to slay anyone, including (allegedly) his mother, his step-brother, and one of his wives. However, he took a very special interest in taking out Christians.

  In the year 64, Nero was blamed for starting The Great Fire that leveled most of Rome. Historians now believe this was based more in rumor than fact. Regardless, according to the rumor, Nero quickly shifted the blame to Christians and ordered them to be persecuted. He took great joy in slaying Christians and was sadistically creative with his means of executing them. According to Tacitus, Nero executed Christians by crucifying them, feeding them to wild dogs, and burning them. 
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  (#14) Vlad III Loved Impaling People

  Vlad III was ruler of Wallachia in the 15th century and was known as Vlad the Impaler - can you guess why? Vlad loved to impale his enemies and leave their bodies staked to the ground.

  But the slaying didn’t stop there. He also disemboweled, skinned, and removed the heads of his victims - while they were alive. After another successful victory over the Ottomans, Vlad had approximately 20,000 people impaled and left them outside the city of Targoviste for the advancing Ottoman army to see. Upon seeing this gruesome exhibit, the Sultan ordered his men to retreat to the city of Constantinople. The Dracula story is thought to be based on Vlad.
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  (#15) King Ludwig II Of Bavaria Really Liked Erecting Castles

  Ludwig became king before the age of 20 after his father's passing. He loved the arts - especially opera and theatre. His love of castles and desire to build them was most likely inspired by the fact that he grew up in the breathtaking Hohenschawngau castle. Ludwig was inspired by the Palace of Versailles, the Grand Trianon palace in France, and the romantic music of Wagner. 

  He began spending much of his time focusing on the design and construction of elaborate fairytale castles. His creations include Linderhof Palace and the Neuschwanstein castle in Bavaria, which may have been the model for Disney's Cinderella castle. Ludwig also commissioned projects like the Herrenchiemsee - a partial replica of the Palace of Versailles which was never finished.

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