Random Facts We Just Learned About Historical Queens That Made Us Say 'Really' (15 items)

• (#1) Marie Antoinette Adopted Multiple Orphaned Children

  From Redditor u/marmorset:

  TIL Marie Antoinette had several adopted children including a boy from Senegal whom she freed after he was given to her [as] a slave.

  Context: Marie Antoinette and her husband Louis XVI had difficulty conceiving children. To deal with these perceived shortcomings, she was known to take care of children that were not her own. She took in orphaned children from both a maid of hers and an usher, as well as a boy who was given to her as a gift and would have traditionally been put into slavery.
• (#2) Cleopatra's Eyeliner Was Medicinal

  From Redditor u/channel_hopper:

  TIL Cleopatra’s eyeliner wasn't just for beauty purposes - the lead salt found in it helped protect her against eye disease

  Context: Much of the makeup available in ancient Egypt was composed with lead salts. While lead is often seen as a health hazard, recent studies have shown that in small doses around the eyes, it may have had health benefits. According to a lead researcher, the lead compounds in makeup may have been used to promote immune cells and prevent eye illnesses.
• (#3) The Queen Of Thailand Drowned Due To A Law That Forbade Touching Her

  From Redditor u/jaiga99:

  TIL In Thailand, it was considered a capital offense punishable by death if someone touched the queen. In 1880, the queen drowned when her royal boat capsized on the way to the palace. The many witnesses to the accident did not dare to touch the queen while she was drowning.

  Context: In Siam, which is modern-day Thailand, there was a law against touching the queen. So when her ship capsized in 1880 and she was floundering in the water, no orders were issued to save her; to do so would have forced someone to break the law. Additionally, there were other beliefs that saving someone from the waters of the river would interfere with the spirits of the water, bringing misfortune as a result. The king was so upset that his wife drowned in front of onlookers who could have saved her that he punished the attendant who didn't call for her rescue to life in prison anyway.
• (#4) Mary Queen Of Scots Was Really Tall

  From a former Redditor:

  TIL that Mary, Queen of Scots was 5'11" (1.8m) tall in an age when 5'4" (1.63m) was considered tall for a woman.

  Context: Mary, Queen of Scots, was in fact almost 6 feet tall. The average height for women at the time was estimated to be nearly a foot shorter than she stood.
• (#5) Queen Victoria Had A Grandchild That Lived Until 1981

  From Redditor u/house_of_ghosts: 

  TIL that the first grandchild of Queen Victoria to die [did so] in 1866 and the last... in 1981.

  Context: Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, was the daughter of Queen Victoria's youngest son, Leopold. She was the last surviving grandchild of Queen Victoria. She passed in her home in London on January 4, 1981, at age 97.
• (#6) The First Female Ancient Egyptian Ruler Depicted Herself As Male

  From Redditor u/Tokyono:

  TIL of Hatshepsut, the first female ruler of ancient Egypt who acted as a full pharaoh. In art, she had herself depicted as a male ruler; she wore a false beard, had her breasts reduced and deemphasized, and her shoulders portrayed as broad and manly. She brought Egypt into a period of prosperity.

  Context: Hatshepsut was the first Egyptian female ruler who had all the power of a pharaoh. Statues erected in her first few years of power depicted her as completely female, but after years as a ruler, she was depicted as much more manly. She was, however, still referred to as female - it was just the visual depictions of her that became more masculine.
• (#7) Catherine The Great Had Erotic Furniture

  From Redditor u/Potatoczar:

  TIL Catherine the Great of Russia had a room in her palace filled with erotic furniture

  Context: Catherine the Great did have a collection of erotic furniture. The collection included furniture adorned with phallic shapes and statues depicting explicit acts. It's believed that the pieces were either lost in a fire or purposefully removed from the palace.
• (#8) Elizabeth II Is A Trained Mechanic

  From Redditor u/StaysAwakeAllWeek:

  TIL Queen Elizabeth is a trained mechanic

  Context: Elizabeth II was determined to join the Armed Forces when she was younger, despite her father being reluctant to let her do so. In her duty, she learned to drive vehicles, change tires, and rebuild engines.
• (#9) Marie Antoinette Commissioned A Fake Village

  From Redditor u/barbie_museum:

  TIL French Queen Marie Antoinette had a fully functioning peasant village built on the grounds of Versailles. She loved strolling the village in simple shepherdess garb pretending to live a simple life milking cows or sheep, which were carefully maintained and cleaned by the servants.

  Context: Marie Antoinette did have a model village constructed in the Trianon gardens. While many believe she had the small reconstruction built to allow her to play pretend as though she were a peasant, she actually used it for taking relaxing walks and hosting parties. It was also a fully functioning farm, which she used to help teach her children. The cottages were not built with much longevity in mind, and thus deteriorated quickly, but have been rebuilt to withstand the weather better.
• (#10) Cleopatra Founded Her Own Drinking Club

  From Redditor u/ObsceneGlabella:

  TIL That Cleopatra and Mark Antony formed their own drinking club in 41 B.C. and were known to take part in elaborate games and contests and to walk the streets of Alexandria in disguise, pranking the residents

  Context: In 41 BC, when Cleopatra and Mark Antony were an item, they started a club called "Inimitable Lovers." The club was likely intended as a place of worship for Dionysus, and featured nightly feasts and wine binges. Whether partying was the true intention behind the club can never be confirmed. But it's suspected that Cleopatra and Antony dressed in disguise to wander the city incognito, so it's possible they were just constantly out for a good time.
• (#11) There Was A Female Mongol Leader Thought To Be The Most Powerful Female Leader

  From Redditor u/doc_daneeka:

  TIL that the Mongol empire had a female Great Khan (Khatun) for several years, probably the most powerful woman in history.

  Context: Genghis Khan's son was appointed to rule in 1229. However, after the son eventually fell into drunken binges, Genghis Khan's most competent wife essentially took over. Toregene even stayed in power after her husband's passing.
• (#12) The Execution Of Mary Queen Of Scots Was Botched

  From Redditor u/Albertbailey:

  TIL It took three botched attempts to behead Mary Queen of Scots for treason against Queen Elizabeth. The executioner finally lifted the bloodied head [and] cried "God Save the Queen" only for it to crash to the floor as Mary had been wearing a wig.

  Context: Mary, Queen of Scots, was beheaded by order of her cousin Elizabeth I. When the executioners made the first attempt at her head, the blade missed. It's rumored that she made a small grunt at this time, as she was not yet deceased. Another attempt at removing her head was made, and while it's believed that this is the attempt that claimed her life, her head was still not cleanly severed from her body. The third attempt proved successful - more or less. Her head was lifted and presented to the crowd, but as she had been wearing a wig, her head fell to the floor, with the wig remaining in the executioner's hand.
• (#13) Anne Boleyn Didn't Sleep With Henry VIII For Many Years

  From Redditor u/ClockworkJellyfish:

  TIL that Henry VIII pestered Anne Boleyn for seven YEARS before she slept with him.

  Context: Anne Boleyn is known for not wanting to be Henry VIII's mistress while he was still married to his first wife. It's believed that they didn't sleep together until after they had officially wed, which would have been about six years after they met.
• (#14) Queen Victoria's Upbringing Was Super Strict

  From Redditor u/zitamagyar8:

  TIL Queen Victoria was raised under a strict system called the Kensington System, created by her mother and Sir John Conroy. Her first two requests, upon her accession, were that she should be allowed an hour by herself, and that her bed should be removed from her mother's room. She also banned Conroy.

  Context: A rigid system was in fact used to rein in any of Queen Victoria's mischievousness. The strict rules to which she was subjected were collectively known as the Kensington System; they were put in place to not only control her but also prepare her for ruling the country. It was also a way to ensure that her mother would be named regent when Victoria ascended to the throne.
• (#15) You Can Drink Beer From Nefertiti's Temple

  From Redditor u/BeerBaronBrent:

  TIL that you can buy beer that has been brewed using an ancient recipe found in Queen Nefertiti’s Temple of the Sun. (also, expensive)

  Context: Archaeologists found barrels filled with solidified beer in Nefertiti's Sun Temple. After some studying, a recipe remake was attempted and 1,000 bottles were made. The first bottle carried a $7,500 price tag. The remaining 999 bottles, however, were sold at a much more reasonable cost of $75 each.

New Random Displays    Display All By Ranking