(#5) You Don't Have To Get Married At Age 12
In the medieval age, many young ladies were married off as soon as they hit puberty, or even before. For example, Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of the future King Henry VII, was married to Edmund Tudor when she was only 12. By age 13, she was a widow and pregnant with her son. Eleanor of Castile was wed to King Edward I of England around age 13 or 14.
(#9) You Can Clock Out
Being a king was a 'round-the-clock job, at least for the hard-working ones. For proof, look no further than King Charles V of France, whose routine was recorded for posterity. He woke up at six AM and got dressed, then prayed with his chaplain, after which he attended Mass. Later, he met with his subjects and sat in judgment, then met with his council. Charles finally had something to eat at 10 AM, then received diplomats, nobles, and lots more people. By the afternoon, he'd rest and spend time in the garden, but the political parrying with friends and rivals never seemed to end.
(#8) You Don't Live In A Really Drafty Castle
Royals moved from palace to palace throughout the year, but castle life wasn't all that luxurious. Built mostly out of stone, castles were often drafty. They were freezing in the winter, didn't retain heat, and dripped with damp. Residents had to put tapestries or hangings on the walls for insulation, though they didn't entirely solve the problem.
(#6) You Don't Need To Worry As Much About Childbirth
Unsurprisingly, without much birth control, women in the Middle Ages got pregnant quite often - and the rate of death in childbirth was high. Scholars have debated the percentage of upper-class mothers who passed away while giving birth, but it might have been up to 15 or 20 percent. For infants, the mortality right might have been anywhere from 8.5 to 19 percent. These rates have decreased dramatically since medieval times.
(#4) You Can Read
Some medieval monarchs could read, but even amongst the upper classes, the literacy level was nowhere near that of modern times. After all, royals' ministers and scribes could do the hard work of reading and writing for them. Kings could mark their signatures with a scratch of a pen, and many households didn't deem educating women necessary.
(#7) You Don't Have To Use A Chamber Pot
During medieval times, royals who felt the call of nature in the middle of the night went to the bathroom in giant jugs called chamber pots. These crude vessels stunk up the room until they were disposed of by servants in the morning. Chamber pot contents were typically just tossed out the window.
The finest castles were equipped with garderobes - essentially, stone or wooden seats over a shaft leading to a pit. These unsanitary toilets required emptying at regular intervals.
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The history books will only record the legendary experiences of the kings, but will never tell you that Catherine the Great lived in a small, smelly bedroom full of lice. The Palace of Versailles showed the picture of Louis XIV and his family dressed in luxury costumes, but it would not tell you that hundreds of Louis XIV clothes were piled in an unventilated room and they were never cleaned.
The daily life of medieval kings is far less dreamy than people think. Many people are misled by scenes in movies and TV shows. In those days, hygiene problems were unavoidable. Even in the royal family, bathing was a luxury. The random tool described 9 details about the life of Kings' from the Middle Ages.
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