⏱️ 8 min read
Throughout history, royal families across the globe have maintained peculiar customs and rituals that seem bizarre by modern standards. These traditions, rooted in superstition, politics, or ancient beliefs, offer fascinating glimpses into how monarchies operated and how they sought to maintain their divine authority and distinguish themselves from common subjects. From peculiar ceremonies to unusual rights and privileges, these customs reveal the extraordinary world of royal life.
Ancient and Medieval Royal Customs That Defy Logic
1. The Royal Touch for Healing Scrofula
European monarchs, particularly in England and France, practiced a bizarre ritual known as “the King’s Touch” or “the Royal Touch.” This tradition held that monarchs possessed divine healing powers that could cure scrofula, a tuberculosis infection of the lymph nodes also called “the King’s Evil.” The ceremony involved the monarch physically touching afflicted subjects while reciting specific prayers. This practice peaked during the reigns of Charles II of England, who reportedly touched nearly 100,000 people during his lifetime. The tradition persisted until the early 18th century, representing one of the most enduring demonstrations of the perceived divine right of kings. Sufferers would line up in long queues, hoping that royal contact would miraculously cure their ailments, and monarchs would often present them with special coins called “touch pieces” to commemorate the event.
2. Weighing the Monarch in Gold and Silver
The Mughal emperors of India participated in an extraordinary birthday tradition called “Tuladan.” During this ceremony, the emperor would be weighed against gold, silver, and other precious commodities. The weighed treasures were then distributed to the poor and to religious institutions as charity. This practice demonstrated the ruler’s generosity while symbolically representing their worth to the empire. Emperor Akbar and his successors maintained this tradition, which served both religious and political purposes. The ceremony occurred twice yearly, on the monarch’s solar and lunar birthdays, and the amount distributed could be staggering, sometimes including not just precious metals but also expensive fabrics, spices, and other valuable goods.
3. The Whipping Boy System
In medieval and early modern Europe, young princes could not be physically punished due to their divine status and royal blood. To address this educational dilemma, royal courts employed “whipping boys”—commoner children who would receive corporal punishment whenever the prince misbehaved. The theory held that the prince would learn from watching his companion suffer consequences for his actions. These whipping boys were typically high-born enough to be suitable companions but low enough in rank to be punished. They were raised alongside the prince, creating genuine bonds of friendship that supposedly made the punishment more effective. The most famous whipping boy was perhaps Barnaby Fitzpatrick, who served England’s Edward VI. This practice reflected the complex intersection of education, class, and the untouchable nature of royal personages.
4. Eating Only Food Tasted by Others First
Royal food tasters have existed throughout history, but some monarchies developed this into an elaborate ritual. At the court of Byzantine emperors and later European monarchies, every dish served to the ruler had to be sampled by designated tasters who would wait for a period to ensure no poisoning occurred. However, some courts took this further with complex ceremonies involving multiple tasters, sealed containers, and elaborate protocols for food preparation and service. The French court under Louis XIV had such intricate dining ceremonies that meals became theatrical performances lasting hours. The position of royal food taster was simultaneously prestigious and dangerous, offering proximity to power while risking death from poisoned food.
Succession and Coronation Peculiarities
5. The Stone of Scone and Scottish Coronations
The Stone of Scone, also called the Stone of Destiny, played a central role in Scottish and later British coronations for centuries. This ancient block of sandstone was believed to possess mystical properties, and legend held that it was the pillow used by the Biblical Jacob. Scottish kings were crowned while sitting upon this stone, and when England’s Edward I conquered Scotland in 1296, he seized the stone and incorporated it into the English coronation throne. For over 700 years, British monarchs were crowned sitting above this Scottish relic, symbolizing England’s dominance. The stone was only returned to Scotland in 1996, though it returns to Westminster Abbey for coronations, maintaining this medieval tradition.
6. Breaking Royal Crockery After Use
In several royal households, including those of Ottoman sultans and certain Indian maharajas, plates and cups used by the monarch were destroyed after a single use. This practice stemmed from beliefs about royal purity and the sacred nature of items that touched the sovereign’s lips. In some courts, these vessels were made of precious materials, and their destruction represented the ultimate display of wealth and power. Ottoman sultans had plates cast into the Bosphorus after dining, while some Indian rulers had clay vessels broken after each meal. This wasteful custom served to emphasize the gulf between royalty and subjects, demonstrating that even ordinary acts like eating and drinking required special provisions for divine rulers.
7. Swan Ownership and the Royal Swan Marker
In England, an unusual law dating from the 12th century declares that all unmarked mute swans in open waters belong to the Crown. This tradition led to the creation of the position of “Keeper of the King’s Swans” and the annual ceremony of “Swan Upping” on the River Thames. During this event, which continues today, royal swan markers travel the river in traditional boats, catching swans to examine, mark, and count them. Originally, swans were considered a delicacy reserved for royal banquets, but the tradition has evolved into a conservation exercise. The ceremony involves participants wearing special uniforms and following centuries-old protocols, including standing in boats and saluting “Her Majesty’s Swans” when passing royal properties.
Modern Royal Traditions That Seem Outdated
8. The Royal Presence Stopping Legal Proceedings
British law maintains an ancient tradition that no legal proceeding can continue if the reigning monarch physically enters the court. This custom reflects the historical reality that the monarch was the fountain of all justice, and courts operated in the sovereign’s name. While purely ceremonial today, this tradition means that theoretically, the king or queen could halt any trial simply by walking into the courtroom. Additionally, the monarch cannot be prosecuted in their own courts, as one cannot sue oneself. These legal peculiarities stem from medieval concepts of sovereign immunity and the divine right of kings, persisting despite modern constitutional democracy limiting royal power to largely ceremonial functions.
9. Royal Babies and the Bulletin Board Announcement
When a child is born into the British royal family, an official announcement is still placed on an easel outside Buckingham Palace, continuing a tradition dating back centuries. Before modern communications, this was the primary way the public learned of royal births. Today, despite instant global media coverage, a formal document signed by medical attendants is ceremonially displayed on a decorative easel at the palace gates. The bulletin includes the baby’s sex and time of birth but not the name, which is announced separately days later. Crowds gather to photograph this quaint ceremony, and the notice remains displayed for approximately 24 hours. This blend of medieval custom and modern pageantry exemplifies how royal families maintain traditions even when they serve no practical purpose.
10. The Coronation Spoon and Sacred Anointing
During British coronations, the most sacred moment involves anointing the new monarch with holy oil using the Coronation Spoon, the oldest surviving piece of the Crown Jewels, dating from the 12th century. The monarch sits hidden under a canopy while oil made from a secret recipe of roses, orange flowers, cinnamon, musk, and ambergris is poured from the Ampulla (a golden eagle-shaped vessel) onto the spoon, which is then used to anoint the sovereign’s hands, breast, and head. This ceremony transforms the coronation from a political event into a religious sacrament, reflecting the medieval belief that monarchs ruled by divine appointment. The anointing is considered so sacred that it cannot be photographed or broadcast, maintaining its mystical significance even in the modern era.
The Enduring Legacy of Royal Peculiarities
These strange royal traditions reveal how monarchies used elaborate customs to create mystique, demonstrate divine favor, and separate themselves from ordinary subjects. While many of these practices have been abandoned, others persist as ceremonial reminders of history. They reflect changing attitudes toward power, class, and governance, showing how societies once viewed their rulers as fundamentally different beings requiring special treatment in even the most mundane aspects of life. Whether serving practical purposes like preventing assassination or purely symbolic functions like demonstrating wealth, these customs shaped royal life for centuries. Today, remaining royal traditions fascinate precisely because they seem so removed from modern democratic values, offering windows into worlds where birth determined destiny and rituals reinforced social hierarchies. Understanding these bizarre customs helps illuminate not just royal history, but broader human tendencies toward ritual, hierarchy, and the performance of power.