The king then decided to seek the help of someone familiar with rural life to diagnose the problem. A peasant was quickly brought in to investigate. The next morning, the king was delighted to see the falcon soaring over the palace gardens. He asked the peasant, “How did you get it to fly?” “It was simple,” he replied confidently. “I just broke the tree branch the falcon was clinging to, and that’s why it flew.” Break free from the branch of slavery and subservience. Don’t let a lesser allegiance control your greater loyalty. Only then will you find yourself truly free to soar in the sky
History is filled with oddities that reveal the shortsightedness of those in power. Many rulers, especially women who ruled in their own right, had their unique and sometimes peculiar whims.
One such example is the Belgian Queen Elisabeth of Bavaria, nicknamed “Vandine”, who reigned from 1909 to 1934. She had ordered her hairdresser to be imprisoned for three years so that no one would know her hair had turned grey.
Queen Victoria, who reigned for 63 years, had ordered the streets of Copenhagen, England, to be sprayed with perfume to celebrate her and Prince Albert’s visit in 1845.
Queen Elizabeth I, the “Virgin Queen” of Britain, who reigned from 1558 until she died in 1603, ascended the throne at the age of 25 and ruled for 45 years. Devoted entirely to her country, she never married and openly abhorred marriage, saying, “I would rather remain single even as a beggar than married even as a queen.”
Anne Boleyn, wife of King Henry VIII of England, always wore gloves in both summer and winter seasons to hide a sixth finger on her hand. Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, enjoyed eating melon soaked in garlic as an appetizer. Empress Catherine the Great of Russia, who reigned from 1762 to 1796, cheered herself by having servants tickle her feet. She also used to drink five cups of coffee at breakfast.
Maria Theresa of Austria, who reigned from 1740 to 1780, was a joyful mother to 16 children, with two sons becoming emperors and three daughters queens. Inês de Castro was the wife of King Pedro I of Portugal. Their marriage was opposed by Pedro’s father, who secretly ordered her murder in 1355. After Pedro ascended the throne, he exhumed her body, placed it on the throne, and declared her the Queen of Portugal. In this way, Inês de Castro became the first queen to rule posthumously.
Queen Margaret of Austria, wife of Philip III in the 16th century, once rejected a gift of silk stockings and harshly scolded the givers. They later understood her reaction upon learning the queen despised her thin legs.
