Meet the underage kings who ruled entire nations before they were old enough to shave
It’s a problem that has struck most monarchies at one time or another in their history: a ruler isn’t able to choose the manner and timing of their death. In an ideal world, they move on to the heavenly realm when their chosen heir is ready to rule. But disease, deposition, warfare and simple bad luck has meant that many kings shifted off this mortal coil before their successor had reached adulthood – sometimes they weren’t even out of nappies. From crazy kings to record-breaking rulers, here are some of the children who found themselves sitting on the throne, when they really should have been on a rocking horse.
Aethelred II
England, 978–1013 / 1014–1016
Aethelred the Unready ascended to the English throne at around the age of 12 in difficult circumstances – his predecessor half-brother, Edward the Martyr, was assassinated. Exactly who was responsible for Edward’s death is unclear, though it may have been nobles who wanted to put young Aethelred on the throne so they could control the kingdom through him. Aethelred did provide a semblance of stability – he ruled for 37 years – but it was an era when England was in almost constant conflict with the Vikings. Aethelred’s monicker is often misunderstood. Rather than suggesting he was unready to rule (which might be apt, considering his early accession), ‘unready’ means ‘poorly advised’ and was a pun on Aethelred’s own name, which means ‘well advised’. Presumably, the early medieval chroniclers who came up with the title thought it was hilarious.
Baldwin IV
Jerusalem, 1174–1185
It became clear during childhood that something was wrong with poor Baldwin’s body, but only when he acceded the throne at the age of 13 was he diagnosed with leprosy. Baldwin’s subjects may have been uneasy that their ruler had a debilitating disease that carried with it social stigma, but there was no real alternative in the line of succession.
Despite many contemporaries’ misgivings, though, Baldwin went on to prove himself as a capable ruler. He gradually lost the use of his hands and feet and went blind, but Baldwin chose capable advisers and regents to help him. He kept Saladin’s armies at bay and died at the age of 24, leaving his kingdom in the hands of another child monarch: sevenyear-old Baldwin V.
