Henry VII, the first Tudor king of England, was known for his fastidious nature and immaculate grooming. However, his obsession with cleanliness extended beyond just his own person. King Henry had a personal groom of the stool, whose sole duty was to assist the monarch in the powder room and clean him after he used the toilet. This role was not just about hygiene but also served as a measure of precaution, as the groom of the stool would inspect the King’s bowel movements for any signs of foul play or conspiracies. The position of the groom of the stool was a coveted one during Tudor times, and kings who followed Henry VII continued to appoint people to the role until it was abolished in 1830.
Mao Zedong, the Chairman of the Chinese Revolution, was known for his almost fanatical obsession with personal hygiene. However, he had an unusual idea of cleanliness. Unlike the rest of us, who believe that cleanliness is next to godliness, Mao believed that he could clean himself internally by sleeping with multiple young women. He famously said, “Sleeping with a new woman is like bathing my whole body. I can feel rejuvenated”.
Nikolai Ceausescu, the former President of Romania, and his wife Elena were known for their extravagant lifestyle, while their people faced acute hardships during their over thirty-year regime. Their total net worth amounted to $4 billion, which covered a sprawling 1,100-acre estate and lavish parties that drew the likes of Prince Charles, Margaret Thatcher, and the Romanian people’s wrath. After a failed anti-government protest known as the Timisoara Massacre in 1989, Ceausescu was overthrown and executed by a firing squad on live television, alongside his wife.
Queen Isabella II of Spain was reportedly a woman with a intensely passionate libido that left her husband exhausted on a nightly basis. The Spanish royal was so notoriously sexually active that her husband Ferdinand Doubleday complained, “She wears me out with her nightly demands.” Her reputation for passionate love life was also known in royal circles, which possibly played a significant role in her affairs with mistresses and courtiers, which caused many political scandals that engulfed the royal court.
King Ludwig II the Mad King of Bavaria was infamous for his love of fairy tales and castles, and his most famous creation was Neuschwanstein Castle. However, his passion for fairy tales came at a steep cost. Ludwig’s excessive spending left the state bankrupt, and he was declared insane in 1886 because of his refusal to sign documents and his paranoid delusions. His body was later found in Lake Starnberg in a suspicious circumstance that has been the subject of much speculation to this day.
In conclusion, history’s world leaders have been known to have some peculiar habits that sometimes range from the curious to the scandalous. From King Henry VII’s groom of the stool to Mao Zedong’s idea of cleanliness, we have seen instances that reveal the diverse personalities of those who have led our nations. We must remind ourselves that even those who wield tremendous power have their quirks and secrets, and while their actions may seem unusual or comical, they serve as a reminder that democracy’s true fabric is built not just by the rule of law but also by those who lead with humility, wisdom, and compassion.
