Of Kings and Castles
Kings did not remain in their castles long
When watching historical movies about medieval courts, one could easily be forgiven for believing that kings lived lavish lives in their castles, only to be taken on the road to fight the mandatory wars. But this proves to be a popular misconception.
Kings traveled around the country from royal estate to royal estate all year long. This wandering existence has nothing to do with the restlessness of kings, but was in fact the way they managed their kingdom. Kings traveled the country to discuss the affairs of each region with their magnates and to ensure law and order.
So where we have a picture of kings living in opulence, true as that may be, they also lived a grueling existence, constantly experiencing an uncomfortable slog, traveling the old Roman roads or prehistoric tracks of their kingdom.
Always on the road
The further back in time we go, the more uncomfortable the journey’s were. For much of history there were no royal carriages, meaning that the journeys would have to be undertaken on the back of small, stocky horses (horses were more akin to ponies centuries ago than they are to our modern horses), or they would travel in wooden carts (without our suspension technology), or even on foot. Kings lived in a world that was permanently packed up or unpacked.
The truth is that coming home from work, putting your feet up, opening a brew and watching some television while enjoying a snack is more opulence than a medieval king was accustomed to. True, we might not have the same power of the king, but most Western people live lives far more comfortable than that of kings. And on top of that, we don’t have to be worry about losing our heads due to popular demand.
We live a pretty sweet live after all…
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