Kings

In 1757, a mentally deranged man tried to assassinate King Louis XV, but was unsuccessful. The bloody punishment returned to the assassin was so severe and disturbing that many historians to this day agree it was overkill.

As the youngest son of William the Conqueror, Henry I was not likely to become king. Nevertheless, he outlived, outfought, or outwitted his older brothers to become the king of England in 1100 CE. Henry proved to be a master politician—but then his demise plunged England into a civil war.

Not all kings lounge in lavish palaces while letting soldiers do the dirty work. These warrior kings got into the muck and did it themselves.

From the Black Death to the Hundred Years War, King Edward III's reign was one of the darkest periods in English history.

Kings and queens have fascinated people since the earliest monarchies, and with good reason. The kind of power that monarchies can hold often leads to fascinating—and scandalous—events. Here are some of the weirdest facts about the world's greatest monarchies, both old and new.

Once Henry IV finally had his crown, a fanatic ripped him from his throne and gave him a violent death—but few people know his even darker history.