Crowned Before Birth

Anyone who has spent time around a newborn baby knows that while adorable, they are mostly preoccupied with milk, sleep and soiling themselves and don’t exactly have the skills to govern a nation. Though some my argue that a baby might make a better head of state than a politician. Throughout history, the combination of hereditary monarchy and brutally short life expectancy meant that many rulers did inherited their thrones when they were mere infants. Some were even unfortunate enough to loose their fathers while still in the womb and be born directly onto the throne. In one case a crown was even placed on the belly of the pregnant queen and in another a 3 month old king wailed through his tedious coronation ceremony. Today we’ll meet 6 rulers who became monarchs before they even took their first breath: King Alexander IV of Macedonia Shah Shapur II of Iran King Jean I of France & Navarre Ladislaus the Posthumous William III, Prince of Orange King Alfonso XIII of Spain

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