--- title: "11 Bizarre Facts about Royal Families" url: https://www.kickassfacts.com/royal-family-facts/ date: 2025-12-12 modified: 2025-12-15 lang: en author: "Editor" description: "Royal families have always been wrapped in mystery, luxury, and tradition. But behind the polished crowns and palaces lies a long history of odd customs, unusual privileges, and downright bizarre..." categories: - "General Knowledge" - "People" image: https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/royal-family-feature-scaled.jpg word_count: 918 --- # 11 Bizarre Facts about Royal Families Royal families have always been wrapped in mystery, luxury, and tradition. But behind the polished crowns and palaces lies a long history of odd customs, unusual privileges, and downright bizarre stories. Some of these traditions originated from superstition, others from power, and a few are simply strange remnants of old royal customs. Here are some of the most bizarre facts about [royal families](https://www.kickassfacts.com/british-royal-family-facts/) from around the world. ## 1. Medieval Royals Avoided Bathing Because They Thought It Was Deadly Long before hot water and modern plumbing, many royals believed bathing was dangerous. Medieval physicians warned that warm water “opened the pores” and made the body more susceptible to illness. King Louis XIV of France famously bathed only a handful of times in his entire life. Instead, perfume was used to “clean” the body, leaving the royal court smelling far less glamorous than the portraits suggest. ## 2. The British Monarch Legally Owns All Unmarked Swans For centuries, all unmarked mute swans in open waters across England were legally the property of the monarch. This bizarre tradition began when swans were considered a delicacy for royal banquets. Today, it continues symbolically through the ceremony known as Swan Upping, where swan populations along the River Thames are counted and inspected. It’s a mix of wildlife conservation and old-school royal pageantry. ## 3. Japanese Royals Once Avoided Blood Tests to Protect “Divine Lineage” ![](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/royal-family-feature-1-768x512.jpg) Japan’s imperial family is the world’s oldest continuous monarchy, and their lineage was once regarded as sacred. Because of this, members of the royal family were traditionally discouraged from taking blood tests, as the results might reveal medical conditions or ancestry that conflicted with the myth of divine descent. Even today, Japan’s royals are known for maintaining an extraordinary level of privacy compared to other modern monarchies. ## 4. Many Monarchs Had Professional Food Tasters Fear of poisoning was once a daily reality for royalty. European kings, Roman emperors, and even modern leaders have used food tasters who sampled every meal before it reached the royal table. The job came with enormous responsibility and zero job security. If the taster lived, the king ate. If the taster didn’t… well, the system worked, just not for the taster. ## 5. A Siamese King Declared His Cat a Princess Thailand (formerly known as Siam) has a long history of revering cats, but King Rama V elevated this reverence to a new level. He adored his white cat so much that he bestowed upon her an official royal title and granted her palace privileges. The royal cat received attendants, special cushions, meals prepared with ceremony, and even appeared in court proceedings. It remains one of the most adorable and strangest examples of royal favoritism. ## 6. Centuries of Royal Inbreeding Created Infamous Genetic Disorders To “preserve the bloodline,” European royals frequently married within their own families. Over generations, this led to severe genetic consequences. The Habsburg dynasty became the most extreme example. Their signature “Habsburg jaw,”[ infertility issues,](https://allthatsinteresting.com/habsburg-jaw) and neurological problems were the result of intense inbreeding. The final Habsburg king of Spain, Charles II, suffered so many genetic defects that historians often describe him as one of the most medically tragic monarchs in history. ## 7. The Sultan of Brunei Travels With His Own Gold-Plated Toilet Brunei’s royal family is among the wealthiest on the planet, and their luxury habits are the stuff of legend. One of the strangest claims is that the Sultan travels with a gold-plated toilet for his exclusive use, ensuring he never has to rely on public facilities. His private jet is described as a flying palace, fitted with gold details and custom furnishings that would make most luxury hotels feel like a budget option. ## 8. A Swedish King Once Tried to Tax Beards King Gustav Vasa of Sweden was not a fan of beards. In the 1500s, he introduced a beard tax to discourage men from growing facial hair. Anyone who insisted on keeping a beard had to pay for the privilege. Ironically, many royal rulers of Europe at the time proudly wore dramatic beards. Gustav was the exception, and he attempted to force the entire kingdom to follow his clean-shaven example. ## 9. Nepal’s Monarch Symbolically Married a Living Goddess In Nepal, the Kumari tradition recognizes a prepubescent girl as the living embodiment of the goddess Taleju. For centuries, kings participated in a ritual “marriage” to the Kumari to secure divine protection for their reign. The chosen girl lived in a palace, was carried everywhere to ensure her feet never touched the ground, and participated in major royal ceremonies. When she reached puberty, a new Kumari was selected, and the cycle began again. ## 10. Queen Victoria Secretly Had a Tattoo Despite being known for strict morals, sharp rules, and conservative fashion, Queen Victoria had a small tattoo near her wrist, supposedly acquired during a visit to the Middle East. Tattoos were surprisingly popular among European royals during the late 1800s, when exotic body art became a fashionable trend among aristocrats. Her sons, grandsons, and various European princes also had tattoos, long before ink became mainstream. ## 11. Tonga’s King Once Held a World Record for Heaviest Monarch King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV of Tonga once weighed over 200 kilograms, making him the heaviest reigning monarch ever recorded. Despite his size, he was known for humor, kindness, and a surprising level of athletic enthusiasm. Later in life, he shed more than 70 kilograms, becoming a symbol of national health improvement—an unexpected legacy for a king known for breaking a record few would want to break.