Throughout history, being a monarch meant more than just enjoying the perks of being at the top. Kings and queens constantly faced the threat of deadly power grabs. No wonder so many rulers became paranoid despots. As this list reveals, their fears were often justified.
10. Queen Min of Korea (1851–1895)
Empress Myeongseong, widely known as Queen Min, married King Gojong of the Korean Joseon dynasty in 1866. She unfortunately clashed with the Japanese, who wanted control over Korea. Min resisted Japanese influence and sought help from Russia.
The Japanese responded brutally to her alliance with Russia. Japanese diplomats plotted to assassinate her. On October 8, 1895, they stormed the Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul and murdered her with a sword. One diplomat, Kumaichi Horiguchi, admitted in a newly discovered letter that the assassination was surprisingly easy. [1]
9. Emperor Commodus (AD 161-192)
Emperor Commodus, who began his 12-year reign at 18, is remembered poorly by historians. Aelius Lampridius described him as “base, dishonorable, cruel, lewd, and debauched.” He allegedly ignored his duties for pleasures, indulging in a large harem.
Commodus executed perceived enemies, even relatives. Unlike his popular father, Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Commodus faced many plots. After his sister’s failed assassination attempt, she was killed. In AD 192, another attempt involved poisoned food. When that failed, a wrestler named Narcissus strangled him. [2]
8. King Carlos I of Portugal (1863–1908)
Carlos I became king in 1889 after his father, King Louis I, died. His reign was troubled by foreign issues and economic problems. By 1906, widespread discontent led to a revolt. Carlos responded with harsh repression.
The king granted dictatorial powers to João Franco, a conservative prime minister. However, Franco failed to quell the unrest, and another rebellion erupted in 1908. During this turmoil, Carlos and his son, Louis Philip, toured Lisbon in an open carriage. Assassins shot and killed them both. [3]
7. James I of Scotland (1394–1437)
James I was crowned king of Scotland in 1424 after being held captive in England, where he spent time fighting the French. Once king, he executed his uncle and cousins at Stirling Castle to pacify them.
This earned him animosity from Scottish nobles, worsened by an English victory at Roxburgh Castle. In 1437, Sir Robert Stewart, the king’s chamberlain, let assassins into the royal residence in Perth. James tried to escape through a latrine drain but was caught and killed. His wife, Queen Joan, rallied support, and the assassins were brutally executed. [4]
6. King Gustav III of Sweden (1746–1792)
Born in 1746, Gustav became king in 1771. He was an intelligent and cultured advocate of the Enlightenment who battled with the Swedish parliament (Riksdag) over political power. He introduced progressive reforms, like abolishing torture.
Gustav alienated the Swedish aristocracy, leading to his downfall. Noblemen conspired to assassinate him. In 1792, Johan Jakob Anckarström shot Gustav at a masked ball in Stockholm’s opera house. Gustav died from a blood infection weeks later, and Anckarström was executed. [5]
5. Tsar Paul I of Russia (1754–1801)
Tsar Paul I’s mother was Catherine the Great, who seized the throne from his father, Peter III, in 1762 when Paul was eight. Catherine did not seem to care for her son, who was mainly interested in military parades. Paul became tsar in 1796 when Catherine died at 67.
Paul was more despotic than his mother. He banned foreign travel, fearing the influence of the French Revolution, making him unpopular with Russian nobles. His erratic behavior led some to question his sanity.
Military figures plotted against him. They entered the palace in St. Petersburg, found Paul hiding, and strangled him. Some believe Paul’s son, Tsar Alexander I, was involved in the conspiracy. [6]
4. King Faisal of Saudi Arabia (1906–1975)
Born in Riyadh in 1906, Faisal became the absolute ruler of Saudi Arabia in 1964 after King Saud was deposed. Faisal enacted reforms and joined Arab nations against Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War.
Unlike most monarch murders, Faisal’s had unclear motives. On March 25, 1975, his nephew, Prince Faisal Ibu Musaed, shot him three times in the head during a meeting with a Kuwaiti delegation. The prince was described as “mentally unbalanced” and was publicly beheaded months later. [7]
3. King Alexander of Yugoslavia (1876–1903)
Prince Milan Obrenovich declared himself king of Serbia in 1882, ending Ottoman rule. In 1889, he abdicated, handing the crown to his 12-year-old son, Alexander. Alexander ruled under a regency until he turned 16 in 1893.
Initially popular, Alexander lost goodwill by consolidating power and marrying his mistress, Draga Lunjevica, who was considered to have a “dubious reputation.” In 1903, army officers stormed the palace in Belgrade, killing Alexander and Draga with gunfire and throwing their bodies from a window. [8]
2. King Umberto I of Italy (1844–1900)
Umberto became king of Italy in 1878, but his repressive rule and economic problems turned his subjects against him. In 1898, workers and peasants protested in Milan. Umberto ordered the military to suppress the unrest, resulting in hundreds of deaths by live ammunition.
Gaetano Bresci, an Italian anarchist in the U.S., was outraged. He returned to Italy and stalked Umberto. In Monza, Bresci shot Umberto three times, killing him. Bresci received a life sentence of hard labor but was later found dead in his cell, reportedly a suicide. [9]
1. King Birendra of Nepal (1945–2001)
In 2001, Crown Prince Dipendra of Nepal clashed with his parents, Queen Aiswarya and King Birendra, over his choice of marriage to Devyani Rana. The queen opposed the marriage and threatened to disinherit Dipendra.
On June 1, 2001, Dipendra, reportedly intoxicated, opened fire on his family, killing nine, including his parents, brother, sister, and other relatives. He then shot himself and died 30 hours later. His brother, Gyanendra, who was out of the country, succeeded to the throne. [10]
These stories of murdered monarchs reveal the dangerous side of power. Jealousy, conspiracy, and betrayal often lurked in the shadows, ready to strike. These rulers, despite their status, met violent ends, leaving behind tales of intrigue and tragedy.
Which of these stories surprised you the most? Leave your comment below!
