“Unveiling the Crown: The Surprising Truth Behind a Medieval Monarch’s Real Power!”
So, in conclusion: did mediaeval monarchs wield great amounts of power?
Sure, they were unelected Heads of State, Heads of Government, Heads of the Army and Chief Legislators after all. But their power was a result of a constant negotiation with those who advised them, funded them and fought for them, and thus subject to some level of checks and balances, even if by modern standards, rather insufficient in many respects.
BONUS FACT
We mentioned court jesters a couple of times, so it was interesting to discover how they were actually treated by their employers. Pretty well, it turns out.
According to chronicler Thomas Blount, writing in 1679, during the reign of either King Henry I or Henry II of England, a certain jester called Roland enjoyed particular favour at court. So much so, that for his services, he had been rewarded with a country manor in Hemingston, Suffolk, surrounded by 110 acres of land.
But there was a catch: Roland had to pay rent. Not in cash, mind you but by performing one job, once a year at Christmas:
‘Before our Sovereign Lord the King of England he should perform at the same time and only once, one jump, one whistle, and one fart’
It appears that this privilege was revoked, and either Roland and his successors had to pay an annual rent of 26 shillings and 8 pence. But for a good amount of time, Roland the Jester, aka Roland the Farter, was allowed to live in a sweet pad in Southern England at the cost of one fart per year!
Much more on the life of a court jester can be found in our video: What was it actually like to be a court jester in mediaeval times?
