⏱️ 8 min read
Throughout history, royal families around the world have maintained peculiar customs that seem bizarre by modern standards. These traditions, ranging from the ceremonial to the downright eccentric, offer fascinating insights into how monarchies have sought to establish authority, maintain mystique, and preserve their unique status. From ancient practices that continue today to customs long abandoned, these royal rituals reveal the extraordinary lengths to which royalty has gone to distinguish themselves from ordinary citizens.
The Most Peculiar Royal Customs Through the Ages
1. The Royal Herb Strewer and Nosegay Presentation
In medieval and early modern England, royalty employed an official “Herb Strewer” whose sole responsibility was to scatter sweet-smelling herbs and flowers before the monarch as they walked. This tradition arose during times when sanitation was poor and disease rampant. The Herb Strewer would distribute lavender, rose petals, and other aromatic plants to mask unpleasant odors and supposedly ward off plague and illness. While the position was officially abolished in the early 20th century, echoes of this tradition persist in royal weddings, where flower girls scatter petals before the bride. The last official Herb Strewer served at the coronation of King George IV in 1821, receiving a substantial payment for this ceremonial duty.
2. The Swan Upping Census on the Thames
One of Britain’s most unusual ongoing traditions is Swan Upping, an annual ceremony dating back to the 12th century. The British Crown technically owns all unmarked mute swans in open waters across England and Wales. Each July, royal swan markers dressed in traditional scarlet uniforms row up the River Thames in wooden boats, catching, examining, and marking swans in a five-day census. This peculiar ritual originally served a practical purpose, as swans were considered a delicacy reserved for royal banquets. Today, the ceremony continues as a conservation measure and a colorful display of royal prerogative, complete with calls of “All up!” when swans are spotted.
3. The Whipping Boy Position for Royal Children
During the 15th and 16th centuries, European royal courts employed “whipping boys” who received corporal punishment whenever young princes misbehaved. Since it was considered treason to strike a royal child, these carefully selected companions would be punished instead. The practice relied on the assumption that the prince would feel guilty watching his friend suffer and would therefore improve his behavior. These whipping boys were typically nobles themselves, chosen to be educated alongside princes and serve as their playmates. The most famous whipping boy was Barnaby Fitzpatrick, who served the future King Edward VI of England. This strange practice eventually disappeared as attitudes toward both corporal punishment and royal infallibility evolved.
4. The Royal Taster and Food Testing Rituals
Throughout history, monarchs employed official food tasters who would sample every dish before it reached the royal table. This tradition, dating back thousands of years to ancient Rome and beyond, served as protection against poisoning—a genuine threat faced by rulers. The process was elaborate: tasters would consume portions of each dish while the monarch watched, then wait a specified period to ensure no ill effects occurred. Some royal courts required multiple tasters for redundancy. The practice continues in modified form in some countries today, though modern food tasters focus more on quality control and allergen detection than poison prevention. The role remains one of the most hazardous positions in royal service.
5. The Ceremony of Touching for the King’s Evil
For centuries, English and French monarchs participated in the “Royal Touch” ceremony, where they would lay hands on subjects suffering from scrofula, a tuberculosis infection of the lymph nodes known as “the King’s Evil.” The belief that monarchs possessed divine healing powers led thousands of afflicted individuals to seek the royal touch. The ceremony was highly ritualized, with monarchs touching the diseased areas while chaplains recited prayers. Kings would then present sufferers with gold coins called “touch pieces” bearing the inscription “He touched them and they were healed.” This practice peaked under Charles II, who reportedly touched nearly 100,000 people during his reign. The tradition ended in England when Queen Anne refused to continue it in the early 18th century.
6. The Breaking of the White Staff at Royal Funerals
At British royal funerals, the Lord Chamberlain performs a haunting ceremony known as “breaking the white staff.” When the monarch’s coffin is lowered into the vault, the Lord Chamberlain breaks his white staff of office in half and places the pieces on the coffin, symbolizing the end of his service to that particular sovereign. This tradition dates back centuries and represents the dissolution of the royal household upon the monarch’s death. The staff itself is an emblem of the Lord Chamberlain’s authority over the royal household. After breaking the staff, the Lord Chamberlain immediately takes up a new staff to serve the succeeding monarch, demonstrating the continuity of the Crown even as individual reigns end.
7. The Royal Maundy Money Distribution
Each year on Maundy Thursday before Easter, the British monarch distributes special silver coins called Maundy money to elderly citizens in a ceremony dating back to the 13th century. Originally, the tradition involved the sovereign washing the feet of the poor in imitation of Jesus Christ washing his disciples’ feet. Over time, the foot-washing aspect was abandoned in favor of distributing specially minted coins. The number of recipients matches the monarch’s age—for example, when the Queen was 90, ninety men and ninety women received the money. Recipients are selected based on their service to their communities and churches. The coins, which feature unique designs not used in regular currency, have become valuable collectors’ items, though their face value is minimal.
8. The Weighing of the Dutch Royal Family
The Dutch Royal Family maintains an unusual tradition of publicly weighing themselves before and after their winter holiday at their palace in Lech, Austria. This peculiar custom, which began in the 1960s, involves family members stepping onto antique scales while officials record their weights. The tradition supposedly ensures that the royals enjoyed themselves and ate well during their vacation—those who gained weight are considered to have had the best time. The weigh-ins have become a media spectacle, with journalists and photographers documenting the event. This remarkably candid practice stands in stark contrast to the usual formality and privacy maintained by most royal families regarding personal matters.
9. The Presentation of Royal Cygnets to the Monarch
Related to but distinct from Swan Upping, another British tradition requires that any person who catches a swan must present it to the reigning monarch, as all swans are technically royal property. Historically, swans were valuable commodities, and their status as royal birds meant that killing or harming one could result in severe punishment. The tradition established an elaborate hierarchy of swan ownership, with certain companies and institutions granted rights to keep swans bearing specific marks. Today, while the law technically remains in effect, it serves primarily ceremonial and conservation purposes. The Worshipful Company of Vintners and the Worshipful Company of Dyers are the only organizations besides the Crown permitted to own swans on the Thames, and their birds bear distinctive marks on their beaks.
10. The Royal Requirement for Sturgeon and Whale Presentation
An ancient British statute from 1324 decrees that all sturgeons, whales, dolphins, and porpoises caught within three miles of British shores must be offered to the Crown. Known as “Fishes Royal” or “Royal Fish,” these creatures are technically the property of the reigning monarch. The law originally served economic purposes, as these animals were valuable sources of food and materials. While rarely enforced today, the statute technically remains in effect, and fishermen who catch these creatures are supposed to notify the Crown, which can then decide whether to claim them. In practice, the law now serves conservation purposes, as many of these species are endangered. Occasionally, when rare specimens wash ashore, the tradition receives renewed attention, reminding citizens of this peculiar royal prerogative.
The Enduring Legacy of Royal Peculiarity
These strange royal traditions illuminate the complex relationship between monarchy and society throughout history. While some customs served practical purposes in their time—such as food tasters protecting against genuine poisoning threats—others reinforced the mystical aura surrounding royalty, like the King’s Touch ceremony. Many traditions arose from the need to distinguish royalty from common citizens, establishing visible markers of their special status and supposed divine right to rule. Though modern monarchies have abandoned the most eccentric practices, several traditions persist, adapted to contemporary contexts. These surviving customs connect present-day royalty to centuries of history, providing continuity and spectacle in an increasingly democratic world. Understanding these traditions offers valuable insights into how power, privilege, and pageantry have shaped royal institutions and their relationship with the public across generations.
