Haha that's pretty interesting. You would think that at least some monarchs would want to actually see the lands they rule over.
About what? The Turks/Arabs/Mongols!
Excuse me but...
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Why would the visit?Yeah that makes sense, it just seems incredibly odd to rule over something you've never even seen. It isn't like they had photos back then either.
Why on Earth did countries without a monarch always invite some foreigner to come be their ruler (Greece, Sweden, Bulgaria, I'm looking at you). Why not just elevate one of their own to be king? This has never made any sense to me.
It was forced upon them by the Concert of Europe in exchange for being permitted independence in the first place. The French Revolution had created a genuine fear of republicanism and revolution amongst the established monarchies in Europe and they had no desire to go through anything similar again. Hence, their support for new monarchies.Why on Earth did countries without a monarch always invite some foreigner to come be their ruler (Greece, Sweden, Bulgaria, I'm looking at you). Why not just elevate one of their own to be king? This has never made any sense to me.
Why on Earth did countries without a monarch always invite some foreigner to come be their ruler (Greece, Sweden, Bulgaria, I'm looking at you). Why not just elevate one of their own to be king? This has never made any sense to me.
Weren't any candidates. Kolokotronis might've been the most serious but frankly he was just a bandit. None of the Ypsilantis were realistic kings. And the first Greek Republic had just kicked off right before the Great Powers decided to make the place a kingdom, but its elder statesman kinda got assassinated.As for inviting said monarch from the outside, as LightSpectra said, that was mostly to avoid infighting amongst the established aristrocracy. In some countries, like Greece, there also genuinely weren't many candidates.
Weren't any candidates. Kolokotronis might've been the most serious but frankly he was just a bandit. None of the Ypsilantis were realistic kings. And the first Greek Republic had just kicked off right before the Great Powers decided to make the place a kingdom, but its elder statesman kinda got assassinated.
The original Seven Provinces revolting against Spain did also consider the same (a count of Leicester was involved), but it didn't work out that way until 1814-15. But to become a king one has at least to be of princely blood; also, one does not elevate someone to kinghood, but rather accepts someone as king or someone may actually rise to be king - as was feared Caesar might - or emperor (as has happened repeatedly in China).
And, as mentioned, a king needs to be seen as above parties (aristocratic or otherwise). King William I's endorsement of a pro-Dutch policy was a factor in the Belgian revolt and the following creation of a Belgian kingdom in 1830 - with a German-born king, as the former empire provided a host of candidates for such a position even after the Napoleonic era.