In the case of mere mortals, smoking or alcoholism only causes problems for themselves or their families. But when addiction reaches a ruler, it affects the present and the future of the entire country! Although there is no conditional clause in history, it can be said that if it were not for alcohol, cigarettes, drugs or food, the history of the world would have been completely different ...
Feasting at a lavishly set table in the company of friends, and a glass of something stronger, are one of the simplest human pleasures. And one of the least harmful. But when food becomes gluttony and becomes a source of happiness, the health of the glutton inevitably suffers.
King of England Edward VII (1841–1910)
He was the son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, he ascended the throne on January 21, 1901 - after the death of his mother. He reigned only for 9 years, but the entire era was named after him - the Edwardian. This is because his monarchy was restored to splendor and splendor.
Edward undoubtedly loved life:he rested on the Cote d'Azur , he loved opera and theater, he often went hunting and changed mistresses like gloves, although he was married to one of the most beautiful women in Europe - Princess Alexandra of Denmark.
But he had a particularly strong affection for food. The day started with a hearty breakfast consisting of two plates of eggs and bacon, fish, steak or steak, chicken or game dishes. Around On the 13th he had a four-course lunch (when tea was served at the end of the meal, and - at Edward's request - fried eggs, cookies, shortbread, wheat pancakes with jam and preserves, and éclairs) were served.
Edward's food addiction made Edward very overweight, but it was tobacco addiction that contributed to his death.
Then he ate a twelve-course dinner, though he sometimes demanded that the cook… increase the number of dishes. In the evening, when he went to the theater or clubs, he was served snacks. Before going to bed, he chewed on cheese. And he ate between meals - and that is crab mousse in remoulade sauce and these are fired pancakes stuffed with orange.
Overeating made him very overweight quickly (at one point his waist was 122 cm!) which made him appear shorter than he really was. Most likely, he suffered from obesity-related conditions:ischemic heart disease, ventricular fibrillation, venous thrombosis, hypertension.
In addition, Edward was addicted to cigars and cigarettes, which caused him chronic bronchitis. It was this disease that caused the king's death after he caught a cold on April 27, 1910 during an evening walk in Paris. The monarch's condition was so bad that his personal doctor, Dr. Reid, spent nights in his boss's room in case he needed CPR.
Edward recovered, but after returning to London, he did not want to spare himself, although the medics recommended him to rest. On May 2 he went hunting and caught a cold again. The bronchitis progressed so quickly that three days later, the monarch needed an oxygen balloon. Even then, he couldn't help but smoke the cigar!
On the night of May 9-10, Edward suffered several heart attacks and died. His biographer Giles St. Aubyn claimed: The fact that the king lived 69 years without denying himself food, tobacco and alcohol is a miracle. " . This death was a real loss for the country, because the king was a skillful politician. On the eve of the outbreak of World War I, he led to an alliance with France; he had personal charm and knowledge, he knew foreign languages, thanks to which he won the sympathy of Europeans all over the continent. He reformed the British army. His son George V, who reigned from 1910 to 1936, did not have that many talents….
Archduke Rudolf (1858–1889)
Rudolf was the only son of Emperor Franz Joseph I and his wife, Elizabeth, famous for her beauty, known as Sisi. Unfortunately, he did not experience parental love:his mother was self-centered and often absent, and the dry and strict father not only did not show affection, but often showed cruelty towards his successor. When Rudolf turned 21, his parents found him a fiancée - Princess Stefania of Belgium. Although the girl did not impress the Archduke, he dutifully married her in May 1881. He was almost 23, and the young wife was 17.
Unfortunately, the spouses had little in common. Rudolf was irritated by Stefania's lack of education. Besides, he had liberal views and his bride was a conservative. The situation was by no means improved by the birth of Elizabeth's daughter instead of the expected son and heir. The Archduke returned to his bachelor life, libations and women. He contracted a venereal disease that infected Stefania, and as a result the Archduchess could not have any more children ...
An unhappy marriage with Stefania put Rudolph into the grip of addiction.
Rudolf, dreaming of a son, decided to annul the marriage, but his father strictly forbade him to do so. Then the heir to the throne returned to his riotous lifestyle for good. In addition, the Archduke - like his mother - suffered from deepening depression. The only cure for this disease was drugs, generously prescribed to him by court doctors. However, they only provided temporary relief, so he kept taking more and more doses.
It can be presumed that when Rudolf decided to commit suicide with his mistress Maria Vetsera at the beginning of 1889, he did not think soberly and logically. On the night of January 29-30, when he shot his loved one and then himself in Mayerling, was his mind a blur?
After the death of the archduke, the heir to the throne was Franz Józef's nephew - Franz Ferdinand, whose death in Sarajevo in June 1914 was the impetus for the outbreak of World War I.
German Emperor Frederick III (1831–1888)
He was the son of William I, who united the German states in 1871, and of Augusta, the princess of Weimar. Hardly anyone remembers about him now, because he ruled for only 99 days. He ascended the throne on March 9, 1888, after the death of his father, realizing that his reign would be short. This is because he has been suffering from laryngeal cancer for over a year.
Fryderyk, known in the family as Fritz, was the hope of German liberals - stood against the discrimination of Poles in the Prussian partition, he wanted to stop the militarization of Germany and its aggressive policy . Unfortunately, in early 1887, the heir to the throne began to have a hoarse voice, which grew so severe that his voice was barely audible during the conversation. After much research, it turned out to be cancer. The cause was obvious - Fritz was a longtime heavy smoker.
Posthumous portrait of Frederick III
Interestingly, the decisions about Fryderyk's therapy were made not by the doctors, but by the "iron" chancellor Otto Bismarck, who decided that medics should give up the surgery. At the time of his accession to the throne, Fritz's condition was so serious that he could not speak and communicated with his surroundings by means of notes. From April onwards, he began to spend most of his time in an armchair or bed.
He died on June 15. He was replaced by his son, Wilhelm II, who militarized Germany, fought for his country's domination in Europe and the world - and finally became co-responsible for the outbreak of World War I.