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In ancient China, women with high power could be counted as a handful.
Under the feudal society, even in the open and inclusive Tang Dynasty, women's social status was still not as high as that of men. And women's political careers are not accepted by the public.
Wu Zetian
A woman like "Wu Zetian", who is truly ascending to the throne of God, is also a unique existence in history.
Empress of Denmark
In European royalty, it is indeed common for women to ascend to the throne.
There are even frequent cases of heirless succession, and it is necessary to have a step-child from the maternal side to inherit the throne.
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The harm of marriage between close relatives
In order to ensure the purity of aristocratic blood and the loss of interests in the aristocratic circle, European royal families often intermarried with close relatives.
Marriage of close relatives can cause many genetic diseases.
Children born to the marriage of close relatives are much more likely to develop congenital diseases than children born of marriage without close relatives.
Consequences of the marriage of close relatives
Close-knit children are prone to schizophrenia, congenital heart disease, anencephaly, epilepsy, mental retardation, deafness, and even blindness and deformities.
These children are extremely easy to die, and it is difficult to grow up safely.
Even if you grow up and get married and have children, you are likely to pass on your own disease to your next generation.
haemophilia
So in the European royal family, hemophilia became a very common genetic disease.
(Hemophilia is a group of bleeding disorders with inherited coagulation dysfunction, and once a wound appears, hemostasis becomes a big problem)
Not only European royalty, but royal families around the world have been married by close relatives for a period of time. However, there is a significant shortage of children married by close relatives, and gradually some countries have banned intermarriage between close relatives within a certain range.
Why: Most of the gods in mythology around the world marry close relatives, such as brothers marrying sisters (Fuxi and Nuwa are both brothers and sisters and husband and wife). The royal family needed to distinguish itself from the commoners and claim to be the descendants of the gods. That is why the custom of intermarriage between close relatives has emerged
Nuwa Fuxi
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monogamy
All european countries believed in Christianity, and the succession to the throne required recognition by the Church.
According to the Christianity practiced in Europe at that time, full monogamy was practiced and arbitrary divorce was not allowed.
Europe is absolute monogamous, there is no such thing as a concubine.
But there were many people in the royal family who took care of mistresses. But even if the mistress is adopted, no matter how many children the mistress gives birth to, she is an illegitimate child and has no chance of inheriting the throne.
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Succession to the European royal throne
A wife is eligible to inherit the throne in some special circumstances
The wife has only a daughter at her knees, and the daughter can also inherit the throne. If there are no children, try to select children from the patrilineal side to inherit the throne.
Even if there are no children in the paternal line, girls who can only pass the stepmother line (such as nieces) are not eligible to inherit the throne like illegitimate children.
Ancient Chinese royal succession
Although China has also been monogamous since ancient times, it should be monogamous concubines in its entirety.
Polygamous concubines
The Chinese emperor is three palaces and six courtyards, and the harem concubines are three thousand. Although there are exaggerated elements, it is also preferable to have many children and many blessings.
Although the succession of the royal family is the first, in history, the sons of concubines have ascended to the throne.
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Example of marriage of a european consanguinity
Russian royal family
Russia's famous Tsar, Peter I (Peter the Great), married two wives in his lifetime.
Peter the Great
There have been eight sons and six daughters, and the number of children is relatively objective.
But most of the 14 children died prematurely, and only 3 were able to survive to be 10 years old.
Of the three children, two daughters and one son
The only son, because of his political disagreements with his father Peter I, fled to Austria in 1716. He was later extradited back to His country and sentenced to death. He died in prison at the age of 28
Of the remaining two girls, one of whom is still unmarried.
And that unmarried girl was the empress I told in the last issue about Catherine II marrying into Russia. Catherine's husband was the son of another girl, Peter III.
Catherine II and Peter III
The British Royal Family
The British royal family has also had the problem of almost no heirs, and even several thrones but only one child can
Let me give you an example
During Britain's strongest "Empire of the Sun Never Sets", a queen appeared. Her era is also known as the "Victorian era".
Queen Victoria
She is Alexandrina Victoria, Queen Victoria.
The royal situation at that time
In 1811, although the king of England was George III, he was insane at the age of 73 and could not govern the country. Therefore, it was presided over by The Crown Prince George IV, the eldest son of George III.
George IV
George IV's wife separated from George IV after giving birth to a daughter.
George IV had no sons at the time, but had a 15-year-old daughter who could inherit the throne.
Princess Charlotte (only daughter of George IV)
In 1817, George IV's only daughter who could legitimately inherit the throne died in childbirth, and both mother and child were destroyed. George IV, 55, has no sole legal heir
George IV could only turn his gaze to his brothers' children
His second brother, Frederick Augustus, has been separated from his marriage because of his unsuccessful marriage. There are no children under the knees at all.
The third brother, William IV, should have had 5 children. But they were either stillborn or died at the age of one or two.
Edward Augustus
George IV could only focus on his fourth brother, Edward Augustus ( later Queen Victoria 's father ) , who was 50 years old at the time.
In 1818, Edward Augustus married a 32-year-old aristocratic woman, and the following year after their marriage gave birth to her first daughter, Queen Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria).
When Alexandrina Victoria was 1 year old, George III died and George IV (Queen Victoria's uncle) took the throne.
While Queen Victoria was growing up, George IV and her second uncle, Frederick Augustus, both died. After his third uncle William IV ascended the throne, he made her crown prince.
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Whether it is the Russian royal family or the British royal family, children are always a problem.
Political marriages themselves have no emotion, and separation is the norm.
Even lucky couples are more affectionate. However, after pregnancy, congenital inadequacies of children married by close relatives are also a frequent problem. Whether the children born can grow up healthily is another big problem.
In this environment, positions of power were inherited, and both boys and daughters could inherit the throne in European royalty.
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In the next issue, we will introduce you to the now-infamous Azov battalion and neo-Nazism
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