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Royal Wedding Q&A! |
What countries have real-life kings, queens, princes, and princesses?
In different places in the world throughout various times in history, there have been (and still are) Royal Families, meaning kings, queens, princes, princesses, and more. Sometimes, these Royal Families are the rulers of the country they live in, while other times, having a Royal Family is mostly just a symbol and elected officials rule the government.
Some of the places that
currently have Royal Families include the United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden,
Norway, The Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Lesotho, Swaziland,
Japan, and Thailand!
Why do kings and queens wear crowns?
Nobody knows how long members of royal families have used crowns, but these very special headdresses have been used for many, many generations as symbols, meaning that it shows something to people. Crowns are usually thought of as symbols for honor, skill, and power.
Of course, not all crowns
have to be made from gold and jewels; some
crowns can also be wreath-like. In some cases in history, a leader might also
have worn a special warrior’s helmet (instead of a crown) to show power, honor,
and skill. Other items are also sometimes used as a sign of royalty or
significance, such as rings, swords, robes, scepters (staffs), and more!
Did you know that there are many castles around the world? Most castles were originally built to protect countries from invasions, act as starting points for attacks, and serve as palaces for the countries’ leaders. Some castles or castle-like buildings exist in the United States and Asia, but most castles are in Europe.
European leaders got the
idea to build castles many years ago, around the 9th century (during the 800s).
That means that lots of castles still standing in Europe are close to 1,000
years old. From that time until now, however, most of the original castles have
collapsed or crumbled. Still, Europe has standing remains of several hundred
castles!
The term “knight” has a different meaning in history than it does today. Several hundred years ago (during the Middle Ages), a knight was like a warrior or soldier. Have you ever seen a picture of a knight in armor? This was the soldier’s protection. As children and young adults, knights trained and learned what they would need to know. When they became old enough and had the right skills, knights would go to battle for whomever they served.
Today, we no longer have
armored knights who ride on horses, but the term “knight” still exists. People
can be “knighted,” usually by the king or queen of a royal family, as a type of
honor for something great that they have accomplished. It’s like a symbol of bravery, loyalty, and good!
A moat is a big trench or ditch that surrounds a castle or other building. Usually we picture them filled with water, but a moat can be an empty ditch too! The reason they are there is to protect the castle.
When we think of castles, we
usually think of big beautiful stone buildings with towers and drawbridges.
They are very beautiful, but old stone castles were built to be strong fortresses. The high stone walls helped protect the people
inside. The high towers gave archers (the people who use bows and arrows)
places to stand and use their weapons if anyone was attacking. Moats helped
too! Many soldiers had swords and rode horses. If they were attacking a castle,
a big hole in front of them would be a big obstacle! It would slow the
attackers down, especially if they had to swim. This gave the people inside the
castle more time to protect themselves.
Why do princesses go to balls?
In the fairytales we read, it’s not unusual for a princess to dress up and attend a ball. Fairytale characters host balls for the same reason people in real-life plan parties and gatherings: to get friends together for an evening of fun and enchantment!
In the 1700s and 1800s, balls were a great place to spend time with friends, celebrate music and dance, and sometimes even meet the person you were going to marry! Why wouldn’t a princess want to wear a beautiful dress and spend an evening dancing with friends old and new at such an exciting event?
In fairytales, sometimes a member of a royal family (like a prince or princess) hosts a ball. This can make for a very special part of a story, especially if two characters fall in love at the party! And let’s not forget about magic! Not only are balls events that are fancy and fun, but in some fairy tales, a little bit of magic helps the characters on the evening of the ball.
The above answers were written by Mya Kagan, Brian Griffin, Carly Schuna, and Kate Simmons. For more on these topics and endless others, just browse or search!