“Killing Kings: Patterns of Regicide in Europe, AD 600–1800” by Manuel Eisner, is a statistical study of the demise of 1,513 monarchs in 45 European monarchies over the period 600 to 1800. It reveals that almost a quarter (22 per cent) of all royal deaths were bloody – accidents, battle deaths and killings – and that 15 per cent of all deaths were outright murder.
As a criminologist, Eisner divides his gruesome statistics for kingly killings into four broad scenarios. Top of the list is murder as a means of succession; next up is murder by a neighbouring ruler and competitor, attempting to gain territory or seal a military victory; personal grievance and revenge, fueled by rape, murder or insult committed by the ruler, rank third as scenarios; and finally, the outsider killing.
Read full article here at Medievalist and an abstract of the published paper at British Journal of Criminology.
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