Royal Assassinations (and attempts)

Source: History.com

Being a royal means one is always in public view. Privacy is a luxury rather than an entitlement. In a way, we the commoners are fortunate to never need worry about whether our next actions will result in a public scandal or not. While there are many privileges that come with being a royal, often to do with wealth, the one thing that frequently reminds me that I will never be envious of them is how their every move is constantly being watched, whether by the media or by the public. One might believe that it is only recently that privacy became a luxury, but it has been the case for many centuries, if not longer; up until perhaps the last couple centuries, it was a common practice for high-ranking nobility to be present in the bedroom when a royal couple consummates their marriage. The issue with not only being royalty but also high-profile is that many might take the opportunity to assassinate them. This doesn't apply to just monarchs; other members of the nobility have either been victim of an assassination attempt or have been killed. I decided to mention a few of such instances.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria

Source: The Guardian

Easily the most famous royal assassination. The heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated on the 28th of June, 1914, several years after the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Many Serbian nationalists lived in this region, and were angered by this move. When Ferdinand arrived in Sarajevo with his wife, Sophie, plans had been made for his assassination. On the morning of the day he was to be killed, a grenade was thrown at his motorcar, but only detonated behind it, injuring those in the car behind. The couple insisted that they wanted to visit those who had been injured by the grenade detonation. On the way to the hospital, Gavrilo Princip had been sitting across the street, taking the opportunity to shoot the couple. Both were dead before they reached the hospital. As a result of the assassination, Austria-Hungary declared war - with Germany's support - on Serbia, Russia's ally. Knowing that a war on two fronts was likely to happen, Germany declared war on France at the same time, as France would not neglect her alliance with Russia. Shortly, Britain declared war. World War I had begun.

The Romanovs

Source: Russia Beyond

Another famous royal assassination. It wasn't the conventional type of assassination in that it was a spur of the moment thing, but it was closer to an execution. World War I had a large influence on how one viewed social class, and when the common people began to realise that they were being used as pawns in warfare, many around Europe began to fight back. In Russia, the revolutions that took place deposed Tsar Nicholas II and his family. Alexander Kerensky and his new government moved the Romanovs to Siberia, claiming it was for their protection against the revolution. However, as the Bolsheviks gained power, the control over the Romanovs increased, to the point where they were kept in total isolation surviving on soldiers' rations; they were even forbidden from looking outside. Nuns from a nearby monastery occasionally brought food for them, but those in charge of the Romanovs took most of it for themselves. Eventually, they were taken in the middle of the night on the 17th of July to small room in a basement, where they were informed that they were all to be executed. While some were given some protection due to the diamonds they carried on their person, they were all dead by the end of it. The execution of Nicholas' wife and daughters were meant to be kept secret, knowing public reaction would be more mixed. However, their deaths would be deemed the most symbolic act that would transform Russia from a monarchy to a communist state.

Empress Elisabeth of Austria

I didn't know much about Empress Elisabeth beyond her popular portrait by Franz Xaver Winterhalter where she is painted as having star-like diamonds in her hair, but that was mostly down to a similar style being recreated in the 2004 film adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera. The empress generally attracted attention in her outings, known for her beauty. She despised her life at court, hating the protocols, as well as her marriage. She was known to escape from court life whenever possible. In one such instance, she had travelled to Geneva in Switzerland, and though she took care to travel anonymously, it wasn't long before people there knew of her arrival. When preparing to board a ship for Montreux, Elisabeth insisted that she board without an entourage. While walking, an anarchist, Luigi Lucheni, approached her and pretended to trip while making a motion with his hand in a supposed attempt to re-balance himself. What he actually did was stab Elisabeth with a sharpened needle file. Despite attempts to heal her, she died later that day.

Queen Victoria

Being a new queen whom very few had seen up until she turned 18, Victoria was of great interest to the public. In 1840, while on an outing with her husband, Prince Albert, a man by the name of Edward Oxford waited near Buckingham Palace for the Queen, then four months pregnant with her first child. Out in the open, Victoria was an easy target for him. However, despite firing two shots, both missed the Queen. Witnesses immediately moved to subdue him to prevent any further acts of violence. Victoria survived unscathed, but this would be the first of eight further assassination attempts throughout her reign. In one particular instance in 1842, Albert informed Victoria and her security forces that there was a gunman loose in London, but Victoria insisted on going on her outings anyway, believing the best way to draw him out would be to be the bait: she was right. Fortunately, she would rule until 1901, when she eventually died of natural causes.