Long live these 10 character writing prompts about kings, queens and other royalty! One of the reasons that I found European History such an interesting subject was because of the wild eccentricities of royalty in countries like England, France and Germany. For hundreds of years, these countries were ruled with an iron fist, not just by kings, but by earls and duchesses as well. The gap between the haves and the have-nots was drastic and many members of royalty were able to do whatever it was they pleased. A story set far in the past or one in a fantastical world could do with a few royals interspersed throughout.
Free Character Writing Prompts #26: Royalty
1. When he was young, he travelled among the commoners as often as he could to learn what would control them. As he ascended toward the throne, he knew that they responded more to religion than they would to anything else. Rule the church, rule the country. He slowly but surely tightened his grasp around religion, bringing church and state together and giving him power and wealth no king had known before him. What he couldn't have expected, however, was for another religion to rise. What will he do when the country devolves into civil war because of this new religion?
2. He had always had everything he wanted handed to him (literally) on a silver platter. When his family fell out of favor, however, and it looked like he would no longer be in line for an esteemed position, he had to learn to live with less. At first he whined nearly every day about eating less food and having nearly no diversions at all. It was only when his parents took him to a nearby village where the residents had almost nothing that he got it. He not only had to live with less stuff but he also wanted to help the people who were around him to receive more. What will he do to achieve this new question and what are some of the things he misses about royal life?
3. She became queen by appearing to be the perfect candidate. Shy and religious and easily controlled by her uncles and cousins. All of the qualities, of course, were a complete and utter lie and the only thing she truly wanted was the power of ruling a nation. She ruled the country with an iron fist and knew much more about politics and geography than her uncles and cousins ever assumed. Her policies were occasionally in line with theirs, but some of her decisions seemed to make absolutely no sense to them. Within decades, the country began to improve financially and morale-wise. What are some of the things she did and what do her family members think about her hidden competence?
4. She was once a commoner but there was nothing at all common about her. Her beauty seemed to spring up from the earth itself and it was not long before she was noticed by those from outside the village. She was courted by a duke and was wed shortly thereafter. It was difficult for her to adjust to such a royal lifestyle. She wanted so much to be able to split her portions with the servants, who were once her closest friends. To achieve these ends, she became a bit of an activist, helping to improve the lot of those not as fortunate as her. Her husband didn't love these qualities of hers, but couldn't argue with her growing self-reliance and confidence. How has she changed since marrying into royalty?
5. He was in the process of being groomed for the throne and his father could only dream that he'd stop hanging out with such lowlifes. There were stories of him gambling, drinking and spending late nights with seedy women. The King wondered how his legacy would live on. It turned out that the prince was learning how the country worked from the ground up, while keeping his reputation low. If he was able to make himself seem lowly, then he believed his rise to power would make him seem even more of a natural king. Also, he particularly enjoyed some of the partying. Will his theory be correct and how would this theory succeed in the modern world of constant media?
6. A distant cousin to the throne who was appointed the earl of a small farming area, he knew that he was fortunate to be given any royal standing at all. Despite this position, however, the men and women the he "ruled" were more likely to make fun of him than listen to him in the slightest. He was portly, he had a stammer and he was accident prone. One time when he gave a speech to his "subjects," he fell down a stone staircase and was laughed at for weeks. Behind all of this, he was a decent earl, doing his best to secure rights for the people in his town. Why didn't he attempt to get back at the people who mocked him and how will the rest of his "reign" go?
7. After a wave of the plague swept through the country, she was surprised to find out that her son had an outside claim to the throne. She'd previously devoted her life to being a good wife, but now she knew that being a conniving plotter of death would be her best role as a mother. Her favorite form of murder was poison as she had paid a few of the servants to poison certain cups of tea before going into hiding. Slowly but surely, she forced her son to the top of the ladder of royal candidates. Some people at the top expected her, but she acted to kind and sickly for her to be evil, right? Will she be successful at her plot and how will her life change if she is?
8. While she had always been a high society woman, it wasn't until she caught the eye of a young prince that she considered she might become royalty. When he asked for her hand in marriage, it finally struck her that she would be one of the most public figures in all of the country as a princess. She accepted the proposal and began preparing for her new life as a beloved figure. There was only one problem. Despite her best efforts, she was a reviled princess and she accidentally insulted the commoners on many different occasions. When a revolution came to pass, she was one of the first sent to prison. Why was she so hated and how will she fare behind bars?
9. Before his birth, it was believed that he would be the future king, but after the deformity was revealed, he was placed behind locked doors, rarely allowed to experience the rays of the sun. He spent most of his time reading old texts and figuring out a day that he could reclaim what he believed to be his divine right. By wearing custom clothing, he was able to hide most of his ailment and he started a small rebellion in the midst of his family to get him placed on the throne. Those who wanted nothing to do with his grotesqueness plotting to kill him. Will he survive these attempts on his life and what are some of his positive qualities as a potential king?
10. She was just a normal teenage girl, going to high school and trying to navigate the perils of popularity. Her life changed when she was told that she might be the last descendant in a long line of royalty from a country she'd never even heard of. She travelled to the country and learned everything she could about it and wasn't sure if she could handle such responsibilities. After all, she'd only just learned how to drive. She'd always wondered if she'd find Prince Charming, but she might actually be the royalty in the equation. Does she decide to pursue her potentially royal heritage and why?
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