Hello,
no slight intended: but what about Frederick II., the king of Prussia from 1740-86, to name but one?🙂
His highest ambition was always to improve the lot of his subjects. Apart from that, he was a notable musician and composer, as well as a philosopher.
His reputation as a philosopher-king - and a friend of the newly-independent America, with whom he established diplomatic relations and signed a contract of friendship in 1784 - was so strong that even a town in Pennsylvania was named after him.
His motto was: „I am the first servant of the state“.
Not „I am the state“, as the Sun King in France had called himself a century earlier 🙂
In my opinion, he was more modest than some of our democratically elected politicians, who have assumed an air of royalty, like some leaders in the EU and its member countries.
This, sadly, didn’t make them royal in any way, if you ask me. Rather, it turned them into a royal pain in the behind…
If you ask me, there are countries which are better off with a Republic than a monarchy, yes, but in other cases a monarchy might be better.
Take Germany, for instance: the abolition of the ancient monarchy in 1918, which had been more than eleven centuries old (Charlemagne crowned in 800 A.D.), turned out to be an unmitigated disaster…1933 anyone? 😔
And Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander in post-war Japan, recognised the critical role of the monarchy for the Japanese nation- and let it continue.
He was a great and wise man indeed👍🏻🙂, who was very farsighted as well. I cannot praise him enough.
Thanks for an interesting speculation. Indeed, you hit a nail on the head, when one thinks of the "niederer Adel" class which still loves "von" and "von und zu" in names.
One thinks of Ursula Albrecht. Well, I do. Mostly the "von der Leyen" married name is known. It's amusing because she was born a commoner to German citizens in Belgium, Got married to a minor "title" from her husband's Hanover clan. I mention her, that fumbling Minister of Defense under Merkel, because you mention Prussia's Frederick II. One should consider, before "philsopher-king," his military campaigns like the invasion of Austria-ruled Silesia. And then Bohemia, and then there was that first partition of Poland. All in all, there were lives lost courtesy of old number II. Ever visited the Sans Souci when in Berlin?
While wishing you well, I note for this thread that the Freeper who posted "A kingdom is a good form of government IF you have a good king" did not respond his his choice for that "good king."
It was a heck of good question, and I'd hoped to hear more from those who would reply with an example of a "good king."
I chuckled by your observation that "he [ Frederick II ] was more modest than some of our democratically elected politicians, who have assumed an air of royalty, like some leaders in the EU and its member countries." We are so-o-o on the same page about this.
Takes me back to George Carlin's observation: "It's a big club and you ain't in it. You and I are not in the big club. By the way, it's the same big club they use to beat you over the head with all day long when they tell you what to believe. All day long beating you over the head with their media telling you what to believe, what to think and what to buy. The table is tilted, folks."
Bleib gesund und wohlauf. Alles Gute.