There once was a time when most European nations were governed by monarchies. Royal families (often related to one other) wielding almost limitless political power maintained the status quo by offering virtually zero social mobility to their peasant subjects. Revolutions in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries transformed the political landscape on the continent that was the first to industrialise and subsequently colonise the rest of the world. Only a small handful of European nations in the 21st century hold on to their Royal Families, and one Continue reading →