Royals with Disabilities or Special Needs


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To remove an heir for any reason will require legislation which means actually passing a law to say xxxx can't be king/queen because they have yyyy disability and then have the present monarch sign that legislation. That means debates in parliament and the spectre of discrimination.

Much easier to have them become monarch with the next in line as the regent for the length of their reign just as if they had become incapacitated after becoming monarch.

The other issue is - what if the have xxxx disability at age 18 and the legislation is passed to remove them from the line of succession but then at age 35 a cure for that disability is found - do they then repeal the previous legislation - what if they have already missed out on being monarch?

Too many cans of worms opened to remove them when it would be simply easier to have a regent act for them.
 
In that case, too bad.

I disagree with you. Bypassing an heir isn't that big a deal, and the parliaments will do it, if need be. - Probably with an overwhelming consent by the people.
It happened in Denmark in 1953. A change in the Constitution and Law of Succession meant that the heir was replaced. In this case Princess Margrethe was appointed the successor.
It happened later on in Sweden. As we all know, Victoria was not supposed to have become Crown Princess.

- In these two cases neither of the original heirs had handicaps.
The Parliaments, I believe, would have little qualms of doing what would be seen as the necessary and most practical thing to do. Not least by the people.

What if-cures/scenarios are of little interest to the general public.

Iluvbertie said:
To remove an heir for any reason will require legislation which means actually passing a law to say xxxx can't be king/queen because they have yyyy disability and then have the present monarch sign that legislation. That means debates in parliament and the spectre of discrimination.

Much easier to have them become monarch with the next in line as the regent for the length of their reign just as if they had become incapacitated after becoming monarch.

The other issue is - what if the have xxxx disability at age 18 and the legislation is passed to remove them from the line of succession but then at age 35 a cure for that disability is found - do they then repeal the previous legislation - what if they have already missed out on being monarch?

Too many cans of worms opened to remove them when it would be simply easier to have a regent act for them.
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Since attitudes and opinions have changed greatly over the last several decades regarding people with physical and mental challenges, I believe that a monarch or heir to the throne who had physical challenges would be admired and looked upon as a role models for others. This would be very true especially if someone was going through the same issues that they were or had a family member who was going through the same thing.

The same would be true if they had some mental challenges and were able to overcome them. Unlike centuries or decades ago, they wouldn't be hidden from view or locked away somewhere like many individuals were.
 
nascarlucy said:
Since attitudes and opinions have changed greatly over the last several decades regarding people with physical and mental challenges, I believe that a monarch or heir to the throne who had physical challenges would be admired and looked upon as a role models for others. This would be very true especially if someone was going through the same issues that they were or had a family member who was going through the same thing.

The same would be true if they had some mental challenges and were able to overcome them. Unlike centuries or decades ago, they wouldn't be hidden from view or locked away somewhere like many individuals were.
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I agree with you, and hope that if something like this did happen, people would keep an open mind and allow the person to shine. However, sometimes it's all about appearances, and if the monarchy is dependent on a particular country's parliament/central government, it may be a bit more complicated than that. Sometimes politics is about looking good and having the world view your nation as a source of strength and power. We know pretty darn well that some don't view people with special needs as human beings that have strengths, weaknesses, capabilities, etc., and if someone like that is in power, he may very well make sure that the current monarch signs some ridiculous piece of legislature that will change the law of succession, thus banning the heir with a particular exceptionality from ever getting to the throne. It's sick, I know, and I don't agree with it at all, but unfortunately, it is the world we all live in. I see it at schools, when children with special needs are kept away from their typically developing peers, and the sad thing is, it's not because of some law (we know the law saw just the opposite), but because of the culture of the school and the attitude of the principal (actually, I should say the culture of the school that is not portrayed by the mission statement).
 
Whether a person with a mental handicap would be able to function as a monarch or not depends very much on what role a monarch have in his/her country. For example if the monarch are supposed to sign new laws and perhaps to advice the prime minister it would be quite difficult to have a monarch who would not be able to understand the laws s/he was to sign or give advice to a prime minister. Take for example the British monarchy, I doubt that a person with mental challenges would be able to perform the duties queen Elizabeth have now. The same is true when it comes to the monarchies in the Middle East where the monarch have a strong political role.

As for a country like Sweden where the monarchy have a rather weak support, the possibility of a mentally handicapped monarch could very well be seen as a reason to change the constitution and become a republic instead.
 
Physical disability is one thing, mental disability is another. Depending on the severity I would think that a child with certain mental disabilities would be passed over for monarch but would still be a member of the RF and could possibly take on some kinds of duties. I see no problem with a monarch with physical disabilities, though people would have to get used to such a change occurring. I don't know all the different roles certain monarchs in certain countries have to take.
In the Middle East Im sure such a scenario would be a huge NO
In Leichenstein (sp) and Monaco the Prince has a serious role to play in the country and it's laws so I would think that would be another No.
In England I know the Queen calls on the PM to form a government but that seems like a formality more than anything, I'm probably wrong about that.
I do not know how the Swedish, Denmark, or Netherlands work.
And for some reason in the case of Japan I think people wouldn't even k ow the Emperor had a mental disability because it would be kept a secret.
I don't know if this has any affect on the conversation, but I know of at least 2 presidents who were physically disabled and they went through a lot of trouble to keep it quiet.
 
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Sometimes physical challenges aren't always evident (especially if it's a mild case or if it's something that comes and goes). If a monarch or an heir to the throne had a physical challenge that fits into this category, my guess is that it would be kept a secret from the public as much as possible.
 
Great thread!!!

It must be kept in mind that all disabilities are on a spectrum of severity. Let's take autisim for example, which is among the most prevalent. It is a spectrum. It ranges from quite mild cases where the child/person has full intellectual capabilities and some mild sensory integration dysfunction to those cases where the child/person has intellectual disabilities, massive, intrusive sensory disabilities, and it is just unfair, to both public AND the disabled individual, or impossible for that person to assume the role of monarch.

I think it would depend on the severity of the disability and the role that particular monarch is expected to play. I do believe that in the European monarchies, which are the ones that I follow, they would try as much as possible to allow that child to assume the role, and to change the role to the extent feasible in order to accommodate him/her (within constitutional boundaries). I personally think it would bring great recognition and public awareness to those special needs people in our society, and I think that the particular country would be very proud of this individual monarch.

Let's face it. It's not a matter of "if", it's a matter of "when," even if that when is 250 years from now.
 
I love this thread and I know we are talking about serius disability here but I wanted to bring up the example of Princess Victoria dyslexia which she made public, and I feel it was so edifying and an example to people who suffer from a similar condition. So, yes I believe that public recognition elevates and humanizes their positions in society in a very special way.
BBC NEWS | Europe | Swedish princess reveals bullying secret
 
Danishla said:
I love this thread and I know we are talking about serius disability here but I wanted to bring up the example of Princess Victoria dyslexia which she made public, and I feel it was so edifying and an example to people who suffer from a similar condition. So, yes I believe that public recognition elevates and humanizes their positions in society in a very special way.
BBC NEWS | Europe | Swedish princess reveals bullying secret
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I admire Victoria for coming forward with that, and also for coming forward with her food disorder issues. Princess Beatrice is also dyslexic.

I'd go one step further and say I applaud anyone in the public eye who comes forward with a revelation of a disability, a disorder, an addiction, etc, etc, etc. It does help to humanize the condition and to remove some of the stigmas that surround them.
 
Danishla said:
I love this thread and I know we are talking about serius disability here but I wanted to bring up the example of Princess Victoria dyslexia which she made public, and I feel it was so edifying and an example to people who suffer from a similar condition. So, yes I believe that public recognition elevates and humanizes their positions in society in a very special way.
BBC NEWS | Europe | Swedish princess reveals bullying secret
Click to expand...
King Carl Gustaf (and prince Carl Philip) are also dyslectic, and who knows if there have been other dyslectics in the Bernadotte family, as before the king heirs to the throne were privately educated.
 
Dyslexia is not the same as autism or reduced mental capacities.
As for physical disabilities I recall the last emperor of Germany had a bad arm.
 
why did they let Charles II of Spain be king are was he a puppet king
 
Tsar bobo Iv said:
why did they let Charles II of Spain be king are was he a puppet king
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Yes. His mother was his regent, and for the most part ran the country. Spain was not in a great place at the time, and his reign was pretty much ineffectual. He became king in the first place because his only brother died at 16. If he'd lived Charles wouldn't have been king.
 
Kruununprinsessa said:
Yes. His mother was his regent, and for the most part ran the country. Spain was not in a great place at the time, and his reign was pretty much ineffectual. He became king in the first place because his only brother died at 16. If he'd lived Charles wouldn't have been king.
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thank you for clearing things up for me:)
 
I remember something about the Wessex's little girl having eye problems? Or did I make that up?
 
Louise does have extropia. There have been conflicting reports as to whether or not she has had surgery for it.

It wouldn't stop her becoming Queen however.
 
I have to agree with those who have stated that the severity of the disability would determine if a person could be eligible for the throne. For those family members who are unlikely to inherit then I do believe they could remain in the line of succession. However if this is the heir to the throne it would depend upon the type and severity of the disability.

The former French royal family has this issue with its eldest heir due to his severe mental disability. He retains his titles but would never be able to live on his own or assume any duties.
 
As I am from the United States, my first thought was Franklin Delano Roosevelt - though he was not a monarch, he was paralyzed due to polio, but kept his "braced" legs hidden throughout his 4 (!) terms. I am not that old, but from what I learned, it did nothing to slow him down, and his extraordinary wife declared "I am my husband's legs". I think he is an excellent example, though he was not a king, of how a physical disability does not mean the person cannot do the job they intended and wanted to do.
 
In the olden days, if a mother gave birth to a baby that had a mental disorder (for example Down syndrome), the child was institutionalized. The family was told the baby had died, and it was never to be mentioned again. It was as if the child never existed.
 
My half brother was born with Down Syndrome in 1970. My father and step-mother were told to have him institutionalized as he would never be able to do anything. Thankfully they didn't listen to the Doctors who were wrong. Sadly other children never got a chance and were just locked away, out of sight, out of mind.

Some of this had to do with not really knowing that much about people who had Down Syndrome and another factor was many people in the old days were very uncomfortable around anyone who had any noticeable physical or mental challenges. Today this still exists to a certain degree.

In cases of physical disabilities or challenges, the mind is not always affected so someone who had a deformed limb or was born without a limb or born without a kidney or who had cerebal palsy could be a heir to the throne as these generally don't affect a person's intelligence. For the most part, these individuals would be able to have children.

With learning disabilities and mental challenges, the mind is affected to varying degrees. Some people have learning disabiities which are mild or who are able to overcome these difficulties or they compensate for it by having a good memory of things or learning to read in a different manner. People are around to help them out so that the effect of the learning disabilities is minimal to them.

Mental challenges could be mild or severe. This is a much more difficult call. Someone who is mentally ill can be of average or high intelligence level. However, someone who is severely mentally ill or mentally ill to the point where they can't function and can't think rationally would not be an heir to the throne. When it comes to mental illness, this is a tricky one as there are varying degree of mental illness. Not everyone who is mentally ill is dangerous to others.
 
Prince Emmanuel of Belgium has a learning disability, I'm not sure which one and he's attending a special school now.
 
Isn't Prince Harry rumoured to have a learning disability as well? It certainly hasn't affected his ability to fly complicated machinery.
 
Mermaid1962 said:
Isn't Prince Harry rumoured to have a learning disability as well? It certainly hasn't affected his ability to fly complicated machinery.
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For Harry I believe it was just a case of not being academically inclined since he alwasy knew he wanted a military career and he has done rather well on his military exams as a helicopter pilot.
 
Mermaid1962 said:
Isn't Prince Harry rumoured to have a learning disability as well? It certainly hasn't affected his ability to fly complicated machinery.
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From what I understand, when it comes to learning disabilities, it's about teaching the child strategies to help him/her process things easier. If Henry does indeed have a learning disability, then while he was in school, he was taught strategies to help him get his work done and understand what he was learning. Those strategies could very well have been more than helpful in his training as well. Also, more often than not, those who have learning disabilities are very, very intelligent, but because of the LD, their academic performance and intelligence level don't match up.
 
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