[ I ]
Isabella, queen of Castile and Aragon, 1451–1504
The CATHOLIC
Isabella, queen consort of Charles VI of France, 1371–1435
The GREAT SOW
Isabella, wife of King Edward II of England, 1292–1358
The SHE-WOLF OF FRANCE
Ivan IV, tsar of Russia, 1530–84
The TERRIBLE
The Awesome
Ivar, king of Dublin and York, c.794–872
The BONELESS
Iyasu I, emperor of Ethiopia, d.1706
The GREAT
[ J ]
James I, king of England, and VI, king of Scotland, 1566–1625
The WISEST FOOL IN CHRISTENDOM
The Wisest Fool in Europe
James II, king of England and Ireland, and VII, king of Scotland, 1633–1701
The POPISH DUKE
James II, king of Scotland, 1430–60
The FIERY FACE
James IV, king of Scotland, 1473–1513
The THISTLE
James V, king of Scotland, 1512–42
The ILL-BELOVED
The King of the Commons
James Douglas, Scottish nobleman, 1286–1330
The BLACK DOUGLAS
The Good Sir James
James Douglas, second earl of Douglas, c.1358–88
The DEAD MAN WHO WON A FIGHT
James Douglas, seventh earl of Douglas, c.1371–1443
The GROSS
James Scott, first duke of Monmouth, 1649–85
The PROTESTANT DUKE
James Stewart, first earl of Moray, c.1531–70
The GOOD REGENT
James Stewart, second earl of Moray, d.1592
The BONNY EARL
James Stuart, pretender to the English throne, 1688–1766
The WARMING-PAN BABY
Le Chevalier de St George
The Old Pretender
Jamshid, king of Persia, fl. eighth century BC
The ILLUSTRIOUS
Jane Grey, queen of England, 1537–54
The NINE DAYS’ QUEEN
Joan, countess of Kent, 1328–85
The FAIR MAID OF KENT
Joan, queen of Castile and Aragon, 1479–1555
The MAD
Joan, queen of Scotland, 1321–62
Joan MAKEPEACE
John, duke of Bedford, 1389–1435
John with the LEADEN SWORD
John, duke of Burgundy, 1371–1419
The FEARLESS
John, duke of Lancaster, 1340–99
John of GAUNT
John, Irish nobleman, fl. ninth century
The SCOT
John, king of England, 1167–1216
John Lackland
Dollheart Softsword
John I, king of France, 1316
The POSTHUMOUS
John II, king of France, 1319–64
The GOOD
John II, king of Portugal, 1455–95
The PERFECT
The Tyrant
John III, king of Poland, 1629–96
The WIZARD
John Balliol, king of Scotland, 1249–1315
TOOM TABARD
John Churchill, first duke of Marlborough, 1650–1722
The SILLY DUKE
The Handsome Englishman
John Zisca, Bohemian reformer, 1360–1424
The ONE-EYED
[ K ]
Kamehameha I, king of Hawaii, 1758–1819
The GREAT
The Napoleon of the Pacific
[ L ]
Ladislaus I, king of Poland, c.1260–1333
The ELBOW-HIGH
Leo II, Roman emperor of the East, c.401–74
The BUTCHER
Llewellyn, king of Gwynedd, c.1173–1240
The GREAT
Louis, margrave of Thuringia, 1042–1128
The SPRINGER
Louis I, king of France and Holy Roman Emperor, 778–840
The PIOUS
Louis IV, king of the east Franks, 893–911
The CHILD
Louis IV, king of France, 921–54
The FOREIGNER
Louis V, king of France, 967–87
The INDOLENT
The Sluggard
Louis VI, king of France, 1081–1137
The FAT
Louis VIII, king of France, 1187–1226
The LION
A Reborn Alexander
Louis IX, king of France, 1214–70
The SAINT
The Solomon of France
Louis X, king of France, 1289–1316
The QUARRELLER
The Stubborn
Louis XI, king of France, 1423–83
The UNIVERSAL SPIDER
Louis XII, king of France, 1462–1515
The FATHER OF THE PEOPLE
Louis XIII, king of France, 1601–43
The JUST
Louis XIV, king of France, 1638–1715
The SUN KING
Louis XV, king of France, 1710–74
The WELL-BELOVED
Louis XVI, king of France, 1754–93
The BAKER
The Locksmith King
Monsieur Veto
Louis XVIII, king of France, 1755–1824
The KING OF SLOPS
The Bread-Soup King
Bungy Louis
The Desired
Louis Philip I, king of France, 1773–1850
The CITIZEN KING
The King of the Barricades
Lulach, king of Scotland, c.1031–58
The FOOL
The Simpleton
[M]
Magnus I, king of Norway and Denmark, 1024–47
The GOOD
Magnus III, king of Norway, c.1073–1103
Magnus BARELEGS
Magnus VI, king of Norway, 1238–80
The LAW-MENDER
Malcolm III, king of Scotland, c.1031–93
Malcolm BIGHEAD
Malcolm IV, king of Scotland, 1141–65
The MAIDEN
Manuel I, king of Portugal, 1469–1521
The FORTUNATE
The Grocer King
Margaret of Valois, queen of France, 1553–1615
QUEEN VENUS
Margaret, queen-elect of Scotland, 1283–90
The MAID OF NORWAY
Maria Louisa, queen of Spain, 1751–1819
DONA JUANA
Maria Theresa, archduchess of Austria and queen of Hungary and Bohemia, 1717–80
The MOTHER OF HER COUNTRY
Marie Antoinette, queen consort of France, 1755–93
The BAKER’S WIFE
The Austrian Wench
Madame Deficit
Madame Veto
Mary, queen of Scotland, 1542–87
The MERMAID
The White Queen
Mary, second wife of King James II of England, 1658–1718
The QUEEN OF TEARS
Mary I, queen of England, 1516–58
BLOODY MARY
Mehmed II, sultan of the Ottoman Empire, 1432–81
The CONQUEROR
Merfyn, king of Gwynedd, c.780–844
The FRECKLED
Michael III, Byzantine emperor, 838–67
The DRUNKARD
Michael V, Byzantine emperor, d.c.1042
The CAULKER
[N]
Napoleon Bonaparte, emperor of the French, 1769–1821
The LITTLE CORPORAL
Boney
The Corsican General
The Eagle
The Nightmare of Europe
Tiddy-Doll
The Violet Corporal
Napoleon Francois Bonaparte, titular king of Rome, 1811–32
The EAGLET
Nicholas I, tsar of Russia, 1796–1855
The IRON TSAR
The Gendarme of Europe
[ O ]
Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth, 1599–1658
NOSE ALMIGHTY
Copper Nose
Crum-Hell
King Oliver
Nosey
Old Ironsides
Old Noll
Ruby Nose
Omar I, second caliph, c.581–644
The COMMANDER OF THE FAITHFUL
Osman I, founder of the Ottoman Empire, 1259–1326
The VICTORIOUS
Otto, duke of Austria, d.1339
The JOLLY
Otto, king of Bavaria, 1848–1916
The MAD
Otto II, king of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor, 955–83
The BLOODY
The Red
Rufus
[ P ]
Paul II, earl of Orkney, d.c.1138
The SILENT
Pepin, Frankish prince, d.811
The HUNCHBACK
Pepin III, king of the Franks, c.714–68
The SHORT
Peter I, king of Portugal, 1320–67
The CRUEL
The Just
Peter I, tsar of Russia, 1672–1725
The GREAT
Peter IV, king of Aragon, 1319–87
The CEREMONIOUS
Peter of the Dagger
Philaretos, Byzantine nobleman, 702–92
The MERCIFUL
Philip I, duke of Orleans, 1747–93
CITIZEN EQUITY
Philip I, king of Castile, 1478–1506
The HANDSOME
Philip I, king of France, 1052–1108
The AMOROUS
Philip II, duke of Burgundy, 1342–1404
The BOLD
Philip II, duke of Orleans, 1674–1723
The GODLESS REGENT
Philip II, king of France, 1165–1223
The MAGNANIMOUS
Philip Augustus
Philip II, king of Spain, 1527–98
The PRUDENT
Philip III, duke of Burgundy, 1396–1467
The GOOD
Philip III, king of France, 1245–85
The BOLD
The Daring
Philip IV, king of France, 1268–1314
The FAIR
Philip VI, king of France, 1293–1350
The LUCKY
Ptolemy I, king of Egypt, c.367–c.283 BC
The SAVIOUR
Ptolemy II, king of Egypt, 308–246 BC
The BROTHER-LOVING
Ptolemy III, king of Egypt, 282–211 BC
The BENEFACTOR
Ptolemy IV, king of Egypt, c.238–205 BC
The LOVER OF HIS FATHER
Ptolemy V, king of Egypt, c.210–180 BC
The ILLUSTRIOUS
Ptolemy VI, king of Egypt, c.180–145 BC
The LOVER OF HIS MOTHER
Ptolemy VII, king of Egypt, d.144 BC
The NEW LOVER OF HIS FATHER
Ptolemy VIII, king of Egypt, d.116 BC
The POT-BELLIED
The Benefactor
Fatso
The Malefactor
Ptolemy IX, king of Egypt, d.81 BC
The CHICKPEA
Fatso
Ptolemy X, king of Egypt, d.88 BC
The SON OF A BITCH
Ptolemy XI, king of Egypt, d.80 BC
ALEXANDER II
Ptolemy XII, king of Egypt, c.112–51 BC
The FLUTE PLAYER
[ R ]
Ramiro II, king of Aragon, d.1154
The MONK
René I, duke of Anjou and king of Sicily, 1409–80
GOOD KING RENÉ
Richard, son of Gilbert de Clare, second earl of Pembroke, d.1176
STRONGBOW
Richard I, king of England, 1157–99
The LIONHEART
Richard II, king of England, 1367–1400
The COXCOMB
Richard III, king of England, 1452–85
Richard CROOKBACK
Richard Cromwell, English statesman, 1626–1712
QUEEN DICK
Richard Neville, sixteenth earl of Warwick, 1428–71
The KINGMAKER
Robert, duke of Apulia, c.1015–85
The CUNNING
The Weasel
Robert I, king of Scotland, 1274–1329
The BRUCE
Robert II, duke of Normandy, c.1054–1134
Robert CURTHOSE
Gambaron
Robert II, king of France, c.970–1031
The PIOUS
Robert II, king of Scotland, 1316–90
The STEWARD
Auld Blearie
Robert III, king of Scotland, c.1337–1406
JOHN OF YESTERYEAR
Robert Devereux, second earl of Essex, 1567–1601
The ENGLISH ACHILLES
Roger I, count of Sicily, 1031–1101
The GREAT COUNT
The Terror of the Faithless
Rosamund Clifford, mistress of King Henry II of England, c.1140–c.1176
FAIR ROSAMUND
Rudolph II, Holy Roman Emperor, 1552–1612
The PRINCE OF ALCHEMY
Rupert, prince of the Palatinate, 1619–82
The MAD CAVALIER
[ S ]
Saladin, Saracen leader, c.1138–93
The CHIVALROUS SARACEN
Sancho I, king of Castile and Léon, d. 967
The FAT
Sancho I, king of Portugal, 1154–1211
The SETTLER
Sarah Jennings, first duchess of Marlborough, 1660–1744
QUEEN SARAH
Mrs Freeman
Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, 1368–1437
The LIGHT OF THE WORLD
The Red Demon
Sigurd I, earl of Orkney, d.892
The MIGHTY
Sigurd I, king of Norway, c.1089–1130
The CRUSADER
Sigurd II, earl of Orkney, d.1014
The STOUT
Sitric, king of Dublin and York, d.927
The SQUINT-EYED
Sophia Charlotte, mistress of King George I of England, 1675–1725
The ELEPHANT
Suleiman I, sultan of the Ottoman Empire, 1495–1566
The MAGNIFICENT
The Lawgiver
Sven I, king of Denmark and England, c.960–1014
Sven FORKBEARD
[ T ]
Theobald, king of Navarre, 1201–53
The TROUBADOUR
Theodosius I, Roman emperor of the East and West, 347–95
The GREAT
Thomas Cromwell, first earl of Essex, c.1485–1540
The HAMMER OF THE MONKS
Thorstein, Norse king of Scotland, d.900
The RED
[ V ]
Victor Emmanuel II, king of Italy, 1820–78
The GALLANT KING
Guaff
Victoria, queen of the United Kingdom, 1819–1901
The WIDOW OF WINDSOR
The Grandmother of Europe
Mrs Brown
Vlad Tepes, prince of Wallachia, c.1431–76
The IMPALER
Dracula
[ W ]
Waldemar II, king of Denmark, 1170–1241
The VICTORIOUS
Wenceslas, king of Germany and Bohemia, 1361–1419
The WORTHLESS
The Drunkard
Wilfrid, founding father of Catalan political independence, d.897
The SHAGGY
The Hairy
William, count of Apulia, d.1046
The IRON ARM
William I, king of England, c.1028–87
The CONQUEROR
The Bastard
William I, king of Scotland, 1143–1214
The LION
William I, king of Sicily, 1120–66
The BAD
William I, prince of Orange, 1533–84
The SILENT
The Father of the Fatherland
William II, king of England, c.1056–1100
William RUFUS
William IV, king o
f England, 1765–1837
The SAILOR KING
Silly Billy
William Douglas, fourth duke of Queensbury, 1724–1810
The RAKE OF PICCADILLY
Old Q
Wu Hou, empress of China, 625–705
Lady Wu the POISONER
Divine Sovereign
Holy Mother
[ Y ]
Yung-cheng, emperor of China, 1678–1735
The IMMORTAL
[ Z ]
Zenobia, queen of Palmyra, fl. third century
The QUEEN OF THE EAST
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The Good, the Bad, and the Unready: The Remarkable Truth Behind History's Strangest Nicknames Page 24
