The Official AH.com Royal House Survival Guide

[Myth]

Royal lines' fortunes seem to ebb and flow. Of the Houses running Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries, many lost power only a century or two later. Others -- like Saxe-Coburg-Gotha/Windsor, which can trace itself through the Ernestine line pretty far back -- are still going strong despite their relatively weak starting hands compared to the Bourbons or Habsburgs.

So what advice would AH.com give to dynasties to improve their political survival chances, based on the historical experience?

 

[Simreeve]

Don't practice cousin-cousin marriage (let alone uncle-niece marriage) if you can avoid this.

 

[Gurroruo]

Don't Hapsburg it up (overextension)
Watch out for religion
Be nice to your vassals
Don't piss off the peasants
Don't make vassals too strong
Keep your armies up to date
Make strong alliances
Don't get involved in too many wars
Be careful of gaining too many enemies

 

[Welshroyalhistory]

Royal lines' fortunes seem to ebb and flow. Of the Houses running Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries, many lost power only a century or two later. Others -- like Saxe-Coburg-Gotha/Windsor, which can trace itself through the Ernestine line pretty far back -- are still going strong despite their relatively weak starting hands compared to the Bourbons or Habsburgs.

So what advice would AH.com give to dynasties to improve their political survival chances, based on the historical experience?

Embrace democratic principles.

 

[birdboy2000]

Embrace democratic principles.

Or better yet, stay out of politics altogether. Just as long as the people really running the country see you as a source of legitimacy and not a rival power center to abolish.

Japan's dynasty has spent the vast majority of its history doing so and they're still going strong.

 

[Billy the Bear]

Well from a Swedish perspective...

House of Vasa: Don't run around leading foolish charges without having at least one male heir if you want your line to survive (You hear me Gustavus Adolphus?). Less fights, coups and murders within the family would also increase your chances of hanging around a bit longer

House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken: Accept the inevitable, fighting ALL of your neighbours at the same time is bad. Actually getting married and having some heirs would be a good idea aswell (I'm looking at you Charles XII)

House of Hesse: Well there was this thing about getting heirs...

House of Holstein-Gottorp: Absolutism wasn't the best idea considering how the political winds were blowing you know? And while it might have been valiant to stay in the alliance against Napoleon, doing so when you were pretty much alone in Europe doing so. Not smart... Also, more heirs could have helped you a bit...

 

[Grimbald]

Avoid wars that cross oceans

 

[Van555]

Do not invade russia.

 

[Gurroruo]

Do not invade russia.

Agreed on all accounts

 

[Blair]

Do not invade russia.

unless you are the mongols

 

[Billy the Bear]

unless you are the mongols

In case you're the mongols exchange 'Russia' with 'Japan'

 

[Van555]

unless you are the mongols

We're the Exception!

 

[Jan Olbracht]

For Jagiellons:
Get marry.
Get marry before you cross 40.
Consume your marriages.
Don't take your pregnant wife to the hunting party.

 

[Rich Rostrom]

Or better yet, stay out of politics altogether. Just as long as the people really running the country see you as a source of legitimacy and not a rival power center to abolish.

Japan's dynasty has spent the vast majority of its history doing so and they're still going strong.

That's pretty much it.

Also:

It avoids tying the monarchy to any really unpopular programs.

It avoids tying the monarchy to possible rule by a flaming incompetent; i.e. one doesn't have to depose the "true prince" because he's a fool; he's a harmless figurehead.

Beyond that, all that one can do is hope for the best.

 

[Gurroruo]

Win all your wars at little finacial or manpower cost

 

[RousseauX]

-Know when to give up power.

 

[ChaosNDiscord]

Never go up against a Sicilian when death is on the line. -thanks to The Princess Bride

 

[profxyz]

For Chinese dynasties:

Qin: Don't be such a big spender (of people's money as well as lives).
Western Han: Keep the in-laws out of politics.
Eastern Han: When your Emperors keep dying at 20, maybe you should start making contingencies for that.
Wei: Not giving land to your kids is bad.
Jin: Giving land to your kids is really bad.
Sui: See Qin.
Tang: Eunuchs are not your friends.
Song: Stop being so indecisive!
Yuan: Apartheid against a majority population rarely turns out well.
Ming: Absolutist rule doesn't work in the long run; see Jin and Tang.
Qing: See Ming and Eastern Han.

 

[General Greene]

I have this terrifying idea that this thread's title could become the name of a tv show on a althistory.com version of nickelodeon.

If you want to be an absolute monarch, find a country that is inhospitable, with a big army, and valuable resources that take a lot of effort to get at, preferably oil. Otherwise, or if you don't like beating the snot daily out of people and wish to have a non-backwards economy, form a constitutional monarchy. Just avoid a Poland-Lithuanian Parliamentary type system. As all the others have been saying, lots of children from a wife that is not your cousin or other remotely close family relation helps no matter what government policy you choose.

 

[Monopolist]

Never go up against a Sicilian when death is on the line. -thanks to The Princess Bride

On the other hand, since Vizzini dies, maybe the rule should be to ALWAYS go up against a Sicilian when death is on the line!