When monarchs gave out hefty rewards with only a word or signature, a window into the untethered power of kings of the past

People who lived when kings ruled nations presumably had an easier time relating to malchus, one of the dominant themes of the Yamim Noraim. As distant as these leaders were from the Torah’s ideal of kingship, they still implanted images of regal power in the minds of their subjects. The era of mass democracy largely robbed modern man of this mindset. Presidential pardons and executive action, or the remaining western figurehead kings, are but a frail shadow of the real thing. We struggle today to envision how monarchy looks and feels. This collection depicts a few instances in history when monarchs gave out hefty rewards with only a word or signature, a window into the untethered power of kings of the past.

The Thames’ Polar Bear Club

Giver: Haakon IV of Norway (1204–1263)

Recipient: Henry III of England

In the Box: A white bear

How can a rising Scandinavian monarch gain favor with the king of England? For Norway’s Haakon IV, the answer was a large white bear to serve as the central attraction in the royal menagerie.

The Art of Giving

In 1253, Haakon presented a “white bear” as a gift to Henry III. Most assume it was a polar bear, though the term did not emerge until centuries later. It is likely that the bear originated from Greenland or Iceland which Haakon added to his kingdom during his expansionist rule.

The Norwegian king dedicated much of his reign to deepening Norway’s ties to western Europe. Central to these efforts was Henry, with whom he shared a close relationship. The first formal trade agreements made by either Norway or England were those sealed by the two kings. Haakon’s efforts to expand his empire also ran through Britain as he sought to maintain control of several islands surrounding England. The bear was likely part of an effort to cement Henry’s friendship and advance Norway’s ascent.

The Centerpiece

Henry took great interest in the unique gift and had the white bear kept at the Tower of London, where it was cared for by a Norwegian who accompanied it as part of the royal present. Henry allotted a daily stipend to supply the bear with food and other needs. Apparently, though, he was surprised to find out how high its expenses proved to be and turned over responsibility for its care to London’s sheriffs. A muzzle was fashioned for the Tower’s great white guest so that it could be walked around the grounds daily. In what became a source of great amusement to Londoners of the time, its keepers would regularly place a loose chain around the bear’s neck and then allow it to swim and feed on fish in the Thames River.

Strings Attached

While Haakon’s white bear won itself a prominent place in history, it was not the only “wild” present other monarchs gifted Henry.

Years before the bear made its entrance, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II gave Henry three fierce animals labeled leopards at the time but subsequently thought to have been lions, which appeared on the royal coat of arms. That gift was likely delivered in 1235 when Fredrick wed Henry’s sister, Isabella. In 1255, Henry received an even more exotic gift from Louis IX of France, an elephant which had been captured by Crusaders. Though the elephant did not last long, these beasts came to form the core of Henry’s storied menagerie.

While the gifts Henry received greatly expanded the king’s zoo, he inherited the tradition from his father, King John, who began keeping tigers and other wild animals at the palace around 1210. The practice was kept up for centuries and the royal menagerie graced the Tower until 1853.