Favourite

A favourite was like a super-important best friend to a king or queen! They weren't just any friend; they were someone the ruler trusted a LOT. Sometimes, these favourites were given big jobs, like helping to make important decisions for the whole country. It was like having a special helper who knew all the secrets and got to do really important work.

This was a big thing a long, long time ago, especially between the years 1500 and 1700. Kings and queens had so many things to do, and sometimes they weren't very good at ruling or just didn't want to. So, they would let their favourite do a lot of the work. It was like if your teacher let the class president make all the rules for a day!

Favourites were special because they had the ruler's ear! This means the ruler listened to them more than anyone else. They could help make laws, decide who got what, and even lead armies. It was a huge amount of power, like being the captain of the biggest ship in the world. But sometimes, people thought favourites got too much power, too easily.

Not always! Sometimes, favourites were chosen because they were really smart and good at their jobs. Other times, they were just really good friends. Some favourites even had romantic relationships with the ruler or their spouse, but that wasn't the most important reason. The main thing was that the ruler really, really liked and trusted them.