Queen Elizabeth II considered abdication to be a dirty word. She remained on the throne until her death at 96, and left her son Charles to waiting 73 years to take the job he was born to. But abdication is not so despised in other countries. In recent decades more monarchs have elected to retire and pass the throne on to the next generation. Thus allowing them to spend their golden years relaxing and enjoying their ridiculously well-funded retirement plans. Plus we’ll find out what an ex monarch does in retirement; from studying fish to living in a log cabin to getting into even more scandal than they did on the throne. Let’s meet the world’s 6 living former monarchs...Akihito, Former Emperor of JapanAlbert II, Former King of BelgiumJuan Carlos I, Former King of SpainBeatrix, Former Queen of the NetherlandsHamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Former Emir of QatarJigme Singye Wangchuck, Former Dragon King of BhutanMargrethe II , Former Queen of DenmarkJoin me every Tuesday when I'm Spilling the Tea on History!Check out my Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/lindsayholidayFollow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091781568503Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyteatimelindsayholiday/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@historyteatimePlease consider supporting me at https://www.patreon.com/LindsayHoliday and help me make more fascinating episodes!Intro Music: Baroque Coffee House by Doug MaxwellMusic: 'Dream of the Ancestors' by Asher Fulero#HistoryTeaTime #LindsayHolidayPlease contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise on this podcast.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices