27. King Charles VI of France had absolute power – but felt like he could shatter at any time
To really understand the “Glass Delusion”, it’s best to start with its most famous – or infamous – “victim”. The record shows that Charles VI, who was born in December of 1368, had a relatively normal childhood and adolescence. Indeed, when he ascended to the French throne in 1380, there were no signs that he would soon become known as “Charles the Mad”. But then in his mid-20s, Charles started suffering from bouts of psychosis. Even then, however, the belief he was made from glass had not yet set in.