ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Mayor of the palace

Once upon a time many centuries ago, there was a very important person in some countries of Europe called the "mayor of the palace".

Now, imagine a big and fancy castle where a very powerful and rich person called a "king" lived. This king had many important decisions to make for his people and his kingdom, but he was also very busy having fun, hunting, or spending time with his family. So he needed some help to run things smoothly.

Enter the "mayor of the palace"! This person was like a boss or manager who helped the king with all the boring and difficult tasks of ruling a kingdom. Think of your teacher or your mom and dad who help you with your homework or chores.

The mayor of the palace was chosen for being very smart, trustworthy, and loyal to the king. They had to know a lot about politics, economics, and military matters to advise the king and make sure everything was working properly. They also had to manage the kingdom's staff and resources, such as food, money, and weapons.

Sometimes, if the king was too lazy or weak, the mayor of the palace could become very powerful and even take over the king's job. But this was usually frowned upon and could lead to conflicts and rebellions.

So, in short, the "mayor of the palace" was a person who helped the king with running a kingdom, kind of like a boss, but who could also become very important and respected if they did a good job.