In December 1914, the three Scandinavian kings Christian X of Denmark, Håkon VII of Norway, and Gustaf V of Sweden gathered in the city of Malmö in southern Sweden. The meeting was meant to reaffirm the policy of neutrality and to show the unity of the Scandinavian nations.
In the early afternoon of Friday December 18th the kings stepped out onto the balcony of the governor's residence, where they were to receive the adoration of the people. This balcony was poorly maintained, attached to the rest of the residence by only a few rusty hinges. As luck would have it, the balcony held, this potentially fatal flaw only discovered afterwards. IOTL, that is.
Now, suppose that this was not the case. Perhaps they had a bit more to eat, perhaps the hinges were a bit weaker, but the consequences would be clear: the three kings of northern Europe would plunge to their death in front of thousands of citizens of Malmö. All three have heirs, although quite young: Gustaf VI of Sweden would be 22, Frederick IX would be 15, and Olav V only 11. What might the reactions be? Poor Robert De La Gardie, governor of Malmöhus County, would likely take the blame for not properly maintaining his residence, and the Danish and Norwegian populace might take a dim view of their kings dying because of a rusty balcony in Sweden.
In the early afternoon of Friday December 18th the kings stepped out onto the balcony of the governor's residence, where they were to receive the adoration of the people. This balcony was poorly maintained, attached to the rest of the residence by only a few rusty hinges. As luck would have it, the balcony held, this potentially fatal flaw only discovered afterwards. IOTL, that is.
Now, suppose that this was not the case. Perhaps they had a bit more to eat, perhaps the hinges were a bit weaker, but the consequences would be clear: the three kings of northern Europe would plunge to their death in front of thousands of citizens of Malmö. All three have heirs, although quite young: Gustaf VI of Sweden would be 22, Frederick IX would be 15, and Olav V only 11. What might the reactions be? Poor Robert De La Gardie, governor of Malmöhus County, would likely take the blame for not properly maintaining his residence, and the Danish and Norwegian populace might take a dim view of their kings dying because of a rusty balcony in Sweden.