uneasy lies the head that wears a crown en · X
Etymology
From Henry IV, Part 2.
Meanings
-
A person of high rank or status has more problems than those of lower rank.
Such terrors as these were unguessed by me in the days of my obscurity. Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown, uneasy also, lies the wife of that head, and the best friend of the wife. I dismissed my stenographer, and spent ten or fifteen restless minutes until Sylvia appeared.
1914, Upton Sinclair, Sylvia's Marriage:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| heavy is the head that wears the crown | alternative | lexicographic | |
| heavy lies the crown | alternative | lexicographic |
Relateds
it's lonely at the top · the highest branch is not the safest roost · the bigger they are, the harder they fall