Now typically considered another
term for a
scapegoat, the
concept of the whipping boy comes from the practice of
royalty using
servants as a
stand-in for
punishment of young
royal children.
For example, young
Prince Henry (who would later become King
Henry VIII) had his share of whipping boys during his
upbringing. When young members of the royal family, such as "
Great Harry", were deemed to be in need of
corporal punishment, servants were often subtituted because royalty was considered
sacred. Princes were required to
watch as the whipping boy received the
rod, the reasoning being that they would experience the servants'
discomfort vicariously and thereby absorb the
lesson.