Figure skating, in places such as the Netherlands, was considered appropriate for people of all social classes to participate in; however, in other places, figure skating was limited to only those in the upper classes.  This idea of social status relating figure skating may have partially stemmed from Emperor Rudolf II of the Holy Roman Empire's love of figure skating.  He called for a grand ice carnival to be constructed in his court in 1610 in order to draw more attention to the sport.  Similarly, King Louis XVI of France tried to popularize figure skating by bringing ice skating to Paris during his reign.  Among others, Madame de Pompadour, Napoleon I, Napoleon III, and the House of Stuart were royal fans of figure skating. 

While royalty was bringing attention to the sport several years ago, the amazing talents such as Kristi Yamaguchi, Michelle Kwan, Sasha Cohen, Evan Lysacek, and others are the ones drawing national attention to the sport in today's modern age. Check out the slideshow below of numerous figure skating champions from around the world in the following order: Kristi Yamaguchi (USA), Michelle Kwan (USA), Sasha Cohen (USA), Johnny Weir (USA), Evan Lysacek (USA), Jeremy Abbott (USA), Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto (USA Ice Dancers), Yuna Kim (South Korea), and Mao Asada (Japan).  Enjoy!