Despite this, the king was wealthy, and clothed in gold and silver—which were otherwise little known in Whydah. He commanded great respect, and, unusually, was never seen to eat. The color red was reserved for the royal family. The king was considered immortal, although successive kings were recognized as dying of natural causes. Interregna, even of only a few days, were often occasions of plundering and anarchy by the populace. The patriarchal society isolated women, "protecting" them from the larger society (or other men). Fathers were recorded with more than two hundred children by their numerous wives.