Perhaps you may think he's an idiot, but if you put yourself in his shoes, you'll find it's quite normal.
In that era of scarce information and underdeveloped communication, if a person grew up in a pampered environment, seldom experiencing any setbacks, surrounded by people who only spoke positively to him, and if he made mistakes or even violated the king's laws, there were always people to cover up for him, then he would turn out exactly like this.
To a child raised in the Imperial Palace, it's only natural that he is waited on hand and foot; but for a child grown up begging on the streets, it's natural that he has to go out and beg for food every day, often going hungry.
You can tell a child who grew up in the Imperial Palace that there are people in the world still begging for food, and you can tell a beggar that there are people who get everything handed to them, but they can only imagine it and can't truly understand what they've heard.