The Stupidest, Least Dignified Ways Royals Have Died

King Adolf Frederick of Sweden reigned from 1751 to 1771, and he had to share most of his power with the Swedish parliament. On February 12, 1771, Adolf Frederick sat down for a meal of caviar, lobster, champagne, and more, before ordering his favorite dessert, the Nordic pastry semla.

But he was not satisfied with one serving of the decadent dessert. Oh no. Adolf Frederick downed 14 portions of the sweet treat. This binge literally cost the king his life, and he died that night after complaining of severe indigestion.

Sigurd Eysteinsson was a prominent Viking leader who ruled Scotland's Orkey Islands in the late 9th century. Eysteinsson was a fierce warrior who battled his way into the Scottish mainland. Though he agreed to a peace meeting with Maelbrigt Earl of Scots, the conference soon devolved into a fight.

Eysteinsson handily defeated Maelbrigt, severed his head, and attached it to his saddle as he fled the battlefield. The motion of the horse's galloping, however, caused one of Maelbrigt's long teeth to scratch Eysteinsson's leg. However, the wound soon became infected, which ultimately led to the Viking's untimely death.

King Henry I ruled England with an iron fist. One of his weaknesses was lampreys, an eel-like bloodsucker. Henry's physician expressly forbade him to eat lampreys, but the king paid no mind. In 1135, he indulged in them while on a hunting trip and died soon after, likely as a result of the feast.

George II reigned as king of Great Britain from 1727 until 1760, a period of tremendous growth and development for both the British nation and empire. Though George was the last British monarch not born in Britain—he spoke English with a heavy German accent—he was also the last monarch to personally fight in a battle.

But his death was decidedly less regal than his tenure as British king. On October 25, 1760, the 76-year-old king visited the toilet, and while using this un-royal throne, George overstrained himself and died.

In 1498, King Charles VIII of France hit his head on the lintel of a door while walking out to watch a tennis match. He hit it so hard, in fact, that he subsequently died from the accident. Today, doctors believe he likely sustained cranial trauma when he hit his head, which is what caused his quick death.

He's remembered for this unfortunate and unlikely cause of death—and for his troops, who spread syphilis across mainland Europe.

King Béla I of Hungary was a warrior-king praised for protecting the sovereignty of Hungary against the ambitions of the Holy Roman Empire. But Béla's literal seat of power proved his undoing. In September 1063, the throne's wooden structure collapsed under the Hungarian king, injuring him so badly that he died of his wounds.