17 Kings Who Died in the Most Embarrassing Ways in History

Royal Deaths by Mishap and Misfortune

• ✈️ Prince William of Gloucester died in a plane crash in 1972 while competing in an air show, a consequence of his passion for aviation and piloting small aircraft.
• 🚽 Duke Jing of Jin met his end in 581 BCE by falling into a toilet after executing a shaman, a bizarre and ironic fate for a ruler known for his recklessness.
• ⚔️ Pyrrhus of Epirus was killed in 272 BCE by an elderly woman throwing a tile, knocking him from his horse during a civil revolt, a stark contrast to his reputation as a powerful general.
• 🧪 Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China, died in 210 BCE from mercury poisoning after taking an alchemist's elixir in his obsessive quest to avoid death.
• 🤯 Valentinian I suffered a fatal stroke in 375 AD during a peace summit with the Quadi tribe, collapsing from sheer rage after a diplomatic dispute.
• 🐴 Sigurd Eysteinsson (Sigurd the Mighty) died from an infected leg wound in the 800s, caused by a tooth from the severed head of his rival, which he had strapped to his saddle.
• 🪑 Bela I of Hungary died in the 1000s from injuries sustained when his throne collapsed beneath him, a surprisingly mundane end for a significant king.
• 🐎 William the Conqueror died in 1087 after falling from his horse during a campaign in France, becoming impaled by his saddle's pommel.
• 🏹 William II of England died in 1100 from an arrow to the chest during a hunting trip, with speculation remaining whether it was an accident or an assassination.
• 🐟 Henry I of England died in 1135 after overindulging in lampreys, a delicacy he was warned against by his doctor, succumbing to illness after the feast.
• 🚢 William Adelin drowned in 1120 when the White Ship capsized in the English Channel due to a drunken helmsman, leading to a succession crisis in England.
• 🌊 Alexander III of Scotland died in 1286 after being thrown from his horse during a storm while riding to greet the queen, resulting in a broken neck and the end of Scotland's golden age.
• 🔥 Charles II of Navarre died in 1387 when the brandy-soaked cloth he was wrapped in for a medical treatment was accidentally ignited, causing him to catch fire.
• 💥 James II of Scotland was killed in 1460 by an artillery shell from a cannon he was standing near during a siege, a casualty of his interest in modern warfare.
• 🚽 George II of Great Britain died in 1760 after collapsing in his bathroom, raising questions about whether his death was similar to the famously rumored demise of Elvis Presley.
• 🍽️ Adolph Frederick of Sweden died in 1771 from heart failure or another ailment after consuming a massive, excessive meal against his doctors' advice.
• 🐒 Alexander of Greece died in 1920 from an infected monkey bite sustained while breaking up a fight between his dog and a monkey, leading to sepsis and his eventual death.