When it comes to royalty, the 10 weirdest ways they met their end are anything but ordinary. From exploding artillery to accidental fires, monarchs have faced some truly strange fates. Below, we count down the most curious deaths that proved even crowns can’t shield you from a bizarre finale.
10 Weirdest Ways
10 King James II Of Scotland
James II reigned over Scotland for twenty‑three years, from 1437 until 1460, and his rule is generally remembered in a favorable light. He founded the University of Glasgow and earned popularity, yet he also committed darker deeds, such as the murder of the Earl of Douglas, showing a readiness to eliminate anyone who threatened his power.
Although the Scottish War of Independence had concluded by the 15th century, certain border zones remained under English control. One such stronghold was Roxburgh Castle. Believing he could reclaim the fortress while English forces were distracted by the Wars of the Roses, James made a fatal miscalculation.
The king met his demise when a cannon exploded during the siege. At first glance, a cannon‑related death seems straightforward—after all, cannons are built to kill. The twist? It was one of his very own pieces of artillery.
A devoted enthusiast of gunpowder, James imported cannons from Flanders and was eager to witness them in action. While standing beside one during a test, the weapon malfunctioned and burst, shattering his thigh bone in two. 16th‑century Scottish chronicler Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie recorded the incident: “The king stood near a piece of artillery. His thigh bone was dug in two with a piece of misframed gun that brake in shooting, by which he was stricken to the ground and died hastily.”
9 King Charles VIII Of France
Charles VIII, nicknamed “the Affable,” ruled France for fifteen years between 1483 and 1498. Ascending the throne at just thirteen, his elder sister Anne and her husband, the Duke of Bourbon, acted as regents for half of his reign.
His time on the throne was relatively uneventful. As one might expect from a teenage monarch, Charles showed little enthusiasm for statecraft, focusing instead on diplomatic concessions that improved relations with neighboring Italian states.
The most dramatic episode of his life occurred during a tennis match. Although he was not playing himself, Charles attended a game at Amboise and failed to notice a low doorway. He walked straight into the lintel, striking his head.
Initially, he seemed to recover, but the injury later induced a coma. He lingered for a few hours before succumbing to the trauma, making his death one of the most unusual among French monarchs.
8 Empress Elisabeth Of Austria
Before her assassination, Elisabeth—better known as “Sisi”—enjoyed one of the longest reigns in Austrian history. As the consort of Emperor Franz Joseph I, she served as Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary for forty‑four years.
Her life ended on September 10, 1898, when an Italian anarchist named Luigi Lucheni stabbed her in the heart. Lucheni claimed he had no personal grudge against Elisabeth; his true target had been Prince Philippe, Duke of Orleans.
Arriving in Geneva too late to reach his intended victim, Lucheni seized the next opportunity—Elisabeth herself. He located the hotel where she was staying, waited for her to exit, and then delivered a fatal thrust to her chest.
After the murder, Lucheni turned himself in, proudly demanding to be extradited to Italy for a public execution that would render him a martyr. The authorities denied his request, and he later hanged himself while in custody.
7 King Alexander Of Greece
We’re not talking about Alexander the Great, but rather the early‑20th‑century King Alexander of Greece. His reign lasted only three years, ending tragically at the age of twenty‑seven after a seemingly innocuous encounter with a pet monkey.
While walking his dog, Alexander witnessed a scuffle between his dog and a Barbary macaque that lived in the palace. He intervened, and the monkey responded by sinking its teeth into his flesh.
Initially, the bite appeared minor, and physicians cleaned and dressed the wound. Alexander asked that the incident be forgotten, though the monkey was subsequently put down.
Unfortunately, the wound became infected due to inadequate cleaning. The resulting sepsis left the king bedridden, and despite a prolonged three‑week struggle, he succumbed on October 25, 1920. Some historians suggest that amputation might have saved his life, but his doctors hesitated to take such drastic action.
6 Prince Sado
In the late 18th century, King Yeongjo of Joseon ruled Korea for over half a century, implementing tax reforms and striving for factional peace through Confucian ideals. Yet his legacy is largely defined by the fate of his son, Prince Sado.
Prince Sado was notorious for his instability, violent outbursts, and heinous crimes, including the murder and assault of servants and court women. His behavior became so extreme that his father, King Yeongjo, could no longer tolerate his potential succession.
Legally, Yeongjo could not execute his son, but he could depose him with his mother’s consent. After doing so, he ordered Sado to be confined within a massive rice chest—a wooden box used for grain storage.
The prince remained sealed inside for eight days, eventually dying of suffocation. This grim method of execution cemented Prince Sado’s place in history as one of the most tragic royal figures.
5 King Ludwig II Of Bavaria
Ludwig II, often dubbed the “Mad King,” devoted himself to the arts rather than politics, even as Prussia threatened his kingdom. He poured his wealth into building extravagant castles that served as performance venues for his favorite composer, Richard Wagner.
To finance his lavish projects, Ludwig borrowed heavily from foreign banks. When creditors threatened to seize his assets, he simply ignored them, hoping they would disappear. This obstinacy eventually led his government to declare him insane in 1886.
Following the declaration, Ludwig was to be interned at Berg Palace near Lake Starnberg. However, just days later, both he and his physician were found dead under mysterious circumstances.
The official verdict labeled the incident a suicide: Ludwig allegedly murdered his doctor and then drowned himself. Yet numerous conspiracy theories have arisen, pointing to inconsistencies such as the presence of two bullet holes in his coat—a garment that later resurfaced with various owners, further fueling speculation.
4 Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I
Frederick I, better known as Frederick Barbarossa, was crowned King of Germany in 1152, later becoming King of Italy and finally Holy Roman Emperor in 1155. His thirty‑five‑year reign is most remembered for his participation in the Crusades.
During the Third Crusade in 1190, Frederick led his German troops toward Turkey to confront Saladin. However, his campaign never reached the battlefield.
When his army arrived at the Goksu River—then called Saleph—his advisors urged him to locate a bridge for a safe crossing. Frederick, confident in his own strength, insisted the river could be crossed on horseback.
He plunged into the turbulent waters first, but his horse was swept away by the currents. Wearing heavy armor, Frederick could not swim, and both he and his mount drowned, ending his crusading ambitions in a tragic river accident.
3 Frederick, Prince of Wales
Frederick, the eldest son of George II and father of George III, never ascended to the British throne, dying before his father. His relationship with his parents was strained; both George II and his mother, Queen Caroline, harbored a deep dislike for him.
Frederick devoted much of his time to leisure pursuits, especially cricket, a passion that ultimately led to his untimely demise.
In 1751, at the age of forty‑four, he suffered a burst abscess—reportedly caused by a cricket ball striking him during a match. The infection proved fatal, and he died nine years before his father, adding his name to a lineage of royals with bizarre deaths.
2 Queen Caroline Of Ansbach
Frederick’s mother, Queen Caroline, endured a gruesome and highly unusual death. In her later years, she became considerably overweight and suffered from severe gout, often being carried around the palace in an ornate wheelchair.
Complications arose after the birth of her youngest child, leading to a strangulated hernia. One day, the pain intensified to the point where she could no longer move, and her womb ruptured, causing internal bleeding.
On November 20, 1737, the resulting hemorrhage caused her bowels to burst open, leading to a painful and public death. The tragedy was immortalized in a famous epigram, frequently attributed to Alexander Pope, which reads: “Here lies, wrapt up in forty thousand towels / The only proof that Caroline had bowels.”
1 King Charles II Of Navarre
Charles II ruled the kingdom of Navarre from 1343 to 1387, earning the nickname “the Bad” for his opportunistic shifting of allegiances during the Hundred Years’ War.
His death is often portrayed as divine retribution. According to 18th‑century English author Francis Blagdon, Charles fell gravely ill and his physician ordered him to be completely wrapped from head to toe in linen soaked in brandy.
When the attendant finished stitching the cloth tightly, she needed to cut the remaining thread. To avoid using scissors in the darkness—fearing she might accidentally cut the king—she chose to burn the thread with a candle. The brandy‑soaked linen ignited, causing the monarch to be engulfed in flames.
This fiery end cemented Charles’s reputation as a ruler whose demise matched his notorious reputation.