The King Who Ate Himself to Death on Dessert

Added: 2026-05-17

[00:00:00]A Swedish king ate himself to death on dessert. Stockholm Palace, Shrove Tuesday, 1771. The feast hits the table.

[00:00:09]Lobster, caviar, sauerkraut, smoked herring, champagne. He clears every plate, then asks for his favorite, semla, sweet buns drowned in hot milk.

[00:00:21]He finishes the bowl, orders another, another, another. 14 bowls in one sitting. That night, his stomach gives out, dead before morning. The royal court records the official cause, the dessert. He lost royal power to parliament. Nobody teaches that. Swedish kids learn one thing, the king who ate himself to death.