10 Unusual Deaths of Royal Figures

While many English and Scottish royals succumbed to illness, warfare, or childbirth, their extensive history includes some truly strange occurrences. Here are 10 British royals whose deaths, as recorded by chroniclers—who may have embellished the facts—stand out as particularly bizarre.

1. Fatally Bitten by a Corpse // Sigurd Eysteinsson, Earl of Orkney (c875–892)

Sigurd Eysteinsson’s life was filled with Viking exploits, piracy, and betrayal. However, his legacy is often tied to one of history’s most peculiar deaths.

Sigurd, the Viking ruler of the Orkney Islands, was known as Sigurd the Mighty due to his daring conquests. In classic Viking style, he sought to dominate northern Scotland, then home to the Picts. This led to a clash with Máel Brigte the Bucktoothed, the Earl of Moray. Given that nicknames often highlighted distinctive traits, Máel Brigte’s teeth were undoubtedly remarkable.

Sigurd initially agreed to a battle with 40 men on each side but betrayed the pact by bringing 80 warriors. Predictably, Máel Brigte and his forces were overwhelmed, and their heads were severed and fastened to the Vikings’ saddles. However, Máel Brigte’s revenge came posthumously: as his decapitated head jostled against Sigurd’s leg, his prominent teeth caused a wound. The resulting infection proved fatal, and Sigurd died before reaching Orkney.

2. Assassinated While Relieving Himself // Edmund II of England (c993–1016)

This story serves as a warning for both the faint-hearted and those who value historical accuracy.

Following his father’s passing in April 1016, Edmund was crowned King of England by a handful of Witan council members in London. Meanwhile, the rest of the council, based in Southampton, chose the Danish invader, Cnut, as their ruler. The two rivals spent the next six months battling for control of England until Edmund’s loss at the Battle of Assaddun in October 1016 dashed his hopes. He was forced to accept the title of King of Wessex, while Cnut claimed the remainder of the kingdom.

Edmund’s life ended abruptly in November 1016. The chronicler Henry of Huntingdon recounted a particularly lurid and shocking account of his death. Instead of succumbing to battle wounds, Huntingdon claimed Edmund was murdered by an assassin who concealed himself in the latrine and “stabbed the king twice in his lower abdomen, leaving the blade embedded in his body before escaping.” Although Cnut gained from Edmund’s demise, both Huntingdon and William of Malmsbury accused Eadric Streona, an Englishman, of hiring the killer. When Eadric was later executed for the crime, he was said to have “exhaled his vile soul into hell.”

Since Huntingdon wrote this account over a century after Edmund’s death, it’s likely he exaggerated the details. Nevertheless, it makes for a far more gripping tale.

3. Killed by an Arrow During a Deer Hunt // William II of England (c1056–1100)

William II, the third son of William I (the Conqueror), ascended to the English throne in 1087 after his father’s death, while his elder brother Robert inherited the more prestigious Dukedom of Normandy. Their brother Richard had met his end during a hunt in the New Forest around 1075—a fate that would also befall William a quarter-century later.

During a hunting expedition in August 1100, Sir Walter Tirel, aiming for a stag, accidentally struck William in the chest. Tirel immediately abandoned the scene, leaving the king’s body behind, and fled to France. He insisted the incident was a tragic mistake.

However, evidence suggests this was an assassination orchestrated by William’s younger brother, Henry I. Henry, who was also present during the hunt, swiftly rode to Winchester, seized the royal treasury, and had himself crowned king.

In the chaos following the shooting, William’s body was neglected. It lay in the forest for two days until a local peasant discovered it and transported it to Winchester Cathedral. William was buried beneath the tower, which collapsed a year later.

4. Overindulgence in Fish // Henry I of England (c1068–1135)

By 1106, Henry I had imprisoned his older brother Robert and claimed Normandy for himself—likely after arranging the death of William II.

Henry was regarded as a wise and forward-thinking monarch, but his stubbornness ultimately led to his demise in December 1135. Despite falling ill previously from consuming lampreys (a peculiar, eel-like fish with a suction-cup mouth), Henry disregarded his physician’s advice and indulged in an excessive amount of the fish after a successful hunting trip in Normandy. According to his chronicler, Henry of Huntingdon, the king developed food poisoning, endured “a severe fever while trying to expel the overwhelming burden,” and passed away a week later.

There is also speculation that the fish may have been poisoned. Over his 35-year reign, Henry had made numerous enemies, including the Norman barons he was battling at the time of his death and his daughter, The Empress Matilda, who was still resentful over his refusal to grant her Normandy’s castles to secure her position as his heir. The hunting excursion was a brief escape from ongoing conflicts, and it would have been easy to eliminate him with his favorite dish.

5. Plunged Off a Cliff // King Alexander III of Scotland (1241–1286)

Alexander ascended to the throne at just 7 years old and wed his first wife, Margaret of England, at the age of 10 in 1251. Their three children, born before Margaret’s death in 1275, had all passed away by 1284, leaving Alexander’s 1-year-old Norwegian granddaughter as his heir. Eager for a male successor, Alexander married Yolande of Dreux in 1285.

The next year, while the queen was at Kinghorne Castle in Fife, Alexander hurried from Edinburgh to join her for her birthday, traveling overnight. While it was typical for the king to take such risks, this time his refusal to heed his advisors’ warnings proved disastrous. He lost his way, and his body was discovered the following day at the foot of a cliff, his neck broken. It’s believed his horse tripped in the darkness, sending him over the edge to his death.

Though no foul play was indicated in the chronicles, Alexander’s death triggered a succession crisis in Scotland, which England’s Edward I skillfully exploited.

6. Perished from Starvation // Richard II of England (1367–1400)

While many British monarchs are remembered for their overindulgence, it’s rare to find one who met his end through starvation.

Richard II is a figure of divided opinions. Some view him as a forward-thinking ruler who valued art and avoided war, while others, particularly his contemporaries, regarded him as a despot who seized their inheritances. In 1399, he targeted his cousin, Henry Bolingbroke, who returned from exile to reclaim his inheritance and ultimately seized Richard’s throne.

Initially, the newly crowned Henry IV showed mercy, planning to let Richard live out his days as a prisoner in Pontefract Castle, Yorkshire. However, a conspiracy by Richard’s supporters changed everything. To avoid the dishonor of executing an anointed king, Henry IV allegedly allowed Richard to starve to death. Another theory suggests Richard may have committed suicide through self-starvation. Regardless, he was dead by February 1400.

7. Killed by His Own Cannon // James II of Scotland (1430–1460)

Unlike his father, who cherished literature, James II was passionate about warfare, hunting, and artillery—a passion that ultimately led to his demise.

Amid the turmoil of the Wars of the Roses, James focused his efforts in 1460 on reclaiming Roxburgh Castle, still under English control. Preparing for a prolonged siege, he assembled a formidable army equipped with artillery, including his prized cannon, The Lion. Eager to display its power to the Earl of Huntly, James stood beside it, only for it to explode unexpectedly. According to the chronicler Robert Lindsay, a misfired fragment shattered his thigh, knocking him to the ground and causing his swift death.

8. Submerged in Wine // George, Duke of Clarence (1449–1478)

George, the unruly younger brother of Edward IV, was notorious for his indecision during the Wars of the Roses. Initially backing his brother’s claim to the throne, he later conspired with Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick to overthrow him. When the plot failed, he switched sides again, though his loyalty remained unreliable.

By 1476, Edward had reached his limit, and George was convicted of treason. While his execution was conducted privately, legend holds that George met his end by drowning in a barrel of costly malmsey wine. Though no concrete proof exists, bones thought to be George’s lacked signs of decapitation (though some dispute their identity), and a portrait of his daughter depicts her wearing a bracelet adorned with a vat charm (though its authenticity is debated). Some speculate George chose this unusual method himself, possibly to avoid the notorious inefficiency of medieval executioners.

9. Euthanized by His Physician // George V (1865–1936)

In 1986, historian Francis Watson revealed a long-held secret from the diary of George V’s doctor, Lord Bertrand Dawson, which he had kept hidden for 36 years.

George, the grandson of Queen Victoria, was instrumental in the royal family adopting the Windsor name in 1917. His health had been declining since a 1915 fall, exacerbated by his heavy smoking and chronic bronchitis. By January 1936, it was clear he was nearing the end, and his physician was called. Rather than allowing nature to take its course, Dawson decided the king should die before midnight to ensure the news appeared in The Times’ morning edition rather than the “less reputable evening papers.” Without consulting the royal family or the king, he administered a fatal dose of morphine and cocaine.

Even more troubling, Dawson may have repeated his actions two years later. George’s sister, Queen Maud of Norway, fell suddenly ill during a visit to England. She survived an abdominal surgery performed by Dawson but later died of heart failure. Notably, Lord Dawson informed her Norwegian doctors that her death was a merciful release, sparing her from the “final agonizing stages of her illness [cancer].”

10. Fatal Plane Crash // Prince William of Gloucester (1941–1972)

William, the grandson of George V and a first cousin to the current queen, once held the fourth position in the line of succession to the British throne. It’s speculated that the Prince of Wales chose the name for his eldest son, William Duke of Cambridge, in his honor.

William battled porphyria (the same condition thought to have afflicted George III), yet he excelled in sports and led a daring lifestyle. He piloted multiple aircraft, skied, raced sports cars, went ballooning, and even traversed the Sahara Desert despite the skin issues caused by his illness. His most perilous passion, however, was aircraft racing. In August 1972, during the Goodyear International Air Trophy, his plane veered left shortly after takeoff, struck a tree, and crashed, killing him and his co-pilot instantly.