The King Who Ate Himself to Death 🍤🥮 #shorts #history

The Bizarre Death of Adolf Frederick of Sweden

Welcome, history buffs and food enthusiasts alike, to a tale that proves truth can indeed be stranger—and more delicious—than fiction. Today, we're diving fork-first into the extraordinary story of Adolf Frederick, the Swedish king who quite literally ate himself to death. Prepare yourselves for a historical banquet of facts, sprinkled with a generous helping of humor, as we explore one of the most unusual royal departures in European history.

Our story begins in 18th century Sweden, a time of powdered wigs, elaborate courtly manners, and apparently, extreme culinary indulgence. Adolf Frederick ascended to the throne in 1751, ruling during a period known as the "Age of Liberty." But don't let the name fool you—for the king, it was anything but liberating.

You see, Adolf Frederick was what we might today call a "figurehead monarch." The real power lay with the Riksdag, the Swedish parliament. Our poor king was left with little to do but attend ceremonies, look regal, and apparently, eat to his heart's content. And oh boy, did he excel at that last part!

But before we dive into his fateful last meal, let's get to know our culinary protagonist a bit better. Adolf Frederick wasn't exactly a remarkable king. In fact, his reign was about as exciting as watching paint dry on the palace walls. He was known for being a bit of a pushover, more interested in his hobbies—which included making snuff boxes—than in the intricacies of governance.

However, what he lacked in political acumen, he more than made up for in appetite. Adolf Frederick was a man who appreciated the finer things in life, particularly when those things were served on a silver platter.

Now, let's set the scene for our king's last supper. It's February 12, 1771, and it's not just any ordinary day—it's Shrove Tuesday, also known as Fat Tuesday. This is traditionally the day before Lent begins, a last hurrah of indulgence before a period of fasting. And indulge, King Adolf Frederick did!

The king's feast began with a spread fit for, well, a king. He started with lobster, because why not begin with something luxurious? Then came caviar, the food of tsars and oligarchs. But Adolf Frederick was just warming up.

Next on the menu was sauerkraut. Now, you might be thinking, "Sauerkraut? That doesn't sound very indulgent." But remember, this is 18th century Sweden—fermented cabbage was probably considered a delicacy. Besides, he needed some fiber to balance out all that richness, right?

Then came the kippers—smoked herring that was a popular dish in Sweden. At this point, most of us would be loosening our belts and calling it a night. But not our Adolf Frederick. Oh no, he was just getting started.

To wash it all down, the king imbibed copious amounts of champagne. Because nothing aids digestion quite like bubbles, or so he probably thought.

But the pièce de résistance, the dish that would seal the king's fate, was yet to come. Enter the semla—a traditional Swedish sweet roll filled with almond paste and whipped cream, usually served in a bowl of hot milk. This delightful pastry was typically enjoyed on Shrove Tuesday as a last indulgence before Lent.

Now, a reasonable person might have one, maybe two semla. Our dear king? He decided to go for a record-breaking fourteen servings. Yes, you heard that right—fourteen cream-filled buns swimming in hot milk. It's like he was trying to win a one-man eating contest where the prize was... well, you'll see.

Despite the best efforts of his doctors (which, in 18th century terms, probably meant a lot of bloodletting and other questionable practices), King Adolf Frederick succumbed to the effects of his gargantuan meal. He died that very night, leaving behind a legacy that had less to do with his reign and more to do with his last supper.

And thus, on February 12, 1771, Sweden lost a king to the deadliest of sins: gluttony. Adolf Frederick quite literally ate himself to death, in what must be one of the most bizarre ends for a European monarch.

The king's death led to some significant changes in Sweden. His son, Gustav III, succeeded him and went on to increase royal power, ending the "Age of Liberty" and ushering in a new era of Swedish politics. So, in a roundabout way, Adolf Frederick's overindulgence changed the course of Swedish history.

#AdolfFrederickOfSweden #RoyalOverindulgence #weirdhistoryfacts #lastsupper #SwedishHistory #CulinaryDisasters #historicalhumor #fattuesday #SemlaObsession #MonarchMishaps #eatingcontest #RoyalGluttony #HistoryBloopers #UnusualDeaths #SwedishCuisine #historicalanecdotes #RoyaltyFails #18thCenturyEurope #cautionarytales

[Random_UserName]

This reminds me of Sancho I. He got so fat the people around him were just like “uhhh yeah dude, you’re literally too fat to rule… we’re kicking you out and you can’t fight back because you’re too fat”

But the. He lost the weight and came back!

[robertsundwall]

I'm swedish, i never heard about doing an Adolf Fredrik... But i like a semla 😋