Celebrity status does not always guarantee adoration; in some cases, it can lead to embarrassing demises that are seen as poetic justice in action.
William the Conqueror, the initial Norman King of England, held his reign from 1066 until his passing.
However, it was not his death that sparked infamy, but rather the events that transpired immediately after.
At the tender age of eight, William assumed his father’s roles following his demise.
By 1035, he ascended to the position of Duke of Normandy, triggering unrest among dissatisfied citizens.
In response, William resorted to drastic measures, including burning down communities, destroying crops, and slaughtering livestock, plunging many into destitution.
This ruthless conduct earned him the moniker “William the Bastard.”
As a ruler, William indulged in lavish French cuisine without regard for the famine plaguing his subjects.
His excessive eating habits led to a significant weight gain, ultimately contributing to his downfall.
In 1087, tragedy struck when William suffered an injury while riding a horse that abruptly reared up, causing the saddle to puncture his intestines due to his enlarged frame.
Despite six weeks of medical efforts to save him, the surgery proved futile due to his obesity, resulting in William succumbing to his wounds.
Following his demise, customary funeral arrangements were made by close associates, but William’s unpopularity lingered even in death.
Subsequently, William’s partially unclothed body lay abandoned in a medical facility in Rouen, France until a passing knight named Herluin intervened.
Despite advanced decomposition, Herluin embalmed the remains and embarked on a 70-mile journey by boat to Caen for burial at the designated church.
During the voyage, the rampant bacterial growth within William’s intestines caused rapid decay, releasing putrid gases throughout his body.
Upon arrival in Caen, a city fire further delayed the funeral proceedings.
Weeks post his demise, as the mourners attempted to inter William’s body, they encountered a gruesome predicament – the body had swelled from the residual heat and prolonged delay.
Struggling to fit the bloated remains into the grave, the gravediggers inadvertently triggered a macabre scene as William’s bowels burst open.
According to chronicler Orderic Vitalis, the ruptured bowels emitted a repugnant odor, overwhelming onlookers and attendees alike.
Amidst the stench of decomposing flesh and scattered entrails, the funeral concluded hastily.
While the grotesque aftermath provided closure, serving as a form of karmic retribution for his mistreated subjects, William’s inglorious demise became a cautionary tale of excess and arrogance in power.
