The ridiculous death of the King of Sweden, who was killed by a bun

Swedish King Adolf Fredrik came to the throne in 1751 thanks to the Russian Empress Elizabeth, but never became an outstanding ruler, reformer or commander. The untalented monarch was nevertheless loved by the people, was reputed to be an exemplary family man and a man of good temper. Although he liked making snuffboxes better than running a country. He also loved to eat delicious food. It was this "infatuation" that killed him.

Before the beginning of Lent, the Swedes, like many other nations, celebrate "fat Tuesday", an analogue of our Maslenitsa. On this day, it is customary not only to have fun until you drop, but also to eat to the brim, because traditionally it was believed that a plentiful meal would make the coming year successful and fruitful.

"The Bean King" by Flemish artist Jacob Jordaens

Of course, such a wonderful holiday could not pass by our gluttonous Adolf Fredrik, who on February 12, 1771, together with all the Swedes, celebrated "fat Tuesday". At that time, the monarch was 60 years old, and many years of bad habits had already done their dirty work.

In Sweden, the indispensable attribute of "fat Tuesday" from time immemorial were semla buns. This is a rich pastry with cardamom, stuffed with a fat cream of butter and cream with almonds and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Every year on Fat Tuesday, Swedes eat about 50 million semla buns. And this is despite the fact that each such bun is a calorie bomb.

Swedish semla buns-a symbol of " fat Tuesday»

On that day, the Swedish king had a big dinner: first he tasted lobster and caviar, then they brought him zucchini soup, smoked herring and sauerkraut. The monarch traditionally finished his hearty meal with semla buns, which at that time were usually placed in a deep plate and filled with milk. 14 buns were served on the table, and the emperor ate them one by one, washed down with warm champagne. After dinner, he felt slightly unwell, and then he had a stroke and died of indigestion.

Adolf Fredrik's Grave

Nevertheless, the death of the 60-year-old monarch caused universal regret in Swedish society: despite the indecision of the king and the lack of special achievements, the subjects loved this protege of Russia on the Swedish throne.