How dirty were kings and queens?

It seems that most royals found an excuse to justify not washing, but only a handful of royalties came out of the closet, admitting that they have only washed a couple of times in their entire life. One example is Queen Isabella of Castile

Queen Isabella of Castile

Isabella was born in Madrigal de las Altas Torres, Ávila, to John II of Castile and his second wife, Isabella of Portugal, on 22 April 1451. At the time of Isabella's birth, she was second in line to the throne after her older half-brother Henry IV of Castile. Henry was 26 at that time and married, but childless.

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Isabella I of Castile - Wikipedia

(1451- 1504), who admitted to only having bathed twice in her lifetime.

Did kings and queens bathe?

While staying fresh and maintaining a basic hygiene is a necessity in today's age and time, did you know that kings and queen were forbidden to take a bath in those days? Yes, it's true. Clean water was hard to get but even those, who had access to it, rarely bathed.

How often did Royalty bathe in the 1700s?

Louis XIV of France, for example, is said to have taken only two baths in his adult lifetime — both times recommended by his doctors. The king had headaches, and his doctors thought bathing would help cure the condition. It did not, and he never bathed again.

Which King did not bathe?

Marie-Antoinette bathed once a month. The 17th century British King James I was said to never bathe, causing the rooms he frequented to be filled with lice. It was the Sun King himself, Louis XIV, whose choice to no longer travel from court to court would lead to a particularly putrid living situation.

Do Royals bathe themselves?

It's believed that the royals prefer to avoid taking showers, due to their belief that they're for members of the working class. In other royal news, Kate Middleton wore a pair of £2 earrings and debuted brand new hair on her first day back at work since turning 40.

LGBTQ Kings

What do Royals call toilets?

"Toilet"

If you're looking for a restroom in Buckingham Palace, ask for the loo or the lavatory. And when you find the loo, here's the etiquette you should follow.

Does the Queen ever cook for herself?

Does the Queen ever cook for herself? McGrady says that while Prince Philip was an “amazing chef” and regularly enjoyed cooking on the grill and having family BBQs on the Balmoral estate, and the younger royals like William, Kate, Meghan and Harry, all enjoy cooking, the Queen herself stays out of the kitchen.

Did Versailles stink?

Built on swampland, Versailles was described by a visitor in 1764 as an odiferous cesspool of dead cats, urine, excrement, slaughtered pigs, standing water, and mosquitoes. Inside the palace, things smelled different. Many royals in Louis XIV's day eschewed hot water baths, believing them bad for the health.

Where did they poop in Versailles?

Anthony Spaworth's Versailles: A Biography of a Palace informs us, “In the eighteenth century there were public latrines placed in the corridors and stairwells of the palace [of Versailles], the Grand Commons, and the other annexes: these latrines consisted of a room with a wooden seat, or lunette, closed by a cover in ...

Did the French watch the king poop?

At the grand couvert, the king dined with his family - and nobles literally sat on stools to watch them. Visitors to Versailles often viewed the ceremony, as well.

When did humans start showering daily?

Caption Options. The phenomenon of washing one's entire body daily in the West is something that comes from access to indoor plumbing in a modernized world. According to an article from JStor, it wasn't until the early 20th century when Americans began to take daily baths due to concerns about germs.

Why did the English not bathe?

Rather than bathing, early American colonists believed that other practices, like regularly changing their undergarments, qualified as good hygiene. Rather than bathing, early American colonists believed that other practices, like regularly changing their undergarments, qualified as good hygiene.

Where did kings and queens go to the bathroom?

Some kings kept their close stool in “more private” rooms than others, but even private rooms would allow a handful of people, with the Groom of the Stool always among them.

Did the Tudors smell?

Tudor England was not a place where everyone smelled as sweetly as most people who shower daily today, but its people generally managed not to stink. Of course, the past did smell differently. Even so, being clean and sweet-smelling did matter to many Tudors.

How often did Queen Elizabeth wash?

Queen Elizabeth I, too, reportedly bathed once a month, “whether she needed it or no”. Her successor, James VI and I, bore a great aversion to water and reportedly never bathed.

How often did Kings bathe?

It is said that the king was scared of water for some reason and the only times he did bathe was when he was wasted drunk, that would be the moment his servants would force him to bathe.

Did people urinate in Versailles?

No, people weren't just defecating & urinating in the halls of Versailles. Some of the ways people at Versailles could take care of business: closestools, bourdaloues (designed for women who needed to pee!); chamber pots; and a design for an 18th century latrine. There were also a few flushing toilets.

Where did Marie Antoinette use the bathroom?

Marie Antoinette was one of the few at the French court who insisted on frequent baths which is exactly what these rooms were used for. These rooms are located on the ground floor in the Queen's small apartments.

Did Marie Antoinette consummate her marriage?

It took seven years for the future king and queen to consummate their marriage.

What was hygiene like in the 1500s?

Soap was sometimes used and hair was washed using an alkaline solution such as the one obtained from mixing lime and salt. Teeth were cleaned using twigs (especially hazel) and small pieces of wool cloth.

Did King Louis only bathe twice?

King Louis XIV is said to have only bathed twice in lifetime. He found bathing a disturbing act, as did Queen Isabel I of Spain who also confessed to having only two baths; on the day of her birth and the day of her marriage.

Do the Royals eat fast food?

The Duke of Cambridge once revealed his favourite takeaway is curry, which was likely influenced by his wife Kate Middleton's love of spicy food. We did some digging and found that several other members of the royal family occasionally enjoy fast food too - from traditional fish and chips to Nando's.

Has the Queen ever had pizza?

Every aspect of the British Royal Family's life draws fascination, including their diet. Former royal chef Darren McGrady revealed in 2020 that Queen Elizabeth II has never eaten pizza, at least during his 15-year tenure with the family.

What time does Queen go to bed?

Reportedly, the Queen goes to sleep at 11pm every night before waking up at 7.30am - clocking in an impressive eight and a half hours sleep. It's also said the monarch is fond of reading before she retires for the night, a proven way to improve sleep quality and reduce stress.