The Only Interesting Thing About the Swedish King Adolf Frederick’s Life Is the Way He Died

When thinking of royal feasts of yore, we usually have a mental image of a long table stocked with grilled meat, exotic fruit, and basically the best dishes each century had to offer. We rarely think that such a feast could end the monarch’s life. Still, that’s exactly what happened to Adolf Frederick, King of Sweden. And we’re not talking about poisoning. We are talking about binge-eating that went out of control. You see, Adolf Fredrick didn’t have the PR and modern-world recognition other European royals had — simply because his life wasn’t much to write home about. The way he died was ironically the most interesting thing about him.

Thanks for the throne, auntie!

Interestingly enough, Frederick’s parents had nothing to do with him taking the Swedish throne. Instead, it was Empress Elizabeth of Russia, his favorite aunt, who gifted him a country. It was right after she won the Russo-Swedish War, and a large chunk of Finland was placed under Swedish rule. The Swedish King Frederick I had died, and Elizabeth insisted her nephew takes the new role. Other than enjoying the wealth and other kingly perks, Adolf Frederick didn’t have much ruling to do as the parliament practically had more power than he did. He could just as well have been replaced with a fancy cardboard cutout.

Eating to death

The king was a fan of the religious practice of Fettisdag (or Fat Tuesday, as some might know it). This practice takes place the day before Lent and essentially means people (well, people who can afford it, at least) eat and party like crazy because it’s their last chance to do it before their 40-day abstinence of such pleasures.

On February 12, 1771, Adolf Frederick celebrated his very last Fettisdag, and boy, what a celebration was that! The banquet included fish, lobsters, caviar, sauerkraut, and more, but it was the dessert that ended his life. After gorging on all those main dishes and downing them with champagne, it was time for something sweet — semla (or hetvägg, pictured above) was brought to the table, and the king had no less than 14 servings of this creamy, fatty, carby delicacy. Sadly, all this eating damaged his digestive system and ultimately ended his life. But honestly, we can think of worse ways to go.