Reevaluation of Louis XIV’s Death
Recent scientific investigations into the mummified heart of Louis XIV suggest that the Sun King may have succumbed to a chronic fungal infection instead of gangrene, which was the original diagnosis over 300 years ago.
Upon his death in 1715 at Versailles, court physicians attributed his passing to gangrene following days of escalating pain in his left leg. However, this was initially considered to be sciatica or merely a minor infection. Louis XIV passed away just shy of his 77th birthday. The Duke of Saint-Simon, a notable chronicler of the court, remarked on the king’s resolute demeanor as he faced his demise.
New tissue analysis indicates that the illness might have started as chromoblastomycosis, a slowly progressing fungal skin disease, potentially evolving into deadly sepsis.
According to the research, Jean d’Orléans and Louis-Alphonse de Bourbon, descendants of different branches of the former French royal family, permitted pathologist Philippe Charlier to look into the king’s death. Charlier is recognized for applying modern forensic techniques to historical subjects.
A sample of Louis XIV’s heart, preserved in the Basilica of Saint-Denis for many years, underwent high-resolution imaging and chemical evaluation. Researchers found fungal structures instead of bacterial ones, challenging the previous gangrene theory.
“When we analyzed the blood residue around the heart, we identified a fungus rather than bacteria,” Charlier stated.
He added, “This could have led to sepsis or septicemia, which might have been fatal for the king.” The fungal disease was apparently unknown to medical practitioners of the 18th century, and while it is treatable today, it can be complex to manage.
“Understanding the exact medical cause of his death adds to our insight into the king’s final moments and raises questions about whether he suffered or passed away peacefully,” Louis-Alphonse de Bourbon remarked. Various accounts from the time indicate that Louis XIV did, indeed, experience significant physical pain in the weeks leading to his death.
