the Swedish king who was killed by a bun

Adolf Fredrik, the Swedish monarch who ascended to the throne in 1751 courtesy to the Russian Empress Elizabeth, was never a great ruler, reformer, or commander. Despite this, the people adored the untalented monarch, who was known as a perfect family man and a man of good character. Even though he preferred making snuffboxes more than ruling the country. He was also a foodie. This “hobby” was the cause of his tragedy.

Fat Tuesday is celebrated by the Swedes, like many other countries, before the start of Lent. It is typical to not only have a good time until you drop, but also to eat a lot of food on this day, as it was once thought that eating a lot of food would ensure a successful and profitable year ahead.

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Adolf Fredrik, of course, could not miss out on such a great event, which he celebrated with the rest of the Swedes on February 12, 1771. The monarch was 60 years old at the time, and many years of unhealthy habits had done their dirty work.

Semla buns have been a staple of Fat Tuesday in Sweden since the beginning of time. This is a creamy cardamom pastry loaded with a rich butter and cream filling with almonds and dusted with powdered sugar. Swedes consume over 50 million semla rolls every year on Fat Tuesday. Despite the fact that one of these buns is a calorie bomb.

The Swedish king ate a lot that day, starting with lobster with caviar and then moving on to zucchini soup, smoked herring, and sauerkraut. The monarch would traditionally finish his heavy dinner with semla buns, which were traditionally served in a deep platter with milk. The sovereign was served 14 buns on the table, which he ate one by one while drinking warm champagne. He felt a minor discomfort after dinner, then had a stroke and died of indigestion.

“This death befitted not a ruler, but a village priest,” Count Oxenstierna, a member of the Swedish cabinet, wrote in his diary. Adolf Fredrik will be known as “the king who ate himself to death” for the rest of his life. Adolf Fredrik’s Tomb Despite the king’s indecisiveness and lack of notable achievements, the 60-year-old monarch’s death was met with universal grief in Swedish society.