Assassination of Henry IV of Bourbon in a painting
Henry IV of Bourbon , called the Great (1553-1610), was the first king of France of the Bourbon dynasty.
There was much talk of him in 2008, when following the investigation of two journalists, a mummified skull was found which was believed to be that of the sovereign.
After careful cross-examinations, most scholars favor a certain attribution to Henry IV, but there are also conflicting voices.
In short, the question is still open and debated.
And because it's also very interesting, I'll be back to cover it in specific posts. soon
In this one, however, I just want to relate a nice anecdote about the character (my site, after all, mainly tells about curiosities, whether they are small or large).
In fact, I read that the king did not like to wash at all.
So far, nothing strange given the low propensity to care for personal hygiene at the French court even in later monarchs ( see also :https://www.pilloledistoria.it/1576/storia-moderna/primo-bagno-luigi-xiv), only that Enrico added, as they say, the "load of ninety".
In fact, the august gentleman loved garlic and he ate it often, only afterwards he didn't rinse his mouth or hands.
The result?
That someone wrote about him that he smelled like carrion.
An unflattering judgment for anyone, let alone a king! ( Photo from: wikipedia.org)