The hidden history of royal palaces

When we think of the royal dynasties in European history, we think of kings and queens with absolute power ruling over vast empires, living in unchecked luxury. Many of the palaces they built are still some of the most impressive architectural wonders in existence. From the French Palace of Versailles to London’s Kensington Palace, tourists walk the halls and marvel at the beauty and grandeur of these royal homes.

However, these restored palaces leave out a few key details. When they were first built and actually hosted royal courts, they were worse than pigsties! Visitors of the Louvre Palace today are spared the harsh realities of centuries gone by: ungodly smells, rat infestations, and piles of human feces littering the floor.

Do we have your attention? Click through the following gallery to find out what it was really like to live in a royal palace of the past.

Plumbing

As you can probably imagine, the lack of plumbing was the most pressing issue in the royal palaces of old. There was no running water or flush toilets. Instead, chamber pots were scattered around and periodically emptied by the servants. The human waste was then stored in enormous underground chambers, which would eventually have to be emptied.

Liberal bathroom policies

Unfortunately, many of the courtiers couldn’t even be bothered to find a chamber pot. They would sometimes just drop their britches wherever they had a modicum of privacy, such as a hallway, a staircase, or a fireplace, and do their business right there on the floor!

Henry VIII (1491-1547)

King Henry VIII had a much larger court than most, which resulted in much more mess, but he was also more concerned with cleanliness than other European royals of the period. Unfortunately, he was fighting an uphill battle.

The royal court

Henry VIII and his court consisted of almost a thousand people. That’s a lot of unwashed bodies to hang around in one palace at the same time! Particularly considering the lack of running water and plumbing.

Palace hopping

Henry VIII’s primary home was Hampton Court Palace in London, but he and his extensive entourage would move frequently between his 60 lavish properties around the country. These “royal tours” were said to inspire loyalty in his people, but their real function was to escape the filth they had created and give the palace staff time to clean up!

Unbearable smells

Historical sources say that a stench would start to grow within a few days of the court's arrival at a new palace. This was due to food being discarded on the floor, animal waste, poor bodily hygiene of the residents, and the growing amounts of human waste that were stored in underground chambers.

Henry the Health Inspector

Henry VIII reportedly gave the following instructions to his kitchen staff, suggesting that their hygiene was somewhat lacking: they were no longer allowed to work naked or in unspeakably filthy garments as they had done before. They were also to stop sleeping in the kitchen...

A very expensive napkin

In addition to defecating on the floor, visitors at the court apparently used the valuable tapestries hanging from the walls to wipe their dirty hands. Henry had to issue a warning that anyone who did so “might be hurted” for their crime.

Charles II (1630-1685)

British royals have long been known for their fondness for animals. King Charles II was famous for his beloved spaniels, later known as Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. He would have numerous flea-ridden dogs sleeping in his bedroom every night.

Olfactory distractions

True cleanliness was out of reach for any royal palace, so the next best option was to mask the stench. Palaces would be filled with scented plants and flowers. Courtiers would douse themselves in perfumes and hold scented sachets to their noses as they moved about.

Rags and riches

She recorded some of the strange things she observed upon her arrival in Russia. “It’s not rare to see coming from an immense courtyard full of mire and filth that belongs to a hovel of rotten wood, a lady covered in jewels and superbly dressed, in a magnificent carriage, pulled by six old nags, and with badly combed valets.” The juxtaposition of luxury and squalor was shocking to the future queen.

Marie Antoinette (1755-1793)

The French royal court had as much of an issue with cleanliness as anywhere else. Women would hike up their skirts to pee wherever they were standing, and the contents of chamber pots were thrown out of windows without a second thought. In fact, Marie Antoinette herself was once hit by human waste that was thrown from a window while she was walking in the courtyard.

Louis XIV (1638-1715)

A couple of generations earlier, King Louis XIV put in place a rule that the halls of Versailles be cleansed of feces and dirt once a week. That seems like quite a low bar to set, but it was evidently considered over-the-top at the time.

Health and hygiene

In Western Europe, the most up-to-date medical advice at the time was to bathe as little as possible. After the many devastating plagues of the Middle Ages, it was believed that cleaning the skin left the pores open to toxins and disease. As such, it was recommended to wash as little as possible.

Royal habits

King Henry VIII was one of few royals who preferred to wash frequently despite medical advice. Marie Antoinette is said to have bathed once a month, while Louis XIV is rumored only to have bathed twice in his life.