What comes to mind when you hear the words “royal palace”? Perhaps lush gardens, golden columns, luxurious garments, or sunlit spacious rooms. While today’s royal residences might meet such expectations, life in medieval European palaces was a far cry from this image. Back then, palace staircases, courtyards, and gardens were often overflowing with filth, waste, and human excrement.
A Disgusting History Behind Royal Grandeur
Foul Odors Forced Henry VIII to Constantly Move
Despite being a stubborn monarch who split the Church of England from Catholicism, King Henry VIII was powerless against the horrific stench in his own palace.
In 1535, Henry spent an entire year moving between more than 60 palaces, aristocratic homes, and religious institutions, seeking a cleaner environment to reside in.
While these travels helped him politically—allowing him to forge alliances and check the loyalty of his subjects—one of his primary motives was to escape the unbearable odors.
Palaces like Hampton Court had to be regularly vacated to give workers time to remove heaps of accumulated waste. England at the time lacked an effective sewage system, and after lavish feasts, leftover food rotted, spreading a putrid smell throughout the halls.
Add to that the human waste stored in underground chambers, animal droppings, and swarms of insects hovering over decomposing matter, and it’s no wonder these palaces reeked. Ironically, royal residences were often filthier than common homes, simply due to the high number of visitors and the impossibility of cleaning such vast spaces daily.
Unwashed Clothes, Flea-Ridden Dogs, and Lice
If you’ve ever admired portraits of Louis XIV’s family in their ornate attire at a Paris museum, be thankful the paintings don’t convey smell—those outfits were never washed.
Charles II of England allowed his flea-infested dogs to sleep on his bed and roam the palace freely, spreading foul odors. During Queen Catherine’s reign, lice infested the palace furniture.
Why was hygiene so bad? There were no practical systems for waste disposal, and cleanliness wasn’t a priority. As Eleanor Herman, author of The Royal Art of Poison, wrote:
“Feces and urine were everywhere.”
She added that members of the court often didn’t bother to look for chamber pots—instead, they used staircases, hallways, and even fireplaces.
Even in luxurious places like the Louvre, nobles urinated and defecated behind doors and along staircases.
The King’s Battle Against Palace Filth
According to historian Alison Weir, author of Henry VIII: The King and His Court, the king fought a losing battle against filth in his palaces.
He slept surrounded by furs to ward off fleas and insects. Visitors were warned:
“Do not touch or wipe your hands on any of the king’s fabrics—or face punishment.”
To stop courtiers from urinating on the garden walls, Henry had large red X marks painted in commonly used spots.
Palace cooks often worked naked or in filthy clothes, prompting Henry to ban such behavior and order clean uniforms.
Though Henry had a relatively advanced personal toilet system, his servants urinated in tubs—and disturbingly, that urine was reused for cleaning.
Kings Who Rarely—or Never—Bathe
Henry VIII was known to bathe frequently and change his underclothes daily, but that was rare for royals.
It’s said that Louis XIV bathed only twice in his lifetime—just like Queen Isabella of Castile.
Marie Antoinette bathed once a month, which by royal standards was exceptional.
King James I of Britain allegedly never bathed, which led to his frequent quarters being infested with lice.
Versailles: The Palace of Filth
In 1682, Louis XIV permanently moved his court to the lavish Palace of Versailles.
With nearly 100,000 royals, aristocrats, officials, soldiers, and workers crammed into Versailles and nearby residences, it quickly turned into a public health disaster.
Despite Versailles’ grand reputation, it ranked among the filthiest places in Paris in terms of hygiene. Women often lifted their skirts to urinate on the spot, while men relieved themselves on balcony railings—even in the royal chapel.
Historian Tony Spawforth, author of Versailles: A Biography of a Palace, recounts a shocking incident:
“A servant once tossed human waste out of a window—and it landed on Marie Antoinette’s head as she walked through the inner courtyard.”
The unhygienic lifestyle of Europe’s royal courts led to countless deaths across noble families. While their palaces spark awe today, the reality behind those golden halls was often far more revolting than regal.
