Francois Vatel (1631 – 1671) was a famous chef who put on an extravagant banquet for 2,000 people in honor of King Louis XIV. When mishaps occurred, including the late delivery of the seafood, he killed himself by running himself through with his sword.
Louis XIV
King Louis XIV (1638 –1715) was at the height of his reign when, in 1685, his butt started to hurt. A lot. His royal physicians tried all kinds of treatments, endeavoring to shrink the swelling, but finally, after months of suffering on everyone’s part, they called for a surgeon. This was a big deal. Surgeons at [...]
Diego Velazquez, Philip XIV of Spain 1656 I was starting to wonder why so many of the people in royal portraits from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries resembled Jay Leno, and I learned that the medical term for their condition is called mandibular prognathism, where the lower jaw juts out. The condition became known as [...]
You may be familiar with the ongoing court case involving the shoe designer, Christian Louboutin, who claims that the designer Yves Saint Laurent stole his signature design by making and selling red-soled shoes. Louboutin believes he ought to be granted trademark protection for making shoes with a red heel. This is a heated battle and is [...]
King Louis XIV was only about 5’4” tall. Not coincidentally, men’s fashions featured high heels and high wigs during his reign.