Bizzare Story of King Henry I, The King Who Died from Eating Too Many Eels

The Bizarre True Story of Henry I – We’ve all been there. It’s late. You’re staring into the fridge at that last piece of decadent chocolate cake or the cold, leftover pizza you know you shouldn’t eat. We all have that one guilty pleasure, that food we know is bad for us but we eat anyway.

Usually, the worst-case scenario is a mild stomach ache or a bit of next-day regret.

But what if your guilty pleasure didn’t just cost you your comfort, but cost you your life—and then plunged an entire kingdom into two decades of bloody civil war?

Meet King Henry I of England. And meet his ultimate, fatal guilty pleasure: a plate of lampreys.

The story is one of history’s most bizarre and famous deaths. On December 1, 1135, the powerful King of England died, according to the chronicler Henry of Huntingdon, from “eating a surfeit of lampreys” against his doctor’s explicit advice.

So, what really happened? Was it literally a case of royal gluttony? What on earth is a lamprey, and why was a king obsessed with them?

Let’s dive into the bizarre, true story of the king, his favorite (and fatal) meal, and the medieval madness it unleashed.

Who Was King Henry I? (The Man Behind the Appetite)

Before we get to the grim menu, let’s make one thing clear: Henry I was not just some trivia-answer “eel guy.” He was one of the most formidable and effective rulers of the medieval age.

More Than Just “Eel Guy”

He was the son of William the Conqueror. Yes, that William the Conqueror, the one from the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Henry was the youngest son, and he wasn’t expected to rule.
He had to fight for his crown. He seized the throne after his older brother, William Rufus, was killed in a “hunting accident” (a very suspicious one, at that).
He was called “Beauclerc.” This nickname means “Good Scholar.” Unlike many warriors and nobles of his time, Henry was literate and highly educated.
He was a ruthless, effective ruler. For 35 years, he ruled England and Normandy with an iron fist. He centralized government, reformed the treasury, and brought a level of stability and order the kingdom desperately needed.

In short, Henry was a serious, intelligent, and powerful man who had built a stable empire through sheer force of will. But, like many powerful people, he had a blind spot. And his was slimy, jawless, and swimming.

A Man of… Particular Tastes

The 12th-century royal court was not subtle. Feasting was a political tool—a way to display power, wealth, and generosity. A king’s table was expected to be overflowing with the most exotic, expensive, and extravagant foods.

And in this world of extravagance, King Henry I had a favorite. He loved lampreys.

This wasn’t just a casual preference; it was a well-documented passion. He ate them whenever he could get them, and his love for the dish was known throughout his kingdom.

Which brings us to the obvious question..

The “Killer Dish”: What on Earth is a Lamprey?

For our foodie and culinary historian friends, this is where things get… interesting. If you’re picturing a simple, tasty eel, think again.

It’s Not Exactly an Eel…

A lamprey looks like an eel, but it’s a much, much stranger creature.

It’s a prehistoric, jawless fish. They’ve been around for over 360 million years, predating dinosaurs.
It’s a parasite. A lamprey’s most famous feature is its mouth. It doesn’t have a jaw. Instead, it has a circular, suction-cup disc filled with rows of sharp, horned teeth.
It’s a “vampire of the deep.” It latches onto other fish (like salmon or trout), rasps a hole in their side with its tongue, and sucks their blood and bodily fluids.

Let’s be honest: it is the stuff of nightmares. And in medieval England, it was the height of luxury.

Why Would Anyone Eat This?

So, why would a king (or anyone) look at this terrifying sea-vampire and think, “Yes, that’s dinner”?

They Were a Status Symbol: Lampreys were difficult to catch and considered a rare delicacy. Serving them at your table was a power move. It was the medieval equivalent of serving mounds of caviar or white truffles.
They Were a Lenten “Cheat Meal”: During Lent and on Fridays, medieval Catholic doctrine forbade eating meat. “Fish,” however, was allowed. The lamprey, while technically a fish, is incredibly rich, oily, and meaty—so much so that it felt like eating meat. It was the perfect, indulgent loophole for a king who didn’t want to give up his luxuries.

How to Cook a Lamprey (12th-Century Style)

You didn’t just fry a lamprey in butter. This was a dish fit for a king, and it was prepared with all the heavy-handed flair of a medieval feast.

The most famous preparation was the Lamprey Pie. The city of Gloucester was so famous for its lamprey pies that, for centuries, it was required to send one to the reigning monarch every Christmas.

Often, the lampreys were stewed in a thick, spiced wine sauce. And to make it extra rich? The sauce was often thickened with the lamprey’s own blood. This was a heavy, intense, and overwhelmingly rich dish.

It was, in every sense of the word, a meal to die for.

The Fatal Feast: The Death of a King

Now, let’s set the scene for the main event. It’s late November 1135. King Henry I is in Normandy, at his castle in Saint-Denis-le-Ferment.

“Doctor’s Orders: Don’t Eat the Eels!”

At 67, Henry was an old man by 12th-century standards. He had been on a long, grueling hunting trip and was, by all accounts, feeling unwell.

His personal physician knew his patient’s weakness. He gave the king one simple, direct order: You are sick. Lampreys are famously heavy, oily, and “disagreeable” to the system. Do not eat them.

Henry, being the king and feeling he knew better, essentially told his doctor where to go.

The “Surfeit of Lampreys”

Tired, ill, and defiant, Henry sat down for a meal. And he didn’t just have a small, polite portion.

The chronicler Henry of Huntingdon, our primary source for this event, tells us the king “ate a surfeit of lampreys.”

A “surfeit” isn’t just “a lot.” It’s an excessive, gluttonous, over-indulgent amount. He gorged himself on his favorite, forbidden dish.

A King’s Undignified End

The consequences were not subtle, and they were not fast.

Almost immediately, the king was “seized with a violent illness.” This was not a quick heart attack. The chronicles describe a week of agony. He developed a high fever, chills, and what was described as a “corruption” of his body—a tell-tale sign of a severe, systemic infection.

It was, almost certainly, a brutal case of food poisoning. After a week of suffering, King Henry I died on December 1, 1135.

The Autopsy: Was it Really the Eels?

But was it the lampreys? Or was it just his time? For the history buffs and skeptics, let’s look at the evidence.

Case for the Prosecution: The Lamprey Theory

Theory 1: Bacterial Food Poisoning. This is the most likely modern diagnosis. Lampreys are bottom-feeders. In a world without refrigeration, any (or all) of the fish could have been tainted. A “surfeit” of them would deliver a massive, overwhelming dose of bacteria like Listeria or Salmonella. His 67-year-old, already-ill body never stood a chance.
Theory 2: System Overload. Lampreys are insanely rich and fatty. Eating a huge amount of such indigestible food could have, on its own, triggered a fatal medical event in an older man—perhaps acute pancreatitis, a perforated intestine, or a stroke.

Case for the Defense: Alternative Theories

Theory 3: The Moralizing Scapegoat. Let’s remember who wrote history back then: monks and chroniclers. These writers loved a good moral lesson, and the sin of gluttony was a favorite topic. What better story than “The all-powerful king was struck down by his own base appetites”? It’s entirely possible Henry was already dying of a fever or other disease, and the lamprey story was just the colorful, moralistic detail that got attached to it.

The Verdict: What Do Modern Historians Think?

Most historians land on a combination of all factors. The king was old and sick. But the “surfeit of lampreys” was almost certainly the catalyst.

Whether it was a bacterial bomb or a gut-busting overload, that one last, defiant meal was the event that pushed his weakened body over the edge. The lampreys may not have been the sole cause, but they were the indisputable trigger.

The Aftermath: A Kingdom Without a King (or Eels)

Here is the “so what?” of the story. This isn’t just a funny anecdote. Henry’s death-by-lamprey was a political catastrophe that changed the course of English history.

The Succession Crisis

Henry’s only legitimate son, William Adelin, had died years earlier in the tragic White Ship disaster.

This left Henry with only one legitimate heir: his daughter, Matilda.

Henry had spent the last years of his life forcing all his barons and nobles to swear a sacred oath to support Matilda as the next Queen of England.

Enter “The Anarchy”

The moment the news of Henry’s death (and its slimy cause) reached England, those sacred oaths were completely forgotten. The medieval lords, who were appalled by the idea of a woman ruling them, saw their chance.

Henry’s nephew, Stephen of Blois, raced to England, seized the royal treasury, and had himself crowned king.

Matilda, quite reasonably, was furious. She gathered her own armies and invaded.

The result? A brutal, 19-year-long civil war known as “The Anarchy.” The period was a nightmare of famine, lawlessness, and “castles against castles” as the country tore itself apart.

All because one man couldn’t say no to a plate of fish.

A Meal to Die For: The Eely Legacy of Henry I

King Henry I’s story is a powerful, if bizarre, reminder of how a seemingly small, personal decision can have massive historical consequences.

His legacy is forever tied to this one, gluttonous meal. He was a brilliant scholar, a ruthless warrior, and a master politician… but he will always be, first and foremost, the king who died from eating too many eels.

The lamprey, too, was immortalized. It’s still a delicacy in parts of Europe (though it’s now endangered in the UK), and the traditional Gloucester lamprey pie is still symbolically presented to the monarch… though, one imagines, with significantly more caution.

So, the next time you’re tempted to ignore good advice for that one “to-die-for” meal, just remember King Henry I. Sometimes, it’s just not worth it.

What’s the weirdest historical death you’ve ever heard of? Or, more importantly, are you brave enough to try a lamprey? Let us know in the comments below!