William the Conqueror’s Explosive Burial

In September 1087, William the Conqueror died in France, and officials delayed his funeral for several days while they prepared his body and burial place. By the time the officials finally tried to lay William the Conqueror in his stone tomb, his corpse had swollen from decay and no longer fit the space prepared for him. Attendants attempted to force the body into the coffin during the crowded ceremony. The pressure caused his abdomen to burst, releasing a horrific stench and shocking those gathered in the church.

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