Chateau Gaillard Fell Through Toilet

During the 1203-1204 siege of Chateau Gaillard, a French soldier climbed through an unguarded toilet chute leading into the castle chapel. King John of England had specifically requested that a toilet be installed for personal use during church services. Following the French soldier, other soldiers followed, opened the central bailey to a larger force, and drove the defenders into the final fortification, which surrendered on March 6, 1204. The castle's fall removed the main obstacle protecting the Seine Valley, allowing French king Philip II to conquer Normandy. The resulting humiliation and the cost of John's failed attempts to recover his territories contributed to the baronial revolt that produced Magna Carta.

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