How trying to stay young can kill you

by | Dec 18, 2009 | Baroque Explorations | 4 comments

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This isn’t a 17th century discovery, but “Dying to look good” is an interesting article on the recent discovery of gold in the bones of Henry II’s mistress, Diane de Poitiers. Liquid gold was believed to preserve youth, but it likely killed her.

It makes me wonder what Louis XIV’s mistresses resorted to. Certainly Athénaïs, the Marquise de Montespan, took witchy remedies of various kinds. 

It also makes me wonder what effect they might have had on her many children by the King.

4 Comments

  1. Sandra Gulland
    Sandra Gulland on January 11, 2010 at 12:48 am

    Thank you, Ursula!

    Reply
  2. Ursula Grey
    Ursula Grey on January 10, 2010 at 10:33 pm

    Very interesting article! I've always been fascinated by her story. Glad she will be returned to her original resting place. BTW, currently enjoying, Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe. Thank you!

    Reply
  3. Sandra Gulland
    Sandra Gulland on December 23, 2009 at 8:24 pm

    Wow — so clearly, for her, it wasn't deadly!

    Reply
  4. Anonymous
    Anonymous on December 23, 2009 at 10:09 am

    I've never heard of gold poisoning before. My late mother, who developed arthritis when she was quite young, told me that she had had gold injections for it, I think in the 1930s. She lived to be 94!

    Reply

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