Long have died the kings, and not always in such graceful ways befitting their regality. Take Richard III, a king of England (and inspiration for Shakespeare), who died in a battle, and who was then buried, then lost, and then found recently beneath a parking lot. But Richard isn't the only royal or ruler who came to a pecular—if not just plain funny—end. Here's a list of his fellow ill-fated brethren:

Qin Shi Huangdi

Emperor of China

Eating too many mercury pills, which his alchemists and physicians conjured up to make him immortal.

Adolf Fredrik

King of Sweden

After eating fourteen semlas—traditional Nordic desserts made of a sweet bun and filled with almond paste and whipped cream. Swedish kids known him as the king who ate himself to death.

Charles II

King of Navarre and count of Évreux

Wrapped in linen soaked in brandy because of his sickliness. His physician then fumbled her candle.

George Plantagenet

Duke of Clarence, earl of Salisbury, and earl of Warwick

Per his request, drowning in over a hundred gallons of wine.

Draco

Legislator of Athens

Buried beneath all the hats, shirts, and cloaks that Athenians threw on him in appreciation.

Alexander I

King of Greece

A monkey bite suffered when fighting a domesticated macaque (owned by his palace's wine steward) off his German Shepherd.

George Herbert

Earl of Carnarvon

An infected mosquito bite because of King Tut's Curse (he financed the opening of Tutankhaman's tomb).

Herod

King of Judea

Ailments that included "gangrene of the genitalia."

Galerius

Emperor of Rome

Ailments that included gangrene at least near the genitalia. And some maggots there, too.

Attila

Ruler of Hunnic Empire

A bad nosebleed caused him to choke in the midst of celebrating his recent marriage.

Louis III

King of France

Falling off his horse while chasing after a lover.

Félix François Faure

President of France

Having sex with a woman almost half his age.

Martin II

King of Sicily; king of Aragon, Valencia, Sardinia and Corsica; count of Barcelona

Laughter. And indigestion.

George II

King of Great Britain and Ireland

After he drank a cup of hot chocolate, during a trip to his toilet chair.

Caracalla

Emperor of Rome

Assassinated by his guard while relieving himself on the side of the road.

Frederick Louis

Prince of Wales

Hit in the head with a cricket ball.

Pyrrhos

King of Epirus and Macedon

While trying to invade a town, an elderly woman hit him with a tile from a rooftop.

Frederick Barbarossa

Emperor of Rome

Drowned by his armor while trying to bathe in a river.

Bela I

King of Hungary

The collapse of his own wooden throne.

Hat tips: Neatorama, Cracked, Wikipedia, io9, Socyberty, 3 News