# Royal deaths: Can anyone explain this Monty Python joke? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** comedian-jokes\ **Created:** [September 25, 2022, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-deaths-can-anyone-explain-this-monty-python-joke/972193 "2022-09-25T08:15:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2022, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-deaths-can-anyone-explain-this-monty-python-joke/972193/1 "2022-09-25T08:15:50Z")
In _Whither Canada?_, the very first episode of Flying Circus, there is a sketch about a TV show (presented by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) showing famous deaths from history. It also includes Eric Idle playing a cheesy TV host named Eddie who presents a scoreboard with the scores that a jury has awarded to a number of famous deaths. You can see a still of it on [this fanpage](https://montypython.fandom.com/wiki/Eddie). Most of the historical figures on this scoreboard are, indeed, popularly known for the manner in which they died, and G(enghis) Khan’s passing had just been shown in the sketch a few seconds before. But what is noticeable is that at the very bottom of the ranking, trailing the other names by a big margin, there is King Edward VII. What’s the joke here? Did Edward VII die in a particularly embarassing and ignoble way? I read the Wikipedia article, and the only unusual thing I see there about his death is that the body was not moved from the bed for several days. I’m not sure that explains the joke the Pythons seem to be making here. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2022, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-deaths-can-anyone-explain-this-monty-python-joke/972193/2 "2022-09-25T09:56:40Z")
Edward **VIII** **abdicated** to marry an American divorcee (the establishment of the time wouldn’t accept her.) Perhaps that’s what the Pythons meant? ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2022, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-deaths-can-anyone-explain-this-monty-python-joke/972193/3 "2022-09-25T10:20:29Z")
I doubt it. AFAIK, the only remarkable thing about Edward VII’s death (for a man who’d lived, eaten, smoked and all the rest as he had, dying at nearly 70 was hardly surprising)- was that Queen Alexandra accepted his last mistress, Mrs Keppel, to the point that she was with him at the end. I think the joke is that it was so unremarkable. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2022, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-deaths-can-anyone-explain-this-monty-python-joke/972193/4 "2022-09-25T10:29:09Z")
> [@Schnitte](#): > > What’s the joke here? Did Edward VII die in a particularly embarassing and ignoble way? I think the joke is that he _didn’t_ - he just died in bed after an illness. So like PatrickLondon said, it was the most unremarkable one. ---
**Author:** ![Casparlatete](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/casparlatete/32/3377_2.png) [@Casparlatete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casparlatete)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2022, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-deaths-can-anyone-explain-this-monty-python-joke/972193/5 "2022-09-25T11:46:20Z")
A pervasive rumour holds that, after being told he could recuperate in the seaside town of Bognor Regis, the King George V’s last words were “Bugger Bognor." ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2022, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-deaths-can-anyone-explain-this-monty-python-joke/972193/6 "2022-09-25T17:03:55Z")
Edward VII was a notorious whoremonger who spent long hours in Parisian brothels enjoying himself in a chair he had specially constructed to accomodate his impressive girth. I wouldn’t be surprised if he succumbed to complications from tertiary syphilis. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2022, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-deaths-can-anyone-explain-this-monty-python-joke/972193/7 "2022-09-25T17:32:50Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > I think the joke is that it was so unremarkable. Exactly. He’s at the bottom of the scoreboard. He’s the Eddie the Eagle of interesting deaths. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-deaths-can-anyone-explain-this-monty-python-joke/972193/8 "2022-09-26T04:19:09Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Edward VII was a notorious whoremonger who spent long hours in Parisian brothels enjoying himself in a chair he had specially constructed to accomodate his impressive girth. I wouldn’t be surprised if he succumbed to complications from tertiary syphilis. I went to check out pics and there is a [blogger](https://www.thewhoresofyore.com/katersquos-blog/dirtybertie-the-love-chair-of-edward-vii) with some potential variations of position, and after looking at it, i think its\_just\_jennie’s idea is probably the best concept [female 1 on top, Dirty Bertie ‘in the driver’s seat’ standing, and a second female on the bottom padding providing tittillation to whatever ‘falls’ into her grasp from underneath. I don’t think it really looks particularly comfortable for either female, but then of course the King [well, prince at the time] wouldn’t really care if the women were comfy. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-deaths-can-anyone-explain-this-monty-python-joke/972193/9 "2022-09-26T14:07:37Z")
Could it have something to do with potatoes? Isn’t there a type of potato called King Edward? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-deaths-can-anyone-explain-this-monty-python-joke/972193/10 "2022-09-26T22:08:58Z")
Uhhh … I think you mean “Prince Edward,” since they come from Prince Edward Island (PEI, Canada’s smallest province). ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2022, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-deaths-can-anyone-explain-this-monty-python-joke/972193/11 "2022-09-27T00:12:43Z")
Try [this](https://www.google.com/search?q=king+edward+potatoes&oq=king+edward+potatoes&aqs=chrome..69i57.7466j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8) on for size. Still doesn’t explain the Python joke, though. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2022, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-deaths-can-anyone-explain-this-monty-python-joke/972193/12 "2022-09-27T00:17:38Z")
Well, hit me on the side of the head and call me stupid! 😳 As my pappy used to say, you learn something new every day! ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2022, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-deaths-can-anyone-explain-this-monty-python-joke/972193/13 "2022-09-27T00:22:33Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > hit me on the side of the head and call me stupid! 😳 Why, I’d never! I know of King Edward potatoes though our friend Benny Hill. He was doing a cooking show and held up two taters saying they were King Edwards. Drunken sidekick says they’re more like King Kong’s. Laffs aplenty. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2022, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-deaths-can-anyone-explain-this-monty-python-joke/972193/14 "2022-09-27T00:27:26Z")
_“Mr President, when was the last time you had an election?”_ _“Oh, jus’ befo’ bleakfast, I think.”_ ---
**Author:** ![Eclipse\_Chaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Eclipse\_Chaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eclipse_Chaser)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2022, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-deaths-can-anyone-explain-this-monty-python-joke/972193/15 "2022-09-27T08:11:54Z")
Can’t recall the sketch, but I assume King Richard II (not III) was in there somewhere.