24. Diane de Poitiers poisoned herself slowly to keep her younger lover, the King of France.
Fifteenth-century French noblewoman, Diane de Poitiers was a celebrated beauty before she became the lover of Henri II, King of France. Diana was 15-20 years older than Henri. She was in attendance at his birth and even acted as one of the King’s tutors. Perhaps this was why, once Henri’s mistress, Diane worked so hard to hold her lover’s attention — possibly poisoning herself in the process. Diane reputedly drank a gold elixir to keep her youth that was so successful that when she died aged 66, Diane’s beauty was still intact. However, scientists have found that the potion was what probably killed her as her remains show signs of gold poisoning.
