Great thread, Principessa
There is the story about Ludwig II of Bavaria. Ludwig was very eccentric, but generally well-regarded and even revered by many Bavarians - then and today.
In his eccentricity he spent most or all of the royal revenues, not state funds, on art projects, castle renovations, furnishings, and he extensively borrowed money from the kingdom. All attempts by his ministers to restrain him were in vain. This was used against him to declare him insane, an accusation which has since been refuted. He was kept in seclusion in the castle Berg, away from politics and ruling.
As the story goes Ludwig went on a walk around a lake with his attendant one evening, and never came back to the castle. Both, he and his attendant, were found dead. Ludwig attendant's body showed blows to the head and neck and signs of strangulation. Ludwig had no signs of struggle.
His death was officially ruled a suicide by drowning, although the official autopsy report stated that no water was found in his lungs. And it was well known that Ludwig was a very strong swimmer in his youth. The water in which he was found was approximately waist-deep and he had never expressed suicidal feelings during the crisis.
.....the rumor is, that he was killed by one of his opponents.....in a plot to replace him as a ruler.
