Museum of Hot Chocolate

King Charles II died in 1685 and one of his mistresses, the Duchess of Portsmouth, maintained that he had been served a dish of poisoned chocolate at her house by one of her footmen. In reality, he probably died of kidney disease with similar symptoms to poisoning

Simon Fraser 11th Lord Lovat is said to have been served chocolate as a final request before his execution for treason in 1747, and was the last man to be beheaded in Britain

King George II died in 1760. He was served and drank hot chocolate as usual, but suffered a fatal aortic aneurism soon after. It is not thought that these two facts are related.

It is said that Pope Clement XIV was murdered by poisoned chocolate made by Jesuit priests.

On a more positive note, as Queen Victoria neared the end of her long and illustrious life Schweitzer’s Royal Cocoa was reportedly served to her at 7.30 every morning and two hours later again at the breakfast table.

In 1794 twelve-year-old William Wiley stole half a pound of cocoa from William Phelps’ shop, and received a seven year transportation to Australia sentence.

There was a story, probably pure propaganda, but widely reported at the time that Napoleon had been the subject of an assassination attempt by a former mistress who had fallen on hard times. She is said to have gained work in a monastery kitchen and was called upon to prepare a chocolate drink for the Emperor. A cook witnessed her lacing this with poison and alerted Napoleon. She was supposedly made to drink the chocolate and died as a result