Overview
- The analysis, led by paleopathologist Philippe Charlier, reinterprets the 1715 court diagnosis that recorded gangrene as the cause of death.
- Jean d’Orléans and Louis‑Alphonse de Bourbon authorized access to the relic, granting permission as heads of rival Bourbon branches.
- The examined fragment, housed with other royal remains at the Basilica of Saint‑Denis, underwent modern imaging and microbiological testing.
- The team reports evidence of a chronic fungal skin infection that could have advanced to septicemia, offering a new medical pathway to the king’s demise.
- Charlier’s prior high‑profile work, including a disputed identification of Henri IV’s head, indicates the new findings are likely to draw expert scrutiny.