The history of poisoning is inextricably linked with ideas about luxurious palaces and royal dynasties. For many centuries, rulers came into agony at the mere thought of poison, their clothes and dishes were checked by hundreds of servants, and all rituals, even the most intimate ones, were disrupted by the presence of numerous confidants protecting the ruling family from merciless and completely invisible reprisal weapons. Ironically, kings and queens, so careful to guard against poisons, poisoned themselves daily and unconsciously - lead and mercury-based cosmetics, arsenic skin cream, lead sawdust-based drinks and mercury enemas were completely common companions of royalty. In her book, Eleanor Herman combines years of unique research in medical archives and cutting-edge forensic science to tell the true story of Europe's glittering and luxurious palaces: unsanitary conditions, lethal cosmetics, poisonous drugs and ubiquitous excrement.