Rumours of the death of King Louis IX by plague are greatly exaggerated, according to a new study by a forensic specialist.

The French crusader King may have died from scurvy, he says, or at least complications arising from the dietary disease.

It's claimed that Louis, better known as Saint Louis, died because he committed the cardinal error of many a colonial invader - not eating the local food.

Experts examined a fragment of the King's jawbone, held in Paris' Notre Dame cathedral, to make the discovery.

<b>It shows signs of damage to the gums and jaw consistent with the ravaging effects of scurvy. </b>

Louis' crusade to Tunisia - a land rich with citrus fruits and vegetables packed with vitamin C that would have helped stave off the condition - was his last attempt to recover the Holy Land for Christianity. 

Rumours of the death of King Louis IX by plague are greatly exaggerated, according to a new study by a forensic specialist. The French crusader King (pictured)