Such a number of people at the same time, even in a large palace, without adequate sanitary facilities, often resulted in an unpleasant smell in the living rooms.

The palace was built on the site of former wetlands, and the lack of sanitary facilities and proper ventilation made the place a breeding ground for bacteria. The luxurious palace interiors were stuffy, saturated with stench, and damp.

The pressing problem was the insufficient number of bathrooms that could be used not only by guests but also by servants. The king and queen had their brass bathtubs, but other palace users only wiped themselves with cloths soaked in water and vinegar.