10 Doctor Who Characters You Didn't Realise Probably Died Horrible Deaths
1. Madame de Pompadour
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The original girl who waited is one of the most memorable side characters in the Tenth Doctor’s era, and her tragic death at the end of The Girl in the Fireplace has helped it become one of the most highly-regarded episodes of modern Who.
In that final scene, the Doctor returns to Versailles to invite Madame de Pompadour to join him in the TARDIS, only to discover that she has died of an illness while waiting for him.
Her letter paints a tragic but somewhat romantic picture of Reinette slowly succumbing to some vaguely defined illness, but assuming that the Whoniverse follows the character's real-world history, the truth is far worse.
Madame de Pompadour actually died of tuberculosis. Also known simply as "consumption", TB is a horrible disease that tends to attack the lungs, and is one of the most lethal and painful in history.
While Reinette’s letter makes it clear that she is sick, it's still a somewhat optimistic image and the episode never goes into great detail. As a result, those unfamiliar with the character's real history probably didn't think twice about the awful manner in which she actually went out.