Oscar Wilde's final words were a witty insult directed at his hotel's wallpaper.

Oscar Wilde died on November 30, 1900, at the age of 46 in the Hotel d'Alsace in Paris. His health had declined rapidly following his two-year imprisonment for 'gross indecency' in England. During his final weeks, he lived in poverty and suffered from cerebral meningitis, likely a complication of an ear infection.The famous quote regarding the wallpaper was recorded by his close friend and literary executor, Robert Ross. Wilde reportedly said, 'My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. One or the other of us has to go.' This occurred a few weeks before his actual passing, though it is often cited as his final witty remark.Historians and biographers, such as Richard Ellmann, have documented Wilde's final days in detail. Despite his physical pain and financial ruin, Wilde maintained the persona of a dandy and an aesthete. His humor remained a defense mechanism against the grim reality of his surroundings in the cheap hotel room.The Hotel d'Alsace has since been transformed into a luxury establishment known simply as 'L'Hotel.' The room where Wilde died, Room 16, was eventually renovated to honor his legacy. While his actual last words were likely a prayer or incoherent due to his condition, the wallpaper quip remains his most famous final contribution to literature.