Inventor

• Jstor.org states that the pocket handkerchief is thought to be invented by King Richard the II of England. The first documented use is in his household rolls, where they were quoted as "little pieces for the lord King to wipe and clean his nose."
  
  

Rumors

• According to Fashionencyclopedia.com, King Louis XVI of France ruled that handkerchiefs must be square after his wife Marie Antoinette became frustrated with the wide variety of shapes.
  
  

Fashion

• Over time the material of the handkerchief began to change. Materials such as silk or expensive linens were used by the upper class, turning the nose wiper into a fashion statement.
  
  

Surrender

• Throughout history, the use of white handkerchiefs as flags became a popular way to surrender. They were waved high in the air to show intentions of truce.
  
  

Paper

• The Kleenex company first created the paper tissue as make-up removers. However, once people began blowing their nose in them, they changed their marketing scheme.