We all know Henry the VIII as a man of many wives, but he was also a very diverse and interesting person. While many movies portray him as a temperamental, chicken leg eating giant who takes pride in killing his wives, there’s more to this story than meets the eye. Our good ol’ Henry was quite the man in his day, a celebrity of sorts, and here are ten things you didn’t know about Henry the VIII to prove it.
#1 He Knew His Servants
Imagine you’re a servant in the Tudor palace and you have to serve your meals to the big man himself. Do you think he’d brush you off as just another face in the crowd? Not Henry. Henry VIII knew every single one of his servants by name, which must have made them both star-struck and terrified! If something was out of place, henry VIII would certainly have known who to blame. On the up side, if something was done to his pleasure, I’m sure the King knew exactly who to praise as well.
#2 He Was Terrified of the Plague
Not that the Black Death wasn’t horrendous and terrifying to us all, but one of the ten things you didn’t know about Henry VIII is that he was so afraid of catching the plague, he actually went into a sort of vacation hibernation.
While the rest of the world was trying to avoid it with onions and herbs, Henry went on retreat as far away from the plague as he could. I can’t say that I blame him, really.
#3 He Collected… Stuff
If old England had a version of the television show Hoarders, then our King Henry would have made the cut! This man had a collection of everything. He loved tapestries, and is known to have had one of the largest collections of tapestries ever. He also loved his thousands of handguns, and his many houses (who doesn’t like a good palace, right?). Henry had a huge collection of places to live.
#4 He Was Broke
If you think you’re in debt, imagine being royally in debt. Henry VIII started out with a huge treasury as King of England, however, some bad financial decisions cost him more than he anticipated. Henry didn’t die a wealthy royal, instead he left the treasury in dire straits.
#5 He Was Happily Married…to an Older Woman
We all know Henry had six wives, but one of the ten things you didn’t know about Henry VIII was that he was very happily married to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Catherine had first been wed to Henry’s older brother, but after the older brother’s death, Henry’s father betrothed Catherine to him in order to form a Spanish alliance.
While Henry had to jump through some very serious hoops through the Roman Catholic Church (a church he later had a falling out with), and almost called off the wedding, in the end Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon were married. She was seven years older than he, and they were married for almost twenty years. However, being King he felt it was his responsibility to produce a male heir and Catherine didn’t give him one, so he annulled their marriage and moved on to the next wife.
#6 No Need for a Doctor
Henry VIII was many things, including self-sufficient. He suffered a number of maladies, from a severely injured leg to possible type II diabetes. Although he did have his court doctors, Henry VIII was also very adept at creating his own medicine and taking care of himself. It was once thought that he had Syphilis, but that’s been disputed.
#7 He Was a Talented Musician
Did you know Henry VIII wasn’t just a temperamental man who went into debt and killed off his wives, he was also a musician? As a matter of fact, the song Greensleeves is often accredited to him (although it wasn’t his song). However, if you’re a Jethro Tull fan, then you’ve heard the works of Henry VIII. Pastime with Good Company was written by King Henry VIII and is still being played today. Henry also owned numerous flutes and recorders (more stuff to add to his collection).
#8 He Was an Award Winning Author
Okay, now I know that you’re thinking “Of course he won an award, who would be stupid enough to deny the King an award?”, but the truth is, Henry was actually a very talented writer. He was a well-educated man who spoke numerous languages as well.
#9 He Was a Very Large Man
Henry VIII is often portrayed as a very large man in movies. That’s not just to show him as “King”, it’s actually true. By the end of his life, he had to have mechanical help moving around and he had a waistline of over four feet. He was also six foot two. I can’t imagine anyone saying no to Henry VIII.
#10 He Was a Lady’s Man… and a Good King
Even with his intimidating size, one of the things you didn’t know about Henry VIII is that he was very, very charismatic. Women swooned over him (and not just for his wallet). Henry VIII was persuasive and certainly a lady’s man. He had six wives (all willing) and a few mistresses throughout his life. He was also very loved by the people when he first came to the throne.
The years of losing many children to miscarriage, as well as the treacherous ways of his courtesans and sometimes his wives, took their toll on the man. While it’s true he had a nasty temper (Henry VIII once sentenced a cook to death by being boiled in how own pot for poisoning a couple of the King’s guests), Henry was ultimately a man who wore a heavy crown.
So tell me, do you think any differently of this King now?
Cover photo: www.dailypost.co.uk
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