King Henry VIII of England, long known for his many wives and culinary gluttony, died at age 56, probably from scurvy, a condition of dietary deficiency. It was fashionable in his time for wealthy people to eat mostly meat, and very few vegetables, because ‘vegetables were for peasants.’
Here are 10 Weird Facts About King Henry VIII
He had a dedicated court official called the “Groom of the Stool.”
This high-ranking noble was responsible for assisting the King with his bodily functions, monitoring his digestive health, and wiping him. Because of their intimate proximity to the monarch, the Groom of the Stool was one of the King’s most powerful and trusted advisors.
He composed popular music and played multiple instruments.
Far from just a tyrant, Henry VIII was an accomplished musician and composer. He played the lute, organ, and harp, held a massive personal collection of instruments, and wrote several pieces of music—including the famous courtly song “Pastime with Good Company”.
His waistline expanded by over 20 inches.
In his youth, Henry was an athletic, broad-shouldered jousting champion with a 32-inch waist. However, after severe injuries curtailed his activity while his massive calorie intake remained unchanged, his waist grew to roughly 54 inches late in life, and his armor had to be continually enlarged.
He required a mechanical winch to hoist him into saddle and bed.
In his final years, suffering from painful, festering leg ulcers, gout, and extreme obesity, the King could no longer walk upstairs or mount a horse on his own. His attendants used block-and-tackle pulley systems and specialized wooden chairs to lift and transport him around his palaces.
He taxed men for growing beards.
In 1535, Henry VIII introduced a tax on facial hair, with the rate varying depending on the beard grower’s social status. Ironically, Henry grew out his own full, iconic beard around the same time and wore it until his death.
He owned one of history’s largest weapons collections, including a “Walking Staff.”
Henry was obsessed with weaponry and armor. He used to roam the streets of London incognito at night carrying a giant spike-headed mace known as “Henry VIII’s Walking Stick,” which featured three hidden gun barrels inside the spiked ball.
He spent the equivalent of millions of dollars on a single party.
At the “Field of the Cloth of Gold” meeting with King Francis I of France in 1520, Henry built a temporary, two-story palace made of wood and canvas decorated to look like stone. The event featured fountains that flowed continuously with red wine and cost an estimated $19 million in modern currency.
He banned commoners from reading the Bible.
Although Henry broke away from the Catholic Church to establish the Church of England and authorized the creation of the English Great Bible, he later passed the 1543 Act for the Advancement of True Religion. This law prohibited women, laborers, apprentices, and lower-class citizens from reading the Bible, restricting access solely to noble men.
He was a severe hypochondriac.
Henry lived in constant terror of sickness, particularly the “Sweating Sickness” and the plague. Whenever an outbreak occurred in London, he would immediately flee to the country, change locations constantly, and lock himself away with only his physicians.
His body allegedly ruptured inside his coffin.
According to contemporary accounts, Henry was so bloated at the time of his death in 1547 that his heavy wooden and lead coffin strained under internal pressure while resting overnight at Syon Monastery during the funeral procession. The coffin reportedly leaked or burst, fulfilling a prophecy made by a Franciscan friar years earlier that “dogs would lick his blood.”
