Up next in 10
Henry VIII is perhaps best known for being a terrible husband, but marrying six times wasn't the only thing about him that was extreme. A closer look at small facts about King Henry VIII's reign reveals the larger-than-life English king to be an even more intense, over-the-top monarch than previously imagined.
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
Henry VIII was one of the more interesting and idiosyncratic monarchs to preside over the United
0:05
Kingdom. His reign brought both bright spots and bloody twists of fate. And although he's been a
0:11
popular subject both in historical discussion and in pop culture, there are still some unbelievable
0:16
things you might not know about his time as king. So today we're watching the throne for some wild
0:23
details about Henry VIII's reign. Time to turn that crown upside down
0:30
Henry VIII is perhaps best known for being a terrible husband. There's a catchy pop musical all about it
0:38
But marrying six times wasn't the only extreme thing about him. A closer look at his reign reveals the larger-than-life English king
0:45
to be an even more intense, over-the-top monarch than most people remember
0:50
Henry VIII succeeded his father, the aptly named Henry VII, to the throne in 1509
0:55
when he was only 17 years old. Throughout his multi-decade reign, which lasted until 1547, Henry VIII upended the religious
1:03
landscape of England and expanded the monarchy. He also indulged himself in everything, his ego, his pleasures, his temper, his tastes
1:12
and his romantic beliefs. These extremes could be found in virtually every aspect of his life, from the political
1:19
to the personal. To quote Mel Brooks, it's good to be the king
1:28
Here's something about Henry VIII. Food was important to him. Maybe the most important thing, actually
1:34
And while pretty much everyone knows that Henry was a large fellow who liked to indulge
1:39
himself, the extent of his appetite is still surprising. Eating was a large feature of his court life
1:45
Feasts and banquets featured a variety of dishes, from savory delicacies to sweet treats
1:51
For holidays and celebrations, Henry spent lavishly. In 1509, Henry marked his first Christmas as king by spending 7,000 pounds on a holiday feast that included swan and peacock
2:03
Sorry, Ebenezer Scrooge. The biggest goose in all of London just isn't as impressive
2:08
Henry VIII likely consumed around 5,000 calories on days that he wasn't fasting for religious purposes
2:14
which is roughly the same amount that Dwayne the Rock Johnson has to eat in order to remain Dwayne the Rock Johnson
2:20
Though he consumed a lot, Hank probably burned a lot of calories, too
2:24
since he was very athletic in his youth. Later in life, a series of injuries and health issues
2:29
prevented Henry from being as active as he once was and his weight climbed to around 400 pounds England warred with France at the beginning of Henry reign as it had on and off for centuries
2:45
In 1510, Henry VIII's advisors decided to extend an olive branch to the French king
2:50
Louis XII, in the form of a letter to cool hostilities. However, they neglected to tell
2:56
Henry about it. When Henry found out, he was not happy. He fumed, who wrote this letter? I ask peace
3:03
of the king of France? Who dare not look me in the face? Still less make war on me? Drama. The young
3:11
king then snubbed an ambassador from France by ensuring he did not have a seat at a subsequent
3:15
tournament, where Henry and many other royal notables would engage in athletics for the
3:20
enjoyment of all. In other words, he invited every kid in his class to his birthday party
3:25
except for France. Needless to say, this back and forth panned out pretty much how you'd expect
3:31
Not, well, Sacre Bleu. But Henry's petty clapback wasn't the end of peace talks between the two kingdoms
3:38
In 1520, Henry VIII and his retinue traveled to France for a peace summit
3:42
Known to history as the Field of the Cloth of Gold, the summit was a regal wonderland, complete with elaborate feasts and games
3:50
In the spirit of friendly competition, Henry challenged French King Francis I
3:55
to a wrestling match at the event, which we would pay any amount of money to see
4:00
Francis quickly bested the English king, and we're sure Henry took that loss very well
4:06
Surprisingly, Henry did not return to the ring with a steel chair, and the rest of the event went about as smoothly as could be expected
4:13
although it had very little effect on brokering peace between England and France
4:17
The two countries began the Italian War, or the Four Years' War, just one year later
4:23
Yeah, he was definitely mad about that loss. After three broken marriages, one by separation, one by execution, which we'll get to in a minute
4:36
and one by natural death, Henry VIII resolved to marry for a fourth time in 1540
4:42
He settled on Anne of Cleves, a Germanic royal. In what he believed to be a romantic gesture, Henry first met Anne in disguise
4:50
hoping she would be able to recognize him despite his hidden identity
4:54
Sort of like that show Undercover Boss. Meeting brides in disguise was apparently a common ritual within medieval and early
5:01
modern monarchs who didn have enough weird schemes and traditions to deal with But it was apparently not common enough that Anne knew about it When the disguised Henry attempted to plant a kiss on his future bride she refused him putting to rest all of the king courtly romantic whims
5:17
He kind of shot himself in the foot with that one. The pair separated that year, proving once and for all
5:22
that they would have tanked on Netflix's Love is Blind. When Henry first inherited the throne, he was a popular ruler
5:33
According to biographer Alison Weir, Henry reveled in his popularity. He was a consummate showman who understood the value of being accessible to his subjects
5:42
and who made sure in his early years that he had a highly visible profile
5:47
The public were allowed into his palaces to watch tournaments, processions, or the great court entertainments
5:52
And it was not unheard of for Henry to go into London in disguise to mingle among them
5:58
He really liked that undercover gag. Henry's popularity didn't last, however. Mishandled finances in frequent wars ultimately sapped the English people's enthusiasm for their king
6:08
For example, Henry spent extravagantly on things like collars for his dogs
6:13
He kept a well-stocked kennel of hounds for hunting, as well as pet dogs
6:17
And as the king's dogs, they wore elaborate garments to signal their status as royal canines
6:23
Henry's greyhounds had collars made of crimson velvet and cloth of gold, with locking spikes
6:30
Other objects in his collection included two other collars with the king's arms
6:34
Wonder how many times people complained to a disguised Henry about the king
6:38
Awkward. Henry VIII became interested in Anne Boleyn in the mid-1520s
6:48
To woo her, Henry sent Anne a series of love letters to express the depth of his feelings
6:52
and convince her to become his lover. In one, he claimed, if it pleases you to give yourself body and heart to me, who have been and will be your very loyal
7:02
servant. If your rigor does not forbid me, I promise you that not only the name will be done
7:07
to you, but also to take you as my sole mistress, casting off all others than yourself out of mind
7:13
and affection, and to serve you only. In other words, I'll dump all these other women if you
7:19
move in with me. Hubba hubba. According to biographer Alison Weir, at the end of his
7:24
letters, Henry often ended his letters with a cipher, enclosing his initials within a heart
7:29
Guess that's better than, do you like me? Check yes or no. Though Henry had annulled his first marriage and changed the entire friggin religion of his kingdom for Anne Boleyn he eventually wanted out of the marriage In 1536 she was tried for treason on trumped charges and sentenced to death
7:49
In an infinitesimally small act of mercy, Henry arranged for a skilled swordsman to travel from
7:55
France to perform the execution. This ensured that Anne would have a quick, clean end, rather than a
8:01
beheading by axe, which would involve more than one blow. Really? More than one? Sounds like the
8:06
executioner needs to hit the gym more often. In 2020, Tudor historian Tracy Borman became aware
8:11
of a 16th century warrant book, which is filled with bureaucratic details about crimes, located
8:17
in the UK's National Archives, and it included previously overlooked writings from Henry on how
8:23
he wanted Anne executed. Henry's detailed instructions said that although Anne was
8:28
supposed to die by burning or beheading, he was moved by pity to not burn her, which would be
8:34
more painful. Instead, he commanded, the head of the same Anne shall be cut off. Wow, what a
8:40
thoughtful guy. He also described exactly where he wanted the execution to take place, upon the green
8:45
within our Tower of London. However, that instruction was not followed, and the execution
8:51
took place at a different location in the tower. As Anne faced execution, her final words reportedly
8:56
included, I am come hither to accuse no man, nor to speak anything of that whereof I am accused and
9:03
condemned to die. But I pray God save the king and send him long to reign over you
9:11
for a gentler nor a more merciful prince was there never. Gentle and merciful may be up for debate, but to each their own
9:24
Henry VIII firmly believed that kings had no equals. He once declared
9:29
kings of England never had any superior but God. Henry took this belief even further to
9:34
reconstruct England's religion. In a bid to break from the Roman Catholic Church so as to be able
9:39
to annul his first marriage and take Anne Boleyn as his wife, Henry issued the Act of Supremacy
9:44
in 1534. In it, he identified himself as the head of England's new Protestant Church of England
9:51
Clearly, someone hadn't listened to Frank Ocean's hook on No Church in the Wild
9:56
What's a king to a god? What's a god to a non-believer who don't believe in anything
10:02
Think about it, Hank. From his wild emotional turns to his conniving and underhanded power plays
10:08
Henry VIII remains one of history's most notorious figures, keenly remembered the world over for bending the entire nation to his every whim
10:16
You know, like a king