Interesting Facts you probably didn't know about Henry VIII

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Henry VIII is perhaps the most infamous monarch over England, as well as his daughter Elizabeth I and Victoria (who ruled over 300 years after Henry’s reign). There are many theories, rumors and assumptions that have been cooked up over 500 odd years. But the thing most people know him for include: his 6 unfortunate marriages to 6 unfortunate women, his atrocious weight and his habit for executing friends who turned to foe. However there are many more facts that are unknown to many people.

 1)   Henry VIII was the first king/queen to be known as Your Majesty
Before Henry ascended to the throne, in 1509, the monarchs had been Your Grace or Your Highness. In 1519 his nephew by marriage, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V decided to be known as Your Majesty, and Henry was not prepared to be outdone, so he issued it that a sovereign should be respectfully called Your Majesty.

 2)   Henry was a hypochondriac
A hypochondriac is a person who is very anxious and worried that their health will deteriorate and that they will catch a disease. During the Tudor era, it was very common for epidemics of plague and sweating sickness to brake out. On 22nd June 1528, William Carey, one of Henry’s trusted friends and husband to Anne Boleyn’s older sister Mary, died after a bout of sweating sickness hit the Tudor court.  Although Henry was a very healthy and athletic young man, he was very worried about becoming ill and dying. Unfortunately, Henry’s health did go down hill when he suffered permanent injuries after a joust in 1536.


   3) Henry was a tidy eater
The popular image of Henry VIII throwing a chicken leg over his shoulder to hungry dogs behind him before greedily guzzling more food is not true. Despite the wonderful image it paints in our minds later propaganda invented this image. Henry preferred to dine in the King's private apartments with only a few select courtiers and a strict order of ceremony. He also was hygienic enough to wash his hands before, during and after his meal (it was probably because of his anxiety about catching diseases).


   4)  Henry VIII was a best selling author
In 1521, Henry wrote a book, with 30,000 words titled: 'Denfense of the Seven Sacrements'. This book was written and published after the founder of the Protestant movement, Martin Luther wrote a book called 'Ninety- Five Thesis' attacking the Catholic church. King Henry, at this moment, a devout Catholic decided to write a book in order to support the Catholic church. The Pope was pleased with this as it was the first book to be written by an English king and therefore, Henry was given the religious title- Defender of Faith. Even after he broke from Rome to marry Anne Boleyn in 1533, he decided he liked the title and therefore would keep it.

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