England's King Henry VIII had six wives. People who know that bit of history trivia
think they know Henry. Usually he's pictured all puffy and jowly,
but what people forget is that he didn't start out that way. Given the rate of infant mortality in the
16th century, it's a wonder anybody, royal or not, survived to adulthood. Adulthood itself wasn't exactly a long slow
glide into the land of "Get off my lawn," either, since, on average, you were probably
going to shuffle off this mortal coil before you even hit 40. Henry, however, got the brass ring, born royal
and healthy. He's usually described in his youth as handsome
and athletic. He managed to rule England for some 38 years
before wine, women, pork, and physical activity took their toll. Biographies attribute the turning point in
his deteriorating health to a leg injury he suffered while jousting. His horse crushed him, leaving him unconscious
for two hours, and eventually far less active than he used to be. His appetite led him to consume 5000 calories
daily, much of it consisting of meat and red wine. His circulation was terrible, especially in
the legs, which deteriorated into two weeping varicose ham hocks. He would later end up having to be carried
around in a chair, and instead of hunting down deer, he would have them herded towards
him so he could muster a shot. "Henry VIII is the only king whose shape you
remember!" As Henry's weight increased, his health kept
declining, and nothing seemed to help. Not even the most up-to-date medical procedures,
like bloodletting in conjunction with the phases of the moon, helped. Hey, it's not like they didn't try. Then came January 27, 1547, his day of reckoning. Everyone knew he was dying, but no one was
willing to say the words out loud. It was considered treasonous to predict the
death of a king. Nevertheless, it was clear the king was nearing
death, and so Sir Anthony Denny had the unenviable task of suggesting that Henry might want to
examine his royal conscience and make his peace with God. Henry spent time with his confessor and received
Holy Communion. "Finally, it's pointed out to him that he
might want to think about his impending end." Henry proclaimed that he believed that "Christ
in all His mercy" would pardon him for his many sins, but even he acknowledged there
was a lot of sin in his past. After all, wives and royal advisors weren't
the only people Henry had executed during his reign. Some historians suggest as many as 72,000
people died under Henry's order during his nearly 40 years on the throne. Despite this rather large death toll, the
evidence suggests that England's King Henry VIII did believe in God. Before they had their famous falling-out,
the Pope had declared Henry "Defender of the Faith," for the monarch's writings in opposition
to Martin Luther. It should come as no surprise, then, that
the afterlife took up much of Henry's waning attention as he slowly slipped from this life
to eternal life. The chronicles from the time spun his final
moments as befitting a king, but bear in mind there were also examinations of Henry's sputum
and stools going on. Hopefully in a different room. As England's most powerful people hovered
nearby, perhaps hoping to get name-checked in his yet-to-be finalized will, Henry was
overcome with weakness from which he'd never recover. Assistants buzzed around him, applying various
potions and poultices. Tapestries were drawn across windows to keep
out the elements, and a fire was constantly burning to keep "evil vapours" at bay. Eventually, Henry began to drift off for the
last time. At least one scholar attributes Henry's one-way
ticket to the afterlife to renal and liver failure. It was a slow slide, brought on by his unhealthy
lifestyle, and not a pretty one. His last words were to summon Archbishop Thomas
Cranmer to his bedside, but Henry was unconscious by the time the churchman arrived. Cranmer asked the king for a sign that he
still believed Christ would save him, and Henry is said to have squeezed the Archbishop's
hand in response. Two hours later, in the wee hours of January
28, Henry breathed his last. He was 55. Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus, even more Grunge videos about historical
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