[MR] Death of Henry VIII

[Garth Groff via Atlantia]

Noble Friends,

On this date in 1547, King Henry VIII died at Whitehall Palace, aged 55 
years. The cause of his demise is still debated, but syphilis, diabetes 
or a progressive genetic disorder called McLeod syndrome have been 
suggested. His huge girth didn't help matters.

For better or for worse, Henry was one of the most significant monarchs 
in English history, if for nothing more than his many wives and the 
fallout from his disastrous marriages. He was figuratively and literally 
a giant of a king: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_VIII_of_England

One of the most interesting bits of the above Wikipedia article concerns 
his succession, since all of his legitimate children died childless. In 
the event that all the lines failed, as they actually did, the crown was 
to go to the descendants of his sister Mary, the Greys. Bloody Mary 
pretty well wiped them out. Henry's wishes excluded the descendants of 
his sister Margaret, the Stuarts of Scotland. As it turned out, they 
were the only ones left standing, so James VI of Scotland (Henry's great 
grand-nephew) became King James I of England when Elizabeth died childless.

For a bit of fun, there is a retired teacher in England who portrays a 
slightly tongue-in-cheek version of the real Henry. This site has some 
great resources for teaching history to children (which is what the 
doppelganger does), plus it is a lot of fun to explore. Take special 
note of the last picture at the bottom of the home page showing Henry's 
Italian stallion: http://www.henrytudor.co.uk . That pretty much sets 
the tone.

Yours Aye,


Mungo Napier, That Crazy Scot