[MR] Wikipedia: Henry VIII's Jousting Injury, or Injuries

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

On this date in 1536, Henry VIII suffered a serious injury while jousting
at his favorite palace in Greenwich. Despite being 44 years old, Henry had
refused to give up his favorite manly sport. This wasn't his first serious
tumble on the tilt field by any means. In 1524 he took a near fatal fall
when he forgot to put his visor down and was struck in the face and thrown.
He no doubt had other falls and injuries, but it would have been unwise,
even treasonous, for any courtier to comment about the King's health. That
said, Henry himself frequently complained about headaches even before the
1536 fall.

Various important contemporaries commented widely on the 1536 accident,
varying from denial of any injury to the king being knocked unconscious for
two or more hours. Most agree that the King's armored horse had fallen on
him.  Many historians have claimed that this was when Henry received his
infamous ulcerating leg wound, however he was having trouble with varicose
leg veins as early as 1527. It is possible that a leg wound was re-opened
in the 1536 accident.

Today we know a lot more about traumatic brain injuries, especially in
football players, and also in soldiers. Was this the beginning of Henry's
descent into irrational mood swings and paranoid behavior? Dr. Lucy Worsley
thinks so. In the 2008 History Channel program INSIDE THE BODY OF HENRY
VIII she and other experts cite this incident as the turning point in
Henry's mental decline.

Whatever the case, Henry never jousted again. And we all know he was a
pretty nasty chap.

You can watch Lucy's video at https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x30omwb .

For the opposite argument, try this video podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Rd0s1roPoU .

Yours Aye,


Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆