₦airaland Forum

Do you know the history of King Henry VIII? The six wives, his creation of the Church of England, which we all know as Anglican Church, when the pope denied him a divorce? Here is a few points, the real story is straight-up nightmare fuel.

This was a king so grotesquely obese, his waist measured 54 inches — bigger than most people are tall. He weighed 400 pounds in an era when 140 was average. His legs oozed pus from open, rotting ulcers so foul, servants gagged or ran away. His stench could be smelled from rooms away. His body decayed while he was still alive — and when he died, his coffin exploded from internal gases. Yes, exploded.

By the end of his life, Henry was a walking corpse — literally. Carried around by servants, trailed by staff mopping up pieces of dead flesh that fell off as he moved. His death was so gruesome, dogs were seen licking his remains off the street during the funeral.

Why was he like this? Likely a combination of Cushing’s syndrome, a traumatic brain injury from a jousting accident, and unchecked power. That injury? Knocked him unconscious for 2 hours — after that, he changed: paranoid, erratic, dangerous.

And yes, the wives.
You know about the beheadings, but not the psychological torture.
Anne Boleyn? She was forced to watch five innocent men — including her own brother — executed before she lost her head to false charges.

Katherine Howard? She was just a teen, murdered because of past relationships. Henry even made a law requiring wives to confess their full sexual history — under threat of death. Divorce wasn’t freedom — it was forced, terrifying negotiation.

Meanwhile, he ate like a monster. 5,000+ calories a day. Whole pigs, chickens, fish, gallons of wine. He believed swans made him graceful, oysters enhanced performance, and deer made him a better hunter. He banned “commoner food” like turnips because it offended his royal ego. Kitchens ran 24/7 with over 200 staff just to feed him — and every bite was tested for poison while guards watched. Meals were military operations.

And his paranoia? They were off the charts. Crossbows by his bed, daggers under his pillow, armed guards in his bedroom. Secret tunnels in castles. Spy networks spying on other spies. Even his children were watched. People were executed for dreams he had about betrayal.

Even in death, Henry caused chaos. His bloated corpse burst mid-funeral. His tomb? So unstable it collapsed multiple times. Some said they heard strange noises and smelled rot years later — likely more gases leaking out.

This wasn’t just a king. He was a decaying symbol of how absolute power corrupts absolutely. The real Henry VIII was no hero — he was a royal horror story.

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Ccccc

Dammmmmmmnnnnnnn!


Can I wish this to happen to one leader laidat?


Nah...too petty, I think...or maybe not...



It is well...

Cursed by the gods he failed to acknowledge. That's a monstrous king you have there

olaleke1:
Dammmmmmmnnnnnnn!


Can I wish this to happen to one leader laidat?


Nah...too petty, I think...or maybe not...



It is well...

This write up only existed in literature and not reality.

Hehehe.

See him stomach like Nigerian politicians wa don loot so much money.

Anyways,the gods are wise .

I nor believe this story
where I want see 40 characters bayi

Curse no dey work for Naija, if not 99.9 of our polithifcian for gone collect bank n front.

Interesting read. I wonder how loud this would have been if it had happened to an African King.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Wow

Sounds like a very bad case of diabetes due to uncontrolled excessive weight. In fact, that weight alone will be a cause of multiple chronic illnesses.

So this is actually true all this while I do believe it's just a tail story people get mine for this world

Yet, he's been celebrated as the founder of the Church of England.

Can this be real?? Fiction or non fiction?? Damn irritated

The cause of the rotting alive is a leg ulcer he got as a young adult. Poor medical treatment, unhygienic habits at the time and his own unhealthy lifestyle worsened the ulcer over the years and stank so bad that not even the fresh flowers his servants put around him everywhere he went could mask the smell. Not one to feel sorry for though He was an evil king who executed countless subjects, some for flimsy reasons. He kind of deserved his fate. The series, 'The Tudors' gives a glimpse of the type of king he was, very interesting series

And you said he is the founder of Anglican Church. Could this story really be true?

How come I never came across this story before?

I hope this story was not generated by an AI chat box?

Amotolongbo:
This write up only existed in literature and not reality.

His leg got pretty rotten so much that it stank before he died though.

What about king Edward iv? Thought the creation of the Anglican church was is doing.

What a time to be alive and witness such a terrorist king.

People can easily over exagurate for sensationalism, chatgpt, even though that could be wrong as well.

.......

This story is partly true, but it's heavily dramatized and exaggerated, especially in its gruesome details. Let's break it down and separate fact from fiction or exaggeration.

✅ True or Mostly True Elements
1. Six Wives and Church of England
True. King Henry VIII had six wives.

He created the Church of England (Anglican Church) after the Pope refused to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon.

This move began the English Reformation.

2. Obesity and Health Decline
Mostly true. In his later years, Henry became very obese (estimates put him at around 300–400 lbs) and had a 54-inch waist.

He suffered from leg ulcers, which became infected and caused a foul odor.

These ulcers and obesity immobilized him, and he had to be carried around.

3. Jousting Accident and Personality Change
True. In 1536, Henry had a serious jousting accident, was unconscious for two hours, and may have suffered a traumatic brain injury.

Afterward, his behavior became more erratic, paranoid, and cruel—which historians believe was at least partially due to the accident.

4. Anne Boleyn’s Execution
Partly true. Anne was executed on charges of adultery, incest (with her brother, George Boleyn), and treason. Most historians believe these charges were fabricated.

Five men were executed alongside her — but whether she watched their executions is unclear. There’s no solid evidence she was forced to watch them.

❌ False or Exaggerated/Misleading Elements
1. “Walking corpse” and flesh falling off
Highly exaggerated. Henry was in poor health, yes, but there is no historical record that his flesh literally fell off or that he was trailed by people mopping it up.

2. Coffin exploding
Partially true. After Henry’s death, his coffin reportedly leaked fluids, possibly due to decomposition.

A 17th-century writer claimed dogs licked it up — but that account is likely apocryphal, written decades after his death and should be taken with caution.

3. “Dogs licking remains off the street”
Dubious. This is a myth from later anti-Tudor or Protestant sources. There’s no credible historical evidence to support this.

4. Open sores so foul servants fled
Exaggerated. The ulcers were very unpleasant, and he likely smelled bad, but descriptions of servants gagging and fleeing are likely sensationalized.

📚 Conclusion
The core facts about Henry VIII’s reign, health decline, and cruelty are true.

However, the grisly, horror-movie-style descriptions (exploding coffin, flesh falling off, dogs licking remains) are exaggerated or mythologized, often used to make his story more dramatic for modern readers.

Would you like a more historically grounded summary of Henry VIII’s life and health?

Diabetes king with a lot of money not knowing what he will use money for.

DeepSight:
His leg got pretty rotten so much that it stank before he died though.

It happens to some people suffering from Diabetes

Please what exactly did I just read now?
How's that even possible?

Softmirror:
And you said he is the founder of Anglican Church. Could this story really be true?

He broke away from the Catholic church and created the Anglican church so he would be able to divorce his first wife, not like he was some kind of Saint. Someone that had his 2nd and 5th wife (who happened to be cousins) beheaded .

dominique:
He broke away from the Catholic church and created the Anglican church so he would be able to divorce his first wife, not like he was some kind of Saint. Someone that had his 2nd and 5th wife (who happened to be cousins) beheaded .

Thank you for the enlightenment. I have never come across this information. But it is so surprise.

Amotolongbo:
It happens to some people suffering from Diabetes

You are smart. No doubt he must havee had diabetes.

These are truly the people that should be praying the prayer of forgiveness, not Africans.

Africa is noble!
💪🏾⚖️💯🤍

bluefilm:
How come I never came across this story before?

I hope this story was not generated by an AI chat box?

I Studied this in secondary school long before the emergence of smart phones. Yes, according to history, he was a brutal king but this version seems somewhat exergerated.