Tracking Henry VIII’s Weight Gain… Through His Armour

2025-02-15

Did you know we can measure Henry VIII’s expanding waistline just by looking at his armour? As a young king, Henry was tall, athletic, and an expert jouster, but by the end of his life, he had ballooned in size, struggling with mobility, illness, and royal excess. And thanks to his custom-made suits of armour, we can track just how much he grew! From a trim 34-inch waist in his prime to a staggering 54 inches in his later years, his changing shape tells a fascinating story about his lifestyle, i...

Did you know we can measure Henry VIII’s expanding waistline just by looking at his armour?

As a young king, Henry was tall, athletic, and an expert jouster, but by the end of his life, he had ballooned in size, struggling with mobility, illness, and royal excess. And thanks to his custom-made suits of armour, we can track just how much he grew!

From a trim 34-inch waist in his prime to a staggering 54 inches in his later years, his changing shape tells a fascinating story about his lifestyle, injuries, and health decline. But was it just his 1536 jousting accident that caused his extreme weight gain? Or was it the lavish Tudor feasting, lack of exercise, and sheer indulgence of being king?

Let’s dive into the numbers and see how Henry VIII quite literally grew into his larger-than-life reputation! What do you think caused Henry’s transformation?

#TudorHistory #HenryVIII #RoyalHealth #TudorTrivia #HistoryMysteries #OnThisDay

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