Henry VIII was disabled, National Trust says
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When we think of King Henry VIII, words like imposing, powerful, and terrifying come to mind to describe him.
The fearsome monarch infamously had two of his six wives beheaded and was known for his athletic physique when he was younger.
But according to a new video produced by the National Trust together with the University of Leicester, Henry was disabled.
The clip highlights the severe injuries the King sustained in a jousting accident in 1536, in which an armored horse fell on him, crushing his legs.
When we think of King Henry VIII, words like imposing, powerful, and terrifying come to mind to describe him. But according to a new video produced by the National Trust together with the University of Leicester, Henry was disabled.
He subsequently began to gain weight and was plagued with ulcers, while some historians believe that the accident may have influenced his behavior and decisions.
When he died in 1547, he may have weighed more than 28 stone (397 pounds), while his waist swelled from 32 to 52 inches after his accident.
The new video explains the lives of disabled historical figures and their connections to National Trust properties.
In the section on Henry, it shows a portrait of the King which hangs in Charlecote Park in Warwickshire.
He mentions how in later life he needed a cane and a wheelchair to get around and had a system of pulleys to get him up the stairs in the Palace of Whitehall.
The clip highlights the serious injuries the King sustained in a jousting accident in 1536, in which an armored horse fell on him, crushing his legs. Above: Henry is depicted on horseback in 1520, in a painting by Friedrich Bouterwerk
But the King suppressed his mobility problems in his public image, with officially commissioned portraits that give no hint of his physical handicaps.
Disabled artist Christopher Samuel says in the video: “We all recognize Henry VII and the Trust has multiple portraits, including this one in Charlecote Park in Warwickshire.
‘But how many of us know that he suffered two injuries in 1536 that resulted in the use of a number of mobility aids?
“As he grew older, he used a cane, a wheelchair and a pulley mechanism installed in the Palace of Whitehall to get up and down the stairs.
Henry VIII crafted his image carefully, hiding his shortcomings to present a highly constructed image of power and royalty.
‘But what does that say about the relationship between disability and power throughout history?
‘Whose interests are we protecting when we avoid talking about disability today?’
Others mentioned in the video include British climber Geoffrey Winthrop Young and Sir Jeffrey Hudson, the court dwarf of King Charles I.
The portrait, which dates from 1520, was made by an unknown artist.” class=”blkBorder img-share” style=”max-width:100%” />
Henry VIII is seen above as a much younger man. The portrait, which dates from 1520, was made by an unknown artist.
Winthrop Young had one of his legs amputated after being wounded in World War I.
In order to continue climbing, he designed and fabricated a prosthetic leg that could be adjusted to allow him to climb different types of rock.
Overall, there are ten people mentioned in the video, and eighty have been provided by curators.
Dr Sarah Plumb, Senior Research Associate at the University of Leicester’s Museums and Galleries Research Centre, said: “We are delighted to highlight ten little-known and previously unexplored stories of disability through Everywhere and Nowhere.”
“Behind the film is a year-long research collaboration; Although a complex endeavor, our research to date suggests that connections to disability are everywhere, intertwined through our heritage buildings and landscapes, the lives, collections, and archival material attached to them.
‘Disabled people from the past can often be presented in a reductionist or stereotyped way; in some cases, we found that a fresh look at the historical record revealed those same lives filled with opportunity and autonomy, influence and adventure, love and joy.’