2009 is the year England celebrates the 500th anniversary of
Henry VIII’s accession to the throne. A host of special events will be held in and around London to explore the King’s life and reign. The Tower of London is gearing for the launch of its Henry VIII: Dressed to kill exhibition, which profiles Henry’s role as warrior, sportsman and king. The display features some of the world’s rarest arms and armour, selected from the treasures of the Royal Armouries and international collections. Forget the glamour and romanticism of Jonathan Rhys-Myers in The Tudors – although Henry has been described as “handsome and fit” in his youth, the immense King stood 6 feet 4 and weighed about 200 pounds in his prime. Henry fell of a horse in 1536 – the year he ordered the beheading of his second wife Anne Boleyn (poetic justice is a beautiful thing) – and damaged his leg, which never healed properly. Henry was unable to exercise and packed on the kilos at a rapid rate. The size of his armour grew to the size of his infamous temper. There are many theories relating to the tyrannical behaviour of the English King: “Some think a fall from a horse that left him unconscious may have caused some brain damage. Others hypothesize that he suffered from syphilis. Still others think he may have suffered from type 2 diabetes”. So the guy was fat and grumpy but he made quite a contribution to English culture, as celebrated by the British Library in its Henry VIII: Man and Monarch exhibition, which opens on 22 April. It features the collection of books, the manuscripts Henry commissioned, the printed volumes he sponsored and the works in which he scribbled margin notes. Paintings, tapestries, plates and jewels will also be on show to emphasise the extent of the monarch’s cultural prowess.
Henry VIII has achieved pop-cult status in the UK – his image features on bags, shirts, pins, posters and the like. 2.2 million people tuned in to watch the first part of David Starkey’s Henry VIII: Mind of a Tyrant series broadcast on Channel 4. A special 2009 anniversary coin, a crown piece approved by the queen and stamped with Henry’s head, has been launched in celebration of this anniversary year. So what’s 
the fascination? Henry’s tale is riddled with murder, bloodshed, lust, divorce, sex, betrayal, deceit, torture and lies. I’m captivated! Some of the action took place at the King’s part-time abode in Surrey. Hampton Court boasts the splendour and terror that characterised the reign of Henry VIII. Its magnificence is something that should not be missed by subject of the crown or tourist alike. The castle hosts a ghost tour that features a possible encounter with the Screaming lady in the Haunted Gallery – known to be the Ghost of Henry’s fifth wife Catherine Howard. It is thought that when in 1541 Catherine was accused of adultery and put under house arrest at the palace; she escaped from her guards and ran down the gallery looking for the King to plead for her life. She was caught and dragged back screaming to her rooms. She is now thought to haunt the very gallery through which she was dragged. The Hampton Court gardens are a grand spectacle for a spring day, the kingly apartments of the Georges, Williams and Henrys boast the grandiosity of kingliness, the Tudor kitchens offer interesting insight into the logistics of running a castle, and the splendour of Henry’s Great Hall and the Chapel Royal is tangible. Hampton Court is playing host to some fabulous Tudor/Henry VIII festivals this season, including music festivals and a Henry VIII Coronation Weekend.
As nationals and tourists celebrate the King responsible for “beheading more English notables than any monarch before or since. The roll of heads included two wives, one cardinal, twenty peers, four leading public servants, and six of the king’s close attendants and friends, not to mention various heads of monasteries. In addition Cardinal Wolsey died in prison”, let’s revel in the festivities, soak up some summer-sun rays and take advantage of the tourist gimmicks, as we admire the remnants of a grand history.
