Everything You Didn't Need To Know About Henry VIII's Ulcerated Leg
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Everything You Didn't Need To Know About Henry VIII's Ulcerated Leg

Emily Pogue
Updated February 5, 2025 263.2K views 8 items

King Henry VIII has gone down as being one of the greatest medieval villains - a man with a tyrannical attitude and penchant for killing people he disagreed with (executing approximately 57,000 people in his time on the throne). However, it's possible that his inhumane ways may have stemmed from an excruciatingly painful condition - a leg injury that Henry VIII struggled with for over 10 years. 

This wouldn't be the first time that a ruler's physical condition affected their ruling prowess (Napoleon, for example, was quick to anger after his hemorrhoids prevented him from riding horseback alongside his soldiers). But does a decade of unrelenting pain forgive any of the horrors that Henry inflicted upon his kingdom? We'll let you be the judge of that. 

  • Henry's Leg Woes Started After Being Crushed By A Horse

    Henry's Leg Woes Started After Being Crushed By A Horse

    As a young king, Henry was regarded highly and had great promise as a strapping, charismatic ruler for England. However, his legacy took a turn for the worse when he was convinced his wife, Catherine of Aragon, would be unable to supply him with a male heir. 

    Falling for the young Anne Boleyn, Henry set down the path that many of us know him for - declaring his marriage from Catherine annulled - and marrying Anne. 

    In 1536, just three years after marrying Anne, Henry fell off his horse during a jousting tournament - with the fully-armored horse falling on top of the king. Henry was unconscious for multiple hours, and his life was in such grave danger that the shock appeared to trigger Anne's miscarriage. 

    In this fall, it's likely that Henry suffered multiple fractures to the bones in his legs. This would have lifelong consequences for the king. 

  • The Pain Henry Suffered Likely Contributed To His Transformation Into A Tyrant

    The Pain Henry Suffered Likely Contributed To His Transformation Into A Tyrant

    During the 16th century, medical knowledge was quite lacking compared to what we can theorize about Henry's condition today. But the royal doctors did the best they could - and they did save the king's life after the harrowing horse accident. In fact, at first it seemed like Henry's legs healed properly. 

    But soon after, Henry started developing horrific leg ulcers - seeping wounds that could not be managed regardless of what the doctors tried. It's noted by historians that about this time is when Henry's personality changed.

    In fact, just six months after the accident, Henry ordered the execution of Anne Boleyn to marry Jane Seymour.  

  • The Ulcers Prevented Henry From Exercising, And Led To Massive Weight Gain

    The Ulcers Prevented Henry From Exercising, And Led To Massive Weight Gain

    After developing his leg ulcers, Henry's quality of life changed drastically. As a young man, Henry had been active in participating in sporting events. This kept his 6-foot-2-inch frame in good shape; in his twenties, Henry was roughly 210 pounds with a 32-inch waistline. 

    However, after developing his leg condition, the king could do little exercise. So, he compensated by eating and drinking - and terrorizing his kingdom. Years of trying to eat and drink away his pain made a sizable impact on the king's body; his final suit of armor reveals he weighed more than 300 pounds with a waistline of 52 inches. 

    By 1546, 10 years after the initial jousting accident, Henry required wooden chairs to transport him around and hoists to lift him. 

  • Tight-Fitting Garters May Have Predisposed Henry To Blood Clots And Varicose Veins

    Tight-Fitting Garters May Have Predisposed Henry To Blood Clots And Varicose Veins

    While Henry's multiple fractures from his jousting accident were likely the leading cause of his leg ulcers, the king surely wasn't helping matters by his choice of clothing. 

    As a young man, it became widely known that Henry was a handsome king. Additionally, he was known for his particularly striking calves - to the degree that Giustinian, the Venetian Ambassador to the English Court, even described them in writing: 

    The handsomest potentate I ever set eyes on; above the usual height, with an extremely fine calf to his leg

    Well, what do you do when you have a particularly good asset? You highlight it, of course! And that's exactly what Henry did by wearing a tight garter around the top of his calf. 

    Today, we know that constantly wearing a constricting garter around your leg can have multiple negative effects - such as varicose veins and blood clots. So the king's favorite garment may have also contributed to his leg issues later in life. 

  • It Has Been Theorized That His Ulcers Were Due To Syphilis, But The Evidence Is Lacking

    It Has Been Theorized That His Ulcers Were Due To Syphilis, But The Evidence Is Lacking

    Today's historians have searched for alternative options to explain Henry's intense leg ulcers. One such explanation is that the king had syphilis - which contributed to the non-healing sores on his legs. 

    This theory is tied to the note that Henry had an ulcer appear on his thigh as a young man - before the disastrous jousting accident. However, this ulcer likely stemmed from a previous sporting injury. 

    Historians generally reject the syphilis theory, since doctors of Henry's age were familiar with syphilis and never cited the king (or any of his wives) as suffering from its symptoms. 

  • The Treatments For Henry's Ulcers Included Keeping The Wound Open And Lancing It With Hot Pokers

    The Treatments For Henry's Ulcers Included Keeping The Wound Open And Lancing It With Hot Pokers

    Henry was undoubtedly in a constant state of pain from the seeping wounds on his legs. So, the doctors tried to aid his pain by way of cauterizing the ulcers with burning hot irons. Keep in mind that Henry wasn't treated with anesthesia or pain-killers during these procedures (save for booze and maybe some herbal remedies).

    Constantly keeping the wounds open likely allowed infections to continually grow and not heal properly - which would only add to the painful experience.  

    Eventually, Henry's condition grew so bad that the stench of his infected wounds could be smelled three rooms away. 

  • Henry's Ailment May Have Been Exacerbated By Hypertension And Diabetes

    Henry's Ailment May Have Been Exacerbated By Hypertension And Diabetes

    Henry's constant eating and drinking (consuming about 5,000 calories a day - approximately twice the recommended amount for adult men today) did worry his physicians. They repeatedly asked him to cut back on his excess of meat-eating and wine-drinking, but the king refused. 

    Today, we know that this kind of excessive diet can lead to hypertension and Type II diabetes. These conditions can accelerate vascular diseases - negatively impacting the type of ulcers the king had in his legs.

  • Henry Punished Those Who Spoke Of His Leg Ailment

    Henry Punished Those Who Spoke Of His Leg Ailment

    Henry wanted to be seen as the ultimate power - particularly after he no longer had his power checked by the Pope. So in his later years, if someone said something the king didn't like, they were executed. 

    This was the case for Marquis of Exeter and Lord Montagu, who were officially accused of treason. However, in their trial, witnesses said the two spoke of the king's bad legs. Exeter and Montagu were quoted as saying:

    He has a sorre legge that no pore man would be glad off, and that he should not lyve long for all his auctoryte next God

    and

    he will die suddenly, his legge will kill him, and then we shall have jolly stirring.

    This didn't sit well with Henry, and they were both beheaded.