Henry VIII was ‘angry, impulsive and impotent’ due to a JOUSTING injury

Researchers analysed Henry’s letters and other historical sources to document his known medical history and events that may have contributed to his ailments

Historians who have suggested Henry VIII suffered from a traumatic head injury include Lucy Worsley, the presenter of historical documentaries.

Henry suffered two major head injuries during his 30s. In 1524, a lance penetrated the visor of his helmet during a jousting tournament and dazed him

A year later, he was knocked out when he fell head-first into a brook he was trying to vault across with a pole.

However, said the researchers, the English monarch’s increasingly unpredictable behaviour may have been triggered by an accident during a jousting match in January of 1536 when a horse fell on Henry, causing him to lose consciousness for two hours.

Professor Salardini said: ‘Historians agree his behaviour changed after 1536,’ and added that descriptions of Henry during his youth portrayed an intelligent and even-tempered young man who made wise military and policy decisions.

His behaviour in the later years of his life became notoriously erratic: He was forgetful and prone to rages and impulsive decisions.

In 1546, for instance, he assured his sixth wife Catherine Parr that he would not send her to the Tower of London when soldiers arrived to arrest her.

He launched into a tirade against the soldiers, having forgotten that he had given that order the day before.

Source: Daily mail

N.H.Kh