WHAT HAPPENED TO HENRY VIII’S BODY? | Gruesome dead body story | Tudor prophecy that came true
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ส.ค. 2024
- WHAT HAPPENED to Henry VIII’s body after his death? Did one of England’s most famous Kings explode in his coffin and did dogs lick up his blood, or is this one gruesome dead body story that’s more fiction than fact? Those are the questions I’m going to answer in today’s Tudor history documentary from History Calling.
In 1532 Henry was supposedly told by Friar William Peto that, much like the Biblical figure, King Achab, his blood would be licked up by dogs. Little could he know that this would be one Tudor prophecy that came true, for it’s one of the strange facts about Henry VIII that while his body was being transported to its final resting place in St George’s Chapel at Windsor, the coffin apparently began to leak during an overnight stay at Syon Abbey and onlookers reported that a stray canine, who was certainly not Henry’s best friend, was found lapping up the puddle. This story has then been embellished to say that Henry VIII exploded in his coffin, but how much truth is there in that part of the story? Did Henry VIII explode? This video will look at the sources which describe what happened at Syon, discuss what can happen to a dead body and share with you the grisly stories of some other deceased royals who had a less than dignified exit from the world, including the shocking story of what happened at William the Conqueror’s funeral and to Henry I’s body. It will also discuss what was found when Henry VIII’s body was exhumed. A leaking coffin may be one of the little known facts about Henry VIII, but as it turns out, what happened to this famous Tudor King was far from unique.
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Which details, if any, of this story you believe? Do you think Henry VIII’s body burst and do you think William Peto prophesised that the King’s blood would be licked up by dogs, or is it just a good yarn made up by Henry’s enemies after his death? Let me know below and don't forget to SUBSCRIBE and check out my PATREON site for extra perks at www.patreon.com/historycalling
Good God 😶
I believe bits of this tale, wee bits of both versions.. No dog, and certainly no "prophecy",but an exploded corpse?? Highly likely!!
Henry was rotting Before He died..I dread to think what 30stones/480kg of putridity had occured, 2 week's After His actual death! As I already commented.. perhaps that was Henry's Karma. To have a death as rotten, and utterly removed from splendour as possible..a fitting end to Henry viii's reign..
Yes, if anyone had an unpleasant, undignified end coming, it was Henry.
I think Peto (or someone else, or several other people) may have warned Henry that if he kept doing wrong he would wind up like Ahab. But maybe not…maybe they were just thinking it and not saying anything (except maybe amongst themselves) because, you know, DEATH. Waiting 2 weeks to embalm a body is asking for trouble so i think his body was deteriorating and discharging but his skeleton was witnessed intact (though they didn’t get a complete view) so I think, exploded, no. As for the poor dog - this is called “dietary indiscretion” (learn something new every day) … dogs do eat carrion when fresh food isn’t available and they even like the smell but this was some particularly putrid carrion. I would need more proof to believe that about any dog! I think that whoever had to embalm his body, or whomever they spoke to about it was reminded of the biblical story and then it became embellished because it would have been poetic justice. Hey! I have no idea what I’m talking about! Thank you for all of your conscientious research. Just found your channel and I LOVE it. - from Massachusetts USA
It is very possible that the prophecy was made as contrary to the Scriptures, my 2nd Cousin 13x Removed, Henry VIII had married the Widow of his Brother. In the Scriptures, it states that it is forbidden to marry the Widow of one's Brother, lest ye be childless. Its a bit of a coincidence that Henry had problems with producing a male Heir and he just happened to marry the Widow of his Brother, Prince Arthur. It does seem possible then, that the prophecy was made and the dog did feed on his blood, as this was also spoken of in the Scriptures. And it is very likely that because of the sealed lead coffin and the jogging about of the cart during the journey along unpaved bad roads of the time, that with build up of the decaying body fluids, that some kind of "explosion" of the body fluids did happen.
The idea that Henry popped like a balloon is such a satisfying thought for all the misery he caused. So even if it’s fake, its canon in my mind.
He was A pig
😂
Yes 🤣🤣
Everybody's body pops like that
Exactly my thoughts.
It's common for corpses to fart. Taking account of the girth of Henry VIII, his post-mortem fart might have sounded like the discharge of a ship's cannon.
That made me laugh 😂
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
😄😄😄
Lol 😆🤣😂😹😆This is actually probably true 💯
@@demonia2848 In fact, his fart alone could have ruptured the coffin, which, in turn, could explain the leakage. See? Now it's all coming together.
A horrid king who died a horrid death, and finally a horrid end.
He’s Most probably burning in hell for eternity trapped and enslaved within the crimes/sins that he committed
@@amybugg001
I'm sure Henry's victims disagree with you here- but -That being said rumor has it he repented on his death bed and is currently in Purgatory.
@@amybugg001 what was the actual point in your comment?🙄🤔
His horrible ways were common place with kings. His was made much worse because he couldn't produce a male hier and it made him feel emasculated........ that's dangerous in most men, let alone a king who was treated like god on earth. He was a horrible man and a tyrant, but he was more scared of losing the throne and being forgotten. He thought kings were remembered for war ........... if only he knew why he was remembered now 😱
Karma....
Henry died on 28 January, and his funeral procession was on 14 February.
So his body would be in quite an advanced stage of decomposition by then. I wouldn't be surprised at all if he exploded.
Yes, it certainly makes the case for quick burials! :-)
It was still winter though.......
But not cold enough
@@vickiecordon7887 hmm....maybe...I can only guess....nights would
have been about minus 3 deg C ....daytime probably not more
than 10 deg....some decomposition yes....question is how much ?
Had he died in August of course he would really have 'gone out
with a BANG ! '
@@chrisbrown8640 did people warm their castles and houses during winter? Was that a mild winter? Just wondering.
This would be great to discuss with Caitlyn Doughty from the ask a mortician channel. She does lots of historic corpse videos. I'm curious about the guys dying due to corpse stench. Seems sus.
Hydrogen Sulphide given off by rotting organic material can be lethal if not adequately ventilated.
Ah, that's interesting. I couldn't understand how people could die from being in proximity to a corpse either and wondered if it was an embellishment in the sources.
I agree. Ask Caitlyn Doughty. I’m sure shed be interested in this one!
@@HistoryCalling Curious: I'm not sure if it's true, but I've heard that people today think dead bodies, skeletons, etc., are scary because of ancient beliefs that death was contagious. Could this belief have stemmed from people dying from breathing in fumes after standing too close to corpses?
I'm not sure a decomposing human body puts off enough hydrogen sulfide to kill people. I feel that there would have to be a whole lot of it in a small enclosed space to kill people. I looked at pictures of that chapel and it's huge. Even without ventilation, the amount of space in those vaulted ceilings and expansive hall would offer enough area for the chemical to dissipate before it could become a problem. People in the middle ages thought all bad smells (aka miasma) could make you sick or kill you, so this would be an easy go to for gossip or embellishment. I have, and continue to, look for further information to corroborate your idea that a human corpse could give off enough hydrogen sulfide to kill bystanders. Henry VIII was a very large man though.... so maybe, but I want to hear a scientist say that before I climb on board.
Interesting, rather gruesome video. Given the way Henry's physique changed over his lifetime and with his stinking leg, it just seems natural that his body explodes. Bet all those who lost their guts after being hung drawn and quartered, or lost their heads on Henry's whim were having a good laugh. Seems quite appropriate really.
Yes, there is a certain poetic justice to the whole thing.
Wellington’s Boots; love your comments!!!
I totally agree! This man was just such an Evil Ass deserved a Gruesome Ending ☠️
Bro that's a savage statement 🤣😭
Still a fantastic king
I can’t imagine the smell, my Grandfather who was a WW2 veteran told me the smell is something so horrid and disgusting you don’t want to smell it ever again. He said the first time he smelled he puked.
Makes sense! There was no refrigeration and embalming techniques were still primitive in Europe. He was morbidly obese and had lots of bacterial infections already working on his body throughout his life. Even today and with the best embalming, a body needs a cool and very dry entombment to last even a few months. The gases that collect can cause massive expansion and exploding caskets are not unusual.
Same things happened to the body of Pope Alexander VI. He stunk so bad that the Swiss Guards fainted and had to be replaced. The man was also morbidly obese.
@@catholiccrusader5328 It happened with Pius XII too, and he was extremely thin.
He died in January and wasn’t buried until February. Very cold months.
I've heard of the prophesy, but what I read, it was a woman who cursed him because of what Henry had done during the pilgrimage of Grace. Prophesy or not, I thoroughly believe Henry's body could have exploded. His tremendous weight at his death would have made that very possible. I had a friend who worked at a funeral for awhile, and he told us some gruesome stories about dead bodies.
I haven't read about it being a woman who cursed him, but that's very interesting. I can only hope your friend doesn't share his stories at dinner parties :-) I read some additional horror stories whilst researching this that I thought were too gruesome to include.
Was it Elizabeth Barnton(?);The Nun that made prophecies, regarding Henry's death if He married Ann Boleyn? She was encouraged greatly by Henry's enemies (mostly ChurchMen). She made many prophecies,but I don't think the "Ahab- esque" story was attributed to Her. Although, I just had a quick look on wiki and it does mention that Many prophecies were attested to Her. I think She was a simple Girl that was used by powerful men.
I don't fancy working in a morgue or funeral parlour! I don't mind the Spirit's, but the rotting bodies? That gives Me nightmares. I've been watching too much "Walking Dead" Me think's! :)
@@TheOnlyElle. Elizabeth Barton, and they executed her for them.
@@HistoryCalling Lol, I'm a nurse my daughter is in crime scene and biohazard recovery ,you should hear our lunch conversation when it's just she and I .
@@HistoryCalling you should do a gruesome vid for Halloween 🎃 👻 ♥️
About 50 years ago I had two university history classes taught by a former Benedictine monk. (U. of Illinois) He said he had access to many old documents when he was a monk in Europe. He told us Henry's rotting "legs" exploded from all the gases and putrefied flesh from his weeping sores. He said the smell was so awful it was difficult for attendants to be around. He also told us about William the Conqueror's problems. William was very tall for a man at that time... 6"1"? To fit the corpse into the concrete? coffin by the altar of the church of St. Denis? they started cutting from the feet up until he fit. The church was torn apart in the Reformation, and he said all that was left of William was a thigh bone. Of course my memory could be faulty. It was a long time ago. I just looked up info and it says William is now at the Abbey of St. Stephen. (His thigh bone?) This professor taught all things medieval.
The stories of Henry's post-mortem mishaps are entirely plausible. Note that unlike commoners who were afforded hasty burials, a high status individual like a medieval English monarch had their burial delayed for weeks on end so their body could be promenaded around, akin to a farewell tour. This was an entirely political expedient, and took little notice of the natural process of decomposition which starts just minutes after death. And compounding this particular case was Henry's sheer body mass. Not for nothing is he regarded as the fattest king of England! Even rotund George IV was smaller than Henry VIII.
Knowing what we do about 1.) delayed burial of monarchs, 2.) Henry's obesity, 3.) slipshod Tudor 'embalming' techniques, 4.) constant movement/disturbance of body over weeks.....the question should not be whether mishaps occurred to Henry's body. It should be how could mishaps NOT happen?
Lol I often forget that the Prince Regent did end up actually becoming King George IV. I always just call him "Prinny" in my head. And you say Henry VIII was even fatter? DAMN!! That's saying a lot!
In old age, Queen Victoria's waist was approximately 50 inches. This is the same measurement as Henry VIII's waist before he died. She was said to be 'as wide as she was tall' by contemporary accounts.
I think it's entirely plausible that Henry's body exploded, given the timing, travel and depending on the quality of the embalming. Dog and prophecy aside, it paints a very gruesome picture...
It does indeed. It certainly makes a good case for swift burials.
Connie H; feel sorry for the dog … …I wonder how long he lived after drinking said blood !
Cirtainly would be no blood that leaked after embalming
I feel sorry for the dog too!!!
I am willing to believe he exploded. He was already a very heavy man when he died, he had a severe infection that may have caused bacteria to build up in him, and we all know that after death the body bloats from all the escaping gasses, so maybe because he was so obese, he had more gasses than normal in his body. Especially since it took so long back then to bury the dead, he would have been exposed to the air much longer which would have made him decompose fast. As for a dog licking his blood, I don't believe that at all. I think the blood would have contained puss, urine, and anything else the body may have contained - no dog would do that.
Yes, his body may not even have been embalmed for a while as his death was kept quiet to ensure a smooth transition of power.
Dogs do lick up pus.. I had a pet pig who had been mauled by a bull terrier, although I gave her antibiotics injections, she still had a wound that was infected. We were sitting on our verandah, having when Pippi (the pig) came too see us and there was a horrible smell coming from her. Her wound had burst and she was leaking pus. The farm dog went over to her and started licking the pus coming out of the wound.. Needless to say, we were all retching and the coffee break was over quick smart as we went inside doing our best not to puke.
@@HistoryCalling Yeah. Unembalmed, the bacteria thrives in the moist flesh. And, of course, that was an aweful lot of flesh that was far from lean. You nailed it. 👍
~TD, Boston
@@lynnd1874 geez sure glad I finished lunch BEFORE reading your comment, good comment. Makes sense to me.
@@lynnd1874 8
Kinda gruesome.. entirely possible that Henry's body did explode in some way.
Kind of divine justice..I suppose for all those that lost their lives..or had their lives ruined by him.
Yes, there is a sense of 'he got his just desserts' isn't there?
Duke William the 1066 conqueror of England died in France, years later. He died in terrible agony, . One ironic note was that his body was abandoned by his nobles , then stripped by the peasants & left naked abandoned... then before the body could be buried did in fact burst filling the church with such putrid gas that the stench drove everyone outside...
Ii
The only other English king I know of whose corpse similarly exploded in the coffin was William the Conqueror. During his funeral, his corpse was bloated due to the peritonitis he suffered. As the ceremony was underway, the corpse didn’t fit in the sarcophagus, and a fire broke out. Yet the small tomb space caused the king’s body to explode! The stench, we’re told, was so foul that not even the incense would drown it out and all the mourners were crowding at the door with their hands covered over their noses.
I discussed this episode in the video, but I didn't see the fire bit in the source I looked at ...
Charles Deleo
Now there was a "king " who was rotten all the way through, when alive too.
That land grabbing, usurping psycopath deserved to explode.
Fascinating! I believe his body was oozing for sure - the stench must have been awful- especially since it was said his oozing leg would stink so bad when he was alive - imagine that after death- yikes! Fascinating and you do an incredible job- i trust your valued research- thank you!
Thank you so much. I'm glad you liked it :-)
Hell you people are loving the gory stuff.
@@barbaraclayton2171 Me too.
It projects the dull sense of human beings in general as in death, if bodies aren't embalmed properly immediately, yes they will stink very quickly, they oooze gasses, discharge waste, from all orifices, you get the picture. Given his shocking diet, intestinal worms, length of time, yes, he blew out, stunk the place out, lay in state in most undignified manner, befitting of the bloodthirsty Narcissistic tyrant he was! Dog do BTW eat decaying matter, if that weren't the case they wouldn't bury bones with meat on, to dig up at random!!
If we look at the Story of Lazarus whom Jesus resurrected on the 4th day on purpose, and when the stone was rolled back..it was rather offensive..
Till he was,transformed to life, for all to witness Resurrection!
4 days..bad pong, 2 weeks..foul, dangerous, toxic!
This has become one of my favourite history channels.
Really appreciate the way you present information, citing primary and secondary sources and references along with a critical assessment of their objectivity and reliability.
Thank you :-)
It’s an absolute pleasure to have come across your channel. Much appreciated.
Thank you. You're very welcome :-)
I seem to recall reading that toward's the end of his life, King Henry VIII stunk from so many putrescent wounds on his body and the could be smelled long before he was noticed.
Indeed. Rotting from the inside out.
Yes, I've read that too. Makes me very grateful for modern medicine!
I have read that, to.
Thank you for looking into this story. I've often wondered about it.
I personally believe both. My geography teacher always claimed that no matter how outlandish a tale, there's always a kernel of truth; something happened in real life that inspired it. I tend to agree with her logic. Wolves have been known to dig up corpses, so I imagine a dog (especially if feral) would try to eat a dead body if given have the chance. In this case, the blood would have been the only part the dog could get. I also believe that a lot of people probably thought Henry VIII was like Ahab, although most of them probably refrained from making the comparison aloud. We also know that every now and then, poetic justice and strange coincidences do occur. However, we also know legends tend to become embellished, especially with the passage of time, and we know that for centuries, myths about Henry VIII have been accepted as fact.
Is it plausible that there was an accurate prophecy? In theory, yes. However, I think it's more likely that someone took scraps of truth here and there and wove them all together to connect them into the same story. People do that all the time and call it "historical fiction novels." (I personally find them quite entertaining.)
As for the exploding body, I'd guess it probably happened. Seems scientifically sound, and why would anyone make up, "This king remained dignified as he was laid to rest. This one exploded"?
Yes, I think something probably happened at Syon too but some embellishment is certainly possible.
@Sign In You don't know that.
@@HistoryCallingas my father-in-law used to always say, "Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story!"seems like a very plausible explanation for a lot of the Tudor myths and stories.
I feel Henry's body could have exploded. One factor was not mentioned and that was the sore on his leg. If I understand correctly, he had a stench about him from open sores on his leg. Could have been a steph infection that was never cured. If this is so, his body would have been in terrible shape. Working in a pharmacy I've worked with people with steph infections on their legs and it is a very strong, stench. I think after death the infection could have caused an explosion because they did not have ways to control the temperature around a decaying body that full of infection.
Yes, I think that's a good point. People did indeed comment on the smell while he was still alive and it certainly can't have helped with the stench after his death. I think the gaseous build-up could have caused a rupture regardless, but the sores may have been a contributing factor to how unpleasant the whole situation was.
I think Henry's leg wound became a chronic ulcer, probably very similar to the way pressure sores can break down if someone who can't be mobile gets one. I have spina bifida so I'm not mobile. Last year I had a level four pressure sore on my spina bifida lesion. At its worst the pressure sore stank despite not being remotely infected, because the pressure sore was killing the surrounding tissue. With lots of work my pressure sore cleared up eventually, but in the meantime the smell was horrific because of the dead tissue and it gave me some idea of what Henry must have experienced and I definitely had no infection, so I'm not sure Henry had one either. I think Henry died from the effects of diabetes. He was morbidly obese, which would be enough to trigger diabetes. That in turn would have impacted on his body's ability to heal. His eyesight was bad, which was probably glaucoma. There are several other issues that were probably diabetes related. I think the explosion was just an escape of gases that can happen to any body after death.
staphylococcal infection…is how it is correctly spelt…if you work in a pharmacy you should know this?
@@veep2240 worked there for over 18 years we just put staph.
I'm thinking that he might have suffered from diabetes, given his obesity. That would explain the leg sores. He died before he would lose his limbs, which would have killed him anyway.
Thank you for this. I have heard of this before but my problem with a lot of these stories is that they’re written so long afterwards. Anne of Cleves as a point . They said Henry called her The flinders Mare and that was never said and yet people believe it. He was so huge and he had quite a bumpy journey. I can’t really see that he was left alone overnight . The mourners would not have done that for their own souls. Guess the answer is ‘maybe’. The William story is well known and his body was carried a long way, same with Henry. They were written about pretty well straight away. I would have loved to see George’s Chapel but it was closed the only day we were there. It was raining and my husband had a walker. A guide took us through a door that said “ private entrance’ and down a corridor on which the right hand door said “ queens private entrance”. He showed us some of the damaged art work ( heartbreaking), the dinner service used for Charles and Di’s wedding ( jaw dropping) and then said “ want to see what they’re using for Her Majesty’s jubilee?” Don’t know which one but we were there in 2003. Such a lovely man. Think he heard the heartbreak in my voice and then showed respect for my hubby and the rain. We certainly didn’t expect it but I will never, ever forget it. 👵👵👵🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺
That's a lovely story about the guide taking you in. The Chapel is beautiful, but I found the Henry VIII vault pretty underwhelming as there's just a Victorian marker slab in the floor. I'm sure Henry would have been livid at such a modest memorial, placed there so long after the fact (serves him right though in my opinion).
Oh, thank you for that. Makes me feel like I’ve seen it through personal eyes. How kind. 🙏🙏🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺👵👵
@@HistoryCalling Perhaps no one stayed in the room with the coffin because it stank 🤢
Flanders not Flinders just to correct a single error
Apologies June, I did mean to type Flanders. Whether I did anyway and auto correct changed it who knows. Sometimes the words they can make are just astonishing. Apologies again, I should have checked. Half the time I’m typing around a cst sho totalh ( see. Left it for you) - around a cat who totally disapproves of iPads, 🐈⬛🐈⬛🐈⬛🐈⬛🐈⬛
Very interesting, it would seem poetic justice after some of his actions 😊
Yes, I think so too.
I’m so glad that you posted this because I’ve actually been looking into this exact topic in the last few days.
Haha, great minds think alike. Glad I could be of help.
I greatly appreciate your passion, and hard work. Thank you.
My pleasure. Thank you for such a nice comment :-)
As always a remarkable video and a solid professional presentation. Keep up the amazing work you provide to all of us.
Thank you. Will do :-)
I knew a woman in our church growing up who had open, oozing postules in her breasts caused by cancer that was left untreated. I remember the smell that radiated from her entire body. She was basically rotting alive, much like Henry VIII. I will never forget it.
Oh, that's awful. Poor woman :-(
I wager that all the people who were killed by Henry would have laughed watching the scene . I understand the political need of divorcing from Katherine of Aragon, and therefore the need for breaking from Rome, but he will never get rid of the fame of being the king who sent hundreds of people to death, plus two of his two wives, no matter the reasons he had, and the fact that other monarchs persecuted people of other religions who opposed his decisions.
I think there was so much of him, he absolutely exploded!
Yes, that may have been a factor, but then again all bodies decompose and Henry may have lost weight in his final weeks/days if he was too ill to eat. It would be interesting to know what size William the Conqueror was at his death. As the information on his body was just a little extra aside, rather than the focus of the video, I didn't look to see if there was any info. on his body shape by the time of his death.
@@HistoryCalling mmm...that looks like an interesting rabbit hole to get lost in...oh but then I'll not see this one or that one or the other one until I come back up again...there's just so many rabbit holes...but that one does look really nice...
As soon as I started typing that I felt like a cartoon character. But I'm with Terri V above, your videos are varied and interesting, you've done all the mining. A must-click every week!
@@HistoryCalling William had always been a big guy but gained weight as he aged.. According to one story, in his last battle he was thrown forward against the high wooden pommel of his saddle, rupturing his bulging belly. Charming picture. But just as with Henry VIII, you have to consider the sources writing about William. These clerical writers had a religious axe to grind and were anxious to have him repenting for his many "sins" and to show that he came to a well-deserved ignominious end.
@@rosemaguire994 Look lively lads , here comes old stinky !
@ Rose Maguire, that is so sad about the poor Clydesdale horse :(
Depends on how embalming was done in those times. Surely Henry VIII was pretty much rotten when he dies and he had unsealed sores. Pustules could have split open and drained. Not sure even a dog would lick up pus…. So that part I doubt. I imagine his skin after 2 weeks would have become even more fragile and could easily split. Just desserts for Henry VIII!
Yes, I think it must've been a horrible situation and as you say, the condition he was in at the time of death won't have helped matters. There's a part of me too which thinks he got what he deserved after how badly he'd treated other people. Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard didn't get to die in their own beds after all, or even have the dignity of a coffin (leaking or not).
@@HistoryCalling while Anne Boleyn was falsely charged and executed, Katherine Howard very much was guilty.
A dog will eat and lick anything that is rotting, smelly and gross. They love this stuff. They aren't interested in flowers and rose petals.
I read that after Abraham Lincoln was killed, his body was transported around America by train for quite some time and exhibited to people. Might be worth a video!
Oh, that's interesting. I'd never heard that before. I have his assassination on my list of videos actually, so if/when I get to it (my list is super long now) I'll try to remember to include that information. Thanks for the tip :-)
President A. Lincoln was also buried and dug up and re-buried a few times. Definitely look into him.
@@HistoryCalling Lincoln’s funeral cortège was quite a spectacle. Crowds were allowed to view his body at each stop, so embalmers and make-up artists traveled with the train to freshen up the corpse. Fun fact: prior to the Kennedy assassination, the US didn’t have a standard plan for a state funeral. It was Jackie Kennedy Onassis who had research done on the Lincoln funeral in order to help plan the Kennedy funeral. Every presidential funeral since that time has used that as the template. Presidents (who start planning funerals about two years into their first term) can make whatever changes they like, but most stick pretty close to the script.
President Lincoln's body was the subject of several kidnapping attempts and presently the body + coffin are submerged in concrete by the order of his son Robert, to prevent another attempt. There was a 13 year old boy present at that event in 1901, when the coffin was opened for the last time. Fleetwood Lindley died in 1963 and was the last living person to have seen the body of the President.
Agreed, read some stories, the embalming of that day made for interesting results.
What he did to poor Anne Boleyn and her brother..........he deserved everything he got !!!!
Yes, I think he had an unpleasant end coming too. I wonder sometimes if he thought that his miserable death was punishment too.
The Boleyns were ruthless opportunists. They played. They lost. And many innocent people suffered for many years because of it.
Honestly there is a very real explanation for this. As a hospice nurse who has seen many very obese patients, the liquid that fills very obese patients with congestive heart failure, leeks out once the person has passed. In modern day, they put those patients in a plastic bag before dressing so that they don't leak all over the coffin. This happened to my father as he was very obese and diabetic and had major edema when he died from Congestive heart failure. It isn't really a problem for nurses to believe that his blood or body fluids could have leaked out of very rudimentary coffins with out rubber or plastic lining. The embalmers may not of done a good job, and he did have an infection of a stasis ulcer on his leg that could have progressed to septicemia.
I wonder how much ole Henry weighed when he shuffled off this mortal coil.
Not as much right before his guts exploded out his asshole.
I read in history books henry was 21 stone
@@eileencoburn8631 and enjoyed an all meat diet.
Most historians believe he weighed around 400 pounds at his death
I don't buy the dogs licking up Henry's blood/pus from his coffin, but it is entirely possible that the coffin burst because of his weight, his pustules on his leg, (which I believe was gangrenous, and needed to be amputated), and his body burst due to all of this, and from the rudimentary embalming techniques at the time.
Thank you history calling, superb as always, until next week. take care and stay safe.
Thanks, you too. :-)
@@HistoryCalling always a plesure history calling, thank you.
Love your channel....can listen to you speak all day.
Wow, thank you :-)
It's awful but bodies do explode, although it's much more rare now, due to modern embalming methods. Supposedly, Oscar Wilde's body also blew up, due to poor health and poor medical care. Anyway, gruesome but fascinating. Thank you for your hard work and excellent videos.
Ah, I didn't know about Oscar Wilde, though I did read some other horror stories while researching this that I decided not to include. In particular, let's just say that the trend for above ground burials in mausoleums like the one Marilyn Monroe is interred in, really isn't a good idea! Thanks for watching and commenting. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
@@HistoryCalling OMG the thought of MM blowing up is to gruesome to think about.
They actually have a system now. To prevent this from happening above ground. Check out a video done by ask a mortician aka Caitlyn Dougherty. She has done several videos on the Victorian era.
@@janecourtenay3676 This did not happen to her body but it has been know to happen in mausoleums if the casket is sealed too tightly and/or the drainage system in the mausoleum is faulty.
@@ilanamillion8942 yes! They leave them actually somewhat unsealed for this purpose now.
What a great job you have done with your channel. Subscriber!
I can't imagine any method of embalming that would leave the blood palatable even for dogs. Bowels often let loose, sometimes immediately, as the muscles relax, sometimes later when the muscles decompose. I would not bet money on any of these stories.
I wouldn't bet on them either, given the choice.
It's more likely to have been embalming fluid. Surely bodies are drained of blood as part of the process of preservation.
Henry had the very best embalming and funeral practice. Henry was in pain and had problems after his joust misfortune and his personality did change.
Surely no dogs licked his blood or would be allowed near his body. In February in England you are very unlikely to have postmortem bleeding or bloating which only lasts a couple weeks anyway. - too darn cold.
You have a lovely accent - My mother was a direct descendant of Bothwell , the lord admiral as i'm sure you know.... Well done !
Thanks Alex. I wondered about the cold too, but while he lay in state in Whitehall he could well have been placed next to a big cosy fireplace for all we know. Just a theory :-)
If it’s above freezing, which it probably would have been due to status, the bacteria in his gut would have multiplied, this gives off gases. The gases built up….and, he exploded. It happens, even in this day and age. He was riddled with bacteria anyway, wouldn’t surprise me one bit if he bloated, and popped.
I always enjoy your videos. My dads side of the family is all English and so I have always had a fascination with English History . Henry Vlll is just a tragic story that hurt so many women.
Eustace Chapuys is often a reliable primary source for reference at the Tudor court. I'd love to know more about him and his power and dipomatic role. I'd love it if you could make him the subject of one of your videos, or if not could you point me the the right dirrection for a good biograhpy.
He is a fascinating character. Sadly I don't know of any full biographies of him. I think he has an entry on the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, but that's as much as I know. I'm not sure that there's enough available about his personal life to make a video on him, but perhaps a short one would be possible at some stage, using the ODNB to help me create it.
I believe it’s as likely as the case of William the Conqueror, in which something ignominious happened with his dead body too. I’ve always thought it was fitting karma for those two men, to have inglorious deaths in the extreme, since they made sure they had “glorious” (in a self-serving, tyrannical sort of way) lives while on earth, getting their power by simply being the best mass murderers of their time. Apparently the cosmos thought he’d had enough glory and wanted to send him onto eternity in a way that may have reminded them in the end their butts were actually not really made of gold as they might’ve thought.
I refuse to believe a dog would stoop to two week old decay as a meal. But I've been surprised by what my dog is willing to put in her mouth so.....
I wondered too, but perhaps it was just having a sniff :-)
I just spent an entire day nursing a sick dog back to health because he ate something long dead. And it’s not the first time. Never underestimate a dogs ability to do something truly disgusting.
Animals eat weird stuff, plus it was hard times no Dog Chow back then.
I’m a former police officer. I had a case that was originally considered a suspicious death due to the state of the body. He had been dead several days.
It appeared that the person had been shot in the face. Nope, he had a little dog that ate his nose. The dog was fine. 🤢
@@TheTonialadd wow. Guess dogs aren't that loyal to their masters when it comes to hunger 🤢
I read some years ago that Henry VIII ordered a court official to have over 4,000 Roman Catholic Masses offered for the repose of his soul upon his death. So the old tyrant died a Catholic after all...Hmmm.
Yes, it's my understanding that Henry pretty much stayed a Catholic in terms of what he believed about God, Jesus, etc. He just didn't like having to answer to the Pope.
@@HistoryCalling thank you.
I heard it was a mess when Henry died…he was so obese that his casket was double sized and since there was no embalming in those days …the post Morten body gases caused gruesome results…this cleared up the mystery
Hmm, there was definitely embalming and Henry had it, it just wasn't always as well developed as practices today.
Embalming certainly existed in Tudor times, and way before them.
The Egyptians were masters at it..afterwards things went backward , then improved in modern times.
@@Ionabrodie69 the ancient Chinese mastered embalming as well, though with different techniques and different results than the Egyptians.
As a PS, I have in my possession, a small piece of King Charles I beard, recovered by the Giffard family, when the coffin was opened. This was given to me, by the Late Ella Giffard, a descendant, of the equerry to the then Prince Regent, or who ever it was, contemporarily to the occasion of the movement of the coffins.
it's probably pubic hair someone gave you as a joke and without documentation I wouldn't go around bragging about this.
@@paulthomson2288 Actually, it is well documented as were the ribbons that were cut off his vest. I can’t be bothered to brag about any aspects of my life, most, if not all of which are marred with melancholy undertones.
Get it DNA tested!
@@paulthomson2288 Several of Charles I hairs frequently come onto the market to be sold...
@@paulthomson2288 ew ew and more ew
Oh my. Exploding Kings?? Sounds like an 80's glam band 🤣🤣Being a Tudor Connoisseur, I shall look forward to this a bit later. Like dropped for the algorithm. Thanks for posting. 😊👍
Thanks Chris. Enjoy it later (maybe not while you're eating anything!) :-)
Ahh I did not expect my own accent here! Great video.
Ashes to ashes dust to dust. We leave this Earth and doesn't take long that we get forgotten on this Earth. Because of man's sin! The Lord takes us home to be with him! Amen!
Just realized why Henry's face has a strange quality: his mouth (in portraits, at least) was no
wider than his nose. Not common for a human face...and certainly not a male human face.
Great video! I always wondered if this was true.
On an unrelated side note - why was only one of Anne’s babies buried in Henry’s vault?
Great question. I've wondered that myself. Perhaps it was the only place they could fit it in? Maybe they were working on the vault at the time for some other (unrecorded) reason and it was just convenient to put it there, as the vault was already open?
Love, love , your info. Keep them coming
I don't know much about dead bodies, but I am sure the dogs didn't even lick the body. They can smell rotten and infections from miles away and would mostly find another source of food or starve before eating something that would poisoned them.
As much as I would want this to be true, I say no. There would’ve been credible documentation. I felt so bad for the mourners of William the Conqueror. The Stench of William’s body stays on the people’s skin for a while due to the gasses. It’s more sickening with the poor sanitation of that time. 🤢
Oh ick, I hadn't thought about the smell clinging to skin and clothes (and in an era before regular and thorough washing too).
Just wish that you had writing for hard of hearing people.
@@barbaraclayton2171 you could just turn on the closed caption setting.
Now ancient romans had good sanitation as far as we know.They had heated baths ,hot and cold running water,etc. It makes you wonder about the bodies of the italian rulers of various areas of the country. Like the Borgias, Medicis etc. Now they of course had dealings with the Ancient Eygptians, and could have learned some of their embalming techniques.
@@barbaraclayton2171 can you hit cc for captioning? It’s top right on screen, I use that all the time. Have to.
Thank you so much for these interesting and informative videos.
You're welcome. Thank you for watching and commenting.
There have been many cases of this happening to the deceased to this day. Bad embalming, larger bodies, diseased bodies. But of course religious people like to look at such happenings in a way that supports their beliefs.
Having stood over the tomb of Henry VIII in that chapel, I never suspected the level of gore that occurred near that spot. Regardless, I relish the thought that this is the fate awaiting all men who chronically abuse women👍
The fate that awaits ANYBODY who abuses another person or animal,abuse is not species specific, gender specific,age specific,race specific, religiously specific - I'm so over people prioritising abuse towards females as the only evil type of abuse - grow up
Would have been nice if it happened while he was alive..
Ah, just found you on Instagram! Awesome 🤩!
Thank you (and welcome) :-)
Oh my gosh I feel so sorry for people who had to go in the room imagine 🤢🤢 imagine if Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard only got a divorce by Henry and they were alive when Henry died what would there reaction be hearing the death of Henry
Relief I would imagine :-)
They would have had a celebration on hearing of the king's death!
My favorite Northern Irish narrator , Thank You
A really interesting video. The source critical comparisons were really well done. As an historian I appreciated this.
Thank you. I'm glad you liked it :-)
According to what I've heard about Henry, other than being in poor health and obese, he had poor personal hygiene that he reeked badly due numerous bloodletting on his infected leg and not cleaning it thoroughly. The day of his, he collapse and puss was spewed from his leg that some dog nearby licked it up.
Back then people bathed once a year, if even that.
I believe he was in a state of decomposition where gasses built up enough for him to maybe split open and leak fluids but I do not think he exploded. That might of been an exaggeration. As far as the dog? Who knows but that's pretty gross.
Once again, your passion for history shines through, making this gruesome subject matter eminently watchable and even entertaining. I might consider this a prelude to your Halloween videos. BTW, I was looking over the comments and noticed your reticence on delving into ancient Egypt again. Personally I'd love to see you tackle that subject again, be it Cleopatra or anything that appeals to you as a historian. I don't know if you're familiar with John Romer's PBS series "Ancient Lives" from 1984; the scenes of him wandering around the Valley of the Kings very much remind me of the enthusiasm you bring to each of your videos. Thank you.
I'm not familiar with that series, but I'll look it up. Yes, I am a bit hesitant, given that the Library of Alexandria video really didn't perform very well and (sadly) I do have to be guided to an extent by what'll bring in views and therefore money. Cleopatra might be worth a shot at some point though, given how famous she is (mind you, Mary, Queen of Scots is also very famous and I was pretty underwhelmed with her video's performance too).
@@HistoryCalling With the plethora of historical videos on TH-cam, I understand the importance of you maintaining an awareness of the viewer numbers. It's essential and in the long run benefits viewers like myself who look forward to your weekly forays into the vast historical landscape. I'll keep learning while you (please) keep posting. Be well.
I think one has to understand the mindset of the folks who said these things. They weren't as obsessed with the literal truth of a tale as we are today. Legends that everyone knows are not true may still be powerful.
Modern above ground crypts have drains for this very reason. After death, bodies often bloat and burst open. Explode is a bit hyperbolic.
Queen Mary's father is said to have gone pop during his funeral in St. George's Chapel in 1900.
explode
[ikˈsplōd]
VERB
burst or shatter violently and noisily as a result of rapid combustion, decomposition, excessive internal pressure, or other process, typically scattering fragments widely.
sounds like "explode" is a perfect definition.
as a true crime enthusiast i think it is absolutely possible the body could have exploded, i’m no scientist or anything but from what i’ve heard in a lot of cases bodies can bloat or explode depending on conditions. in that case i’m sure it would have leaked 😷
Yes, I think it could have ruptured too. It seems to have been quite common based on my research for this video.
All bodies explode in the coffin to some degree , the gases from the gut build up and pressure the coffin .
Very true. Had his lead coffin been airtight though (as Jane Seymour's and Charles I's appear to have been), there shouldn't have been this kind of leakage as the metal should have been able to withstand the pressure.
I like your stories and how well you research them, thank you.
Gruesome and interesting - In Henry's case, it would be possible for his body to explode, as the embalmers weren't let in to work on the body for a number of days after he died. So, working on an already decaying body. And his funeral took place far quicker than most of that era. I believe the usual length of time, between death and burial, was one month during that era. Henry's burial took place two weeks after he died, so it didn't give the embalmers a great deal of time to do a good job.
Yes, that's a good point about Henry's death being kept quiet to ensure a smooth transition to the
Protectorate. That presumably did lead to the embalmers not getting to work as soon as they might have done otherwise.
As a professional embalmer, I’m sure he was full of bacteria 🦠 and post mortem gases. All that travelling would have mixed up a time bomb. The way they embalmed with traditional oils and incense would not have killed off all the bacteria. I’m sure he exploded. Smells awful.
I'm not going to say anything about Henry. I've just started reading "The White Ship" by Charles Spencer. He talks about William the Conqueror and his death. He states that William's sarcophagus had been carved years earlier when William was a much more trim man. By the time of his death he had put on a lot of weight, as most people do, and that he simply didn't fit. They tried to fold him in and his bowels burst. The story of the stench is much as you have quoted. When reading and hearing about these royal burials, it seems there was a lot of time between death and burial. Decomposition begins the moment a person dies. Depending on the ambient temperature, putrefaction can set in very quickly. Back in America's Colonial time and up until the early 1800's, people were buried within 2 days. Frequently they were buried the same day.
If it did happen it was poetic justice and also its possibly happening on our holiday of valentines day makes it more so fitting...
Yes I'm pretty sure that Henry's body leaked body fluid as they held him instate for so long and even when a body is embalmed is still rots and imagine the horrid smell of those poor people having to clean up that horrid mess and the smell would have been gruesome. Second any one knowing dogs knows they are sneaky and could sneak in with no problem at all whether the casket was guarded or not. But most important there was no reason to make up a story like that back then. Royals always hid truths about themselves and would not want the story out about Henry deposing and leaking out of his coffin and specially of a dog licking the fluid.
I believe Henry's body burst. The explosion of a corpse depends on what the person digested. Certain things do not create gas as in nettles.
There are many naturally mummified corpses of Buddhist & Tibetan Buddhist monks. They choose to enter a meditation they will never awaken from in this world.
They have only digested certain plants or seeds which will not decay and cause gas.
It is said by Buddhist monks that they are not dead, only in meditation.
They meditate for peace eternally giving up life in the material world.
You can find photos and videos of these monks online.
Very interesting subject you have posted today. I imagine Henry's colon was stretched and distended. Since we have extremely long intestines, it takes a long time for our food, especially meat and fat to digest. His intestines maybe because of worms and parasites, did not digest anything effectively.
In those days, the servants were not allowed to wash their hands only nobles, royals and aristocrats.
Very ignorant of them. The people who prepare your food should be the ones with clean hands.
Richard III was found to have had worms and parasites in his intestines.
I can imagine this caused them to weaken. The immune system cannot fight off illness. This may be why plagues had such a hefty toll?
Possibly why most monarchs had a very short reign.
Girl u should have been a detective ur videos are amazing and u always do extensive research on ur topics.. Other "historian youtubers" should take notes bc this channel is very thorough..Ur content is appreciated ❤
Thank you so much!! :-)
Iv just found your channel, i have loved the stories on Henry V111 iv learned so much. Thank you from a new subscriber
It is plausible for a corpse to explode if the embalming was less than up to par. As you stated, the techniques used in 1547 were not as sophisticated as those in 2021. What puzzles me is why hasn't the Dean of Windsor petitioned the Crown to repair Henry's coffin? Or, has it been done but no reports given so that videographers are aware of it?
That's a really good question. I've never heard of it being done. Presumably they just assume that it's not worth the money or effort as it's been in that condition since at least 1813?
@@HistoryCalling well, while I am personally not a fan of the old fart, even though I am a cradle Episcopalian, it just seems disrespectful to leave someone's remains in that condition. Even the poorest of mummies in Egypt are treated with respect. Any disintered remains accidently discovered in Israel are placed in ossuaries and reburied in hallowed ground. We do the same here in the States. Surely Her Majesty could afford to have her ever so great great uncle placed in a new coffin?
@@maryellencook9528 I get where youre coming from, but mummies have never been treated with respect. Most of them are gone cause they were eaten or turned into painting colors. And now a days they are just opening coffins needlessly. So probably is cause it would cost money to repair and thats whats not needed in this world with starving kids, covid, the war on Ukraine, food shortages etc. I do understand wanting to honor the grave, but if they did that I'd fully expect them to rebury Anne and Catherine Howard in a manner befitting their statuses as queens. You know?
@@SpookyNugs I agree with you 100%. The only problem is that restorers didn't find Catherine Howard's remais at the chapel of St. Peter AD Vincula . I think, but am not sure, that Queen Victoria had Anne Bolyne and the others reburied with appropeiate honors in the late 1870s after the chapel was restored.
@@maryellencook9528 ohhhh I hadnt heard that! I'll have to go look that up. Do you know of any good first hand sources?
I believe that Henry’s body was already “rotting” before his death. There are several accounts that his leg or legs injured in the 1530’s, were continually open and “festering”. The stench from this was mentioned in these accounts. I am not familiar with embalming practices at this time except the removal of vital organs. I doubt very much that anything was done with sanitary and attention to sterile conditions. As far as the prophecy, I would think that those opposed to Henry’s “great matter” would welcome and use it to further the church’s opposition to the dissolution of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. A bit of an “I told you so”, as it were.
Yes, I've read about his leg smelling terrible too and take your point that decomp may have had a head start in his case. I agree too that retroactively saying there was a prophecy about his blood being licked by dogs would have been very helpful as a way to smear his memory and his decision to separate from Rome.
Remember that they waited three days before letting people know the king had died. I can't imagine they let the embalmers in for fear of letting news of Henry's death leak out to the public. His body would have started decaying within hours, if not minutes.
I think he exploded.
"You had me at two more gruesome", ....
Haha, thank you. I thought people might like this video even though the subject matter is rather gross (and the number of views it's already got seems to bear that suspicion out). I think we humans are always a little bit drawn to the icky stories :-)
Many thanks for yet another riveting and informative presentation. Some aspects we will never know for sure if in fact, it would change anything even if we did know. None the less another brilliant narrative of Tudor life and death in a very turbulent time in British history kept alive and warmed by a charming Irish lilt
There is never smoke without fire, so something must have occurred; the story about William I is well documented, and a similar event is recorded of Pope Alexander VI, (Rodrigo Borgia) in 1503. The ante-mortem factors in Henry's case were, his great size, extensive ulceration, particularly of the legs, and the fact that he probably succumbed to septicaemia. Although this was late winter, which would have retarded post-mortem change, no doubt his body would have been kept in less cold indoor conditions, lying-in state, so, indeed there would have been sufficient factors for his body to rupture in the manner described, based on the 2.5 weeks having passed since his decease.
His body was riddled with venereal disease also.
Brilliant video...thank you for your continued passion for history. 😊 I'm not sure if Henry VIII's body exploded per se but I definitely think there would have been substantial leakage of bodily fluids...particularly considering he had already been dead for over 2 weeks by the time his body arrived at the chapel. I've seen that drawing of the coffins before & I find it quite weird that Henry's coffin looks similar in size to Jane's...wasn't it rumoured he was over 200lbs at the time if his death? How did they fit him in that relatively normal sized coffin...🤔🤔🤔
Thank you. The coffin was apparently 6 feet 10 inches long, so possibly the artist got the proportions wrong and has sized one of the coffins up or down, or possibly Jane was put in an oversized coffin.
@@HistoryCalling I do so hope some monarch between the rendering of that picture and now has commissioned the repair of Henry's coffin...I'd hate to think of the remains of such an important English monarch being so exposed where you can actually see his skull. Keep up the brilliant work...I so look forward to your next video. 😊
@@HistoryCalling possible he in coffin with crown on
He had to be over 200 Ibs.
Over four hundred pounds.
Henry ate massive amounts of sugar which involves yeast infections, which happen in the intestines as well genitals. He had candy makers and added sugar to his wine. He was also likely diabetic based on the ulcers on his legs which would not heal and his obesity. Then add what ever medication he was likely given and whatever efforts they may have had.
Perhaps I won't eat lunch before watching further videos of this nature. It is an interesting bit of history. I don't believe that Peto could have predicted that a dog would lick the blood leaking from King Henry VIII's coffin, but it is entirely possible that his body could be leaking fluids in the decomposition process. It wouldn't need to explode to do that, but the gasses in his body could go boom. I'm glad I wasn't there to see it, or smell it.
Yes, this video probably isn't very food friendly :-)
You illustrate well a point I always try to make to my history students (I have for many years been teaching British, American, and Chinese history at a university in China). That point is this: we actually don't have history, as none of us were actually there when it happened. What we have is what some historian tells us is history. Hence, to get closer to "what really happened" we need to examine the historian - his/her motives, political and religious affiliations, who paid him his salary, etc. This is the essence of historiography, and why there is considerable truth to the adage, "all history is historiography." I think your conclusions are quite reasonable. It seems likely that Peto may have made up the prophecy after the fact, but the blood and the dog seem like a real event which many people would have remembered, or would have been able to refute if they were there and saw nothing. Gossip concerning this incident very well may have prompted Peto to invent his prophecy after it had already been fulfilled. I know that is what I would do if I wanted to convince people I had supernatural insight.
Yes, what you say about historiography is so true. One of the best bits of advice a university tutor ever gave me as an undergrad was to tell me (and the rest of my class) that everyone has a bias. As an historian it's your job to figure out what that bias is/was, acknowledge it and do your best to take it into account when drawing your conclusions. Many thanks for watching :-)
Quite a macabre account Especially. I didn't know that about William I and Henry I as well. I heard this before about Henry VIII's post mortem emploding never of his predecessors.
I didn't know about them either actually, until I was researching this video. The scary thing is, there were other horrible tales I read about whilst putting this together that I decided not to include as I didn't want my audience to vomit!
@@HistoryCalling I wouldn't have vomited. I like gruesome stories that the soft hearted don't want to hear. I wish I knew more details. Love to hear the scary tales. I come from a rough neighborhood in the late 80s and early 90s, I've seen corpses in alleys walking to school as a child in Elementary School. As Ed Harris says in the film Just Cause: "Spare me nothing." Lol
@@HistoryCalling you know we always want to know 😃
Ok, you asked for it. Google the phrase 'coffin births' and prepare to be grossed out. :-)
Google 'coffin births' and you'll see the main thing I decided not to include (it just didn't seem super relevant or necessary).
Very gruesome story of a nasty evil king, beautifully told in a lovely 'bedtime story telling' tone.
Love history and your accent...tx for the content😇🇺🇲
Thanks for watching and commenting :-)
Another interesting story is the of Funeral of William the Conqueror of 1066 fame. Back in those days with the lack of embalming methods tended to be a lacking.
The body could have burst open I have no doubt especially in a confined space.
The king's blood being licked up by dogs sounds rather fanciful to me though it could have happened as most dogs are opportunistic when they are hungry. I would imagine that dogs kept during that time were either well kept or mongrel dogs living at the edge of that society's perimeter.
He enjoyed a great deal of wine, women, and song. It had to go somewhere eventually after he died. Why not one last bang? If it was good enough for William the Conqueror. Why not Henry VIII? Besides all jokes aside, embalming really wasn't all that top notch at the time. Even for royalty.
Oh, I agree. Some people were well embalmed (Charles I was in incredible condition for instance,, though it wasn't relevant to this video so I didn't include that detail) but with some others, such as Henry, I think it was slap dash at best. It certainly wouldn't have passed muster with the ancient Egyptians given how good they were at it for creating mummies.
@@HistoryCalling you enjoy Egyptian history as well? Besides the Ptolemaic Period? I would be fascinated to see content here of that nature as well. Though the Tudor and general English history are superb for me to watch at work when I have down time.
I like almost all history really, but to be honest my video on the Library of Alexandria didn't do all that well so I think I should take that as a hint to stick to more modern stuff (at least post 1066 anyway). I might risk something on Cleopatra in the future, as I know there's a new movie about her in the offing with Gal Gadot, but that's my only vague plan at the moment as regards the ancient Egyptians.
In a tour of the Tower of London, we were told that Anne had 6 fingers!
Not to come in here getting off-topic, but 15 seconds in I'm asking myself, "Is this the same lass who runs The Sims Lore channel?" If so, hi there!!! 👋🏼😁 and I'm so glad to find you in my news feed (under a different subject). If not.... firstly, sorry for the random/possibly awkward question; but no matter - I am STILL glad to find you in my news feed! 😊
Thanks for the video. A happy New Year to you!!
This was very interesting. However, one detail about Henry VIII that could have explained the liquidation of his body rather rapidly was not mentioned. He had gout. The areas affected by gout may have decomposed faster because they were already festering.
I thought of that (and his weight too), but as I didn't see anything that specifically attributed his supposed explosion to these issues I decided not to mention them, as decomposition does after all happen to everyone and I read lots of other examples that occurred with people not afflicted with gout. Also I didn't want anyone to think I was fat shaming in any way.
@@HistoryCalling Gout was prevalent at that time among the rich because only they could afford the kinds of food that promote the disease. I remember reading that one of the kings who had it threatened or had killed the doctors who didn't give him relief because they told him to quit eating what he wanted. No fat-shaming intended by either of us - from me more like gluttony-shaming!
That was a beautifully told, well-researched, account. Caen is actually pronounced like “Caw(n)” without the ‘n’ at the end. Obviously, I wouldn’t imagine that there’d be any blood dripping or pouring, out of a faulty coffin, but, although no expert in these matters, I’m perfectly certain that there’d be all sorts of other liquids and juices around, to leak out. And dogs do have a penchant for licking all sorts of disgusting things, like excrement and ani of other dogs. Also people’s faces and hands. Hence Faeces to Faces cross-contamination, and the spread of Canis Toxicara (sp?) a parasitic worm which migrates to the (human) eyeball and can cause blindness. But everyone knows this, already, I expect.
Ah, I wondered if I was getting the pronunciation wrong. Thanks for the tip :-) I can't decide if the dog would have licked it up or not. They have such good senses of smell and the stench must have been unbearable. As you say though, they do lick all sorts of other horrible things.
This is despicable yet fascinating