Historical Saturday - Henry VIII and Syphilis - Part 3

Welcome to Part III in my Henry VII Syphilis Series - Today we'll take a look at Henry's children and how they suffered with congential syphilis.

FIRST THOUGH: I'd like to congratulate Jennifer Shirk for signing up to follow me. She won a $6.00 GC for Desert Breeze Publishing. Jennifer contact me at sgcardin1@yahoo.com or botrina_buchanan@yahoo.com with your information so I can get that GC out to you.

Smiles
Steph

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Now, Part III

HENRY VIII & JANE SEYMOUR

During the king’s sexual relations with Anne, it was reported by her that Henry, on occasion, had a hard time sustaining an erection. In fact, Henry had been married to Jane Seymour for seven months before Jane conceived a child. While sources at the time can’t confirm Henry might be going impotent, I suggest this is strong circumstantial evidence he was. After all, we knew he was very virile. Katherine and Anne got pregnant by him almost immediately after consummating their physical relations with him. Also, while Jane Seymour died in childbirth, Edward, Henry’s son by her, was the last known child from Henry VIII. Henry did not get Anne of Cleaves pregnant in their brief marriage. Anne was reported telling one of her ladies that while he was on top, he tried and tried, but could not sustain an erection. In Henry’s next marriage to Katherine Howard, it was reported that due to his weight, she had to get on top of him. Katherine was documented often complaining that Henry could not sustain an erection. As for Henry’s last wife, Katherine Parr, while unconfirmed, I doubt they attempted sexual intercourse. Parr outlived Henry and entered into a marriage with Thomas Seymour, Jane’s brother. Parr gave birth to a healthy girl who never showed any signs of congenital syphilis.

The interesting question history now poses is this: Did Edward VI suffer from congenital syphilis?

It is interesting to note that during Jane Seymour’s pregnancy, Henry developed a strange lesion on the side of his nose, a further tell-tale symptom of tertiary syphilis and secondary symptoms. Also, during this time, Henry started to go prematurely gray and grow fat. Within four years, his doublet would have expanded to fit 3 of the biggest men of the time.

Jane Seymour suffered a hard, three day labor. Reports as to her son’s health were mixed. As for Jane, the childbirth was excruciating. Given the documented evidence that exists, there was probably a tear in her perineum which got infected and this infection developed into perpetual fever which killed her. She did not die from symptoms of syphilis. Ironically, Henry had ordered clean sheets and the finest linens for his son, while Jane recovered in dirty and unsanitary conditions. If he had ordered the clean sheets and hygienic conditions for her, she might have lived.

History is inconsistent as to Prince Edward’s health in his early years. One source documents he had a healthy, lusty cry, while the other states, “he was never a robust child.”

Circumstantial evidence leans toward Edward having congenital syphilis. After all, his sister, Mary, suffered from it and she was now 20. Henry and Jane had unprotected sex for seven months before she conceived. Remember that lesion he developed on his face? His secondary symptoms were active. I assert that Henry had an open sore while his secondary symptoms of syphilis were flaring up and he gave Jane syphilis.

Weir writes that Edward thrived under the care of a wet nurse. Henry imposed high standards of hygiene regarding his son, yet Edward did have reported problems teething. This would be a symptom of congenital syphilis. When Edward was four it was reported he had a bad fever. He was occasionally ill in childhood and suffered from poor eyesight, but enjoyed good health until the last six months of his life. Again, a child with congenital syphilis could display all of this and be considered “healthy.” Mary Tudor’s own health demonstrated this.

In 1546, Henry VIII was 54 years old. He could barely walk and became absentminded. When he finally died, the stench of his bursting leg ulcers consumed the room.

Interestingly, the king’s doctors never thought for one minute he suffered from syphilis.

When Henry died, his 9 year old son came to the throne under a regency due to his age. Edward VI died when he was 15. The general consensus of the medical doctors was consumption, and while it was probable Edward did suffer and die from this, most of the symptoms given for his poor health in the last six months of his life are consistent with congenital syphilis. Edward was now a teenager and exhibiting signs of the tertiary phase. His symptoms included hair loss, the loss of his nails, swollen legs and arms, flu-like symptoms, chronic coughing (possibly due to the consumption) and rash-like bed sores. It was noted that he ejected a greenish-yellow, black and pinkish matter from his mouth which would support a diagnosis of consumption. However, I assert that the totality of symptoms also indicate Edward had congenital syphilis and tertiary stage symptoms which contributed to his death.

MARY I

Edward died in July 1553. Mary came to the throne in her own right. She was 37. Almost immediately, Mary went about finding a husband. She married the Spanish prince, Phillip in July 1554. While it was known that Phillip didn’t care for his wife, I do believe they did have sexual relations. Mary reported she was pregnant in November 1554, however, she would have the same problems regarding her pregnancies that her mother had, especially if she suffered from congenital syphilis. Doctors from Mary’s time document her child bearing problems as “phantom pregnancies.” Basically, that she was so desirous to be pregnant, she thought she was when she wasn’t. What makes more sense is that Mary, if she was pregnant, would have difficulty carrying to term because of the congenital syphilis. But, was congenital syphilis the cause of her “phantom” pregnancies?

What we do know is this: throughout her life, Mary was in poor health. She had problems with her eyesight, headaches, and infrequent menstruation. During her first reported pregnancy, doctors did document symptoms of pregnancy including an enlarging belly and lactation. What most likely happened was a pregnancy that she miscarried without realizing it. This would be very probably considering the condition she had. After a while, her symptoms went away and nobody talked about it to Queen. In February 1558, Mary thought she was pregnant again, but doctors thought his was another phantom pregnancy. Again, she had symptoms of pregnancy that went away. What I believe at this time is that Mary probably suffered from reproductive problems, possibility cysts, fibroids, and even ovarian/cervical cancer, giving the confusing range of symptoms the doctors reported. As her symptoms from the pregnancy faded, her health took a turn for the worst. As an interesting note, it was reported Phillip found sex with Mary intolerable, complaining of a gynecological condition.

Weir states that Mary had a malignant tumor in her womb, and that Mary died of cancer. This could very well be. There is more credible evidence to support that Mary died of “female” problems, as opposed to the congenital syphilis she suffered from. Mary was 42 when she died, proving that a child with congenital syphilis could live and thrive despite the symptoms that haunted her all her life.

ELIZABETH I

Elizabeth, Henry’s daughter with Anne Boleyn, was not reported to have any symptoms of congenital syphilis. She lived to be a ripe old age of 68 (considered a ripe old age for the times).

I would assert that if Elizabeth had married and had children, they would have been free of the taint of syphilis.

It is ironic that Henry’s greatest prize, Edward VI, would die such a painful death, so early in life and his greatest shame, Elizabeth, would be remembered for her successful reign. It is also ironic that Henry’s shameful behavior toward his daughter, coupled with Thomas Seymour’s amorous advances toward Elizabeth while her stepmother, Katherine Parr, was pregnant with Seymour’s child, soured her on the idea of marriage and having children herself. If she had a child, I would assert that it would have had a lusty cry, free of the taint of syphilis and it would have carried the Tudor dynasty forward into the next century.

CONCULSION

Henry’s promiscuous behavior led to him contracting syphilis and giving it to his wives. This active strand of syphilis made it near impossible for him to have an heir – be it a girl or a boy. Mary and Edward died, having been haunted by congenital syphilis all their lives, and Elizabeth, who could have carried on the Tudor dynasty, had no desire to get married and have children. She simply did not want to have herself subjected to a man’s will after experiencing her father’s.

Henry will always be remembered as a charismatic, dashing young man, and an old, fat king. The hallmark of his reign brought about the downfall of the Catholic Church in England, but he will forever be remembered for his six wives – wives who tried to please him but were doomed to fail due to the syphilis which haunted him practically all his life.


References:
Book: The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Alison Weir, 1991, Ballantine Books, 642 pages.
Internet:
http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/syphilis.cfm
http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/pregnancy/a/syphinpregancy.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_I_of_England
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_VIII_of_England
http://www.tudorhistory.org/henry8/
http://www.cdc.gov/std/syphilis/STDFact-Syphilis.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syphilis
http://syphilis.emedtv.com/syphilis/syphilis-in-pregnant-women.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_VII_of_England
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_of_Aragon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur,_Prince_of_Wales
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Boleyn
http://en.wiki http://englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/edward6.html pedia.org/wiki/Edward_VI_of_England

History Saturday - Henry VIII and Syphilis - Part 2

Jonathon Rhys-Meyers from "The Tudors" as Henry VIII

This Saturday continues my Henry VIII series and takes a look at how syphilis affects pregnant woman and how it effects the women who bore Henry children.

SYPHILIS OF THE INNOCENT

The above phrase was used early in the 1900’s to refer to a pregnant woman who had syphilis. If the syphilis bacteria is in a pregnant woman’s bloodstream, it can cross the placenta at anytime during the pregnancy and infect the growing fetus.

In today’s age of modern medicine, if this is detected early in a pregnancy, the woman and fetus can be treated. Again, medicine was not advanced enough in the 1500’s to treat this. Syphilis in a pregnant woman, left untreated, can cause a miscarriage, still birth, or a baby who dies soon after birth. Syphilis increases preterm delivery and intrauterine growth restriction.

Here are the stats: If a pregnant woman has untreated syphilis, 25 percent of the pregnancies result in a miscarriage or a still birth. Between 40-70% live birth children result in a syphilis infected infant. This infection in an infant is known as congenital syphilis.

An infected baby born with syphilis would have all or some of the following symptoms: jaundice, swollen arms and legs, a weak cry, possibly pneumonia, sores, rashes, and fevers. If left untreated, as infants grow into children and teenagers, they will have symptoms of late stage syphilis: damage to their bones, teeth, eyes, ears, and brain.

Now armed with this information, it’s time to visit the 1500’s. Doctors knew syphilis existed in Henry’s day. The standard, proven treatment was mercury, believe it or not. They just didn’t understand how syphilis ravaged the body.

HENRY VIII & KATHERINE OF ARAGON

Henry Tudor, Henry VII’s second son, was born on June 28, 1491. Little is known about his childhood. He was groomed for a vocation in the church while Arthur was groomed for the throne. In 1494, Henry was made the Duke of York. He was fluent in Latin, French, and Spanish.

On 14 November, 1501, Prince Arthur married Katherine of Aragon, from Spain. He was 15, she was just shy of her 15th birthday. Prince Henry was 10. Four months later in March 1502, Arthur died. The most likely cause was consumption, untreated tuberculosis, given the symptoms he had.

In 1502, 10 year old Henry became Henry VII’s heir. From that time on, he was groomed to take the English throne. Henry VII had a problem, now. He had taken Katherine’s Spanish dowry, spent it, and had no desire to give it back, yet that was what was expected of him, so he promised that Henry would marry Katherine when he was old enough. Still, Henry VII wasn’t thrilled with allowing a marriage between his son and Katherine and he kept putting it off. Henry VII did receive the required Papal Disposition to marry Katherine and Henry, but he did not act on it.

A year after losing his heir, Henry VII lost his beloved wife, Elizabeth, who died in childbirth in 1503. Henry VII was 46 years old. He made half-hearted plans to marry and have more children, but never carried them out. Henry VII died in 1509, at the age of 52. It was reported he never really emotionally recovered from the loss of Arthur and Elizabeth.

Henry VIII came to the throne on April 22, 1509. He was two months shy of his 18th birthday. He was young, handsome, and virile. He was physically active and enjoyed tennis as well as jousting. A picture from that time shows him to be a thin lad. Henry VIII was well educated and just days before he turned 18, he married Katherine of Aragon on 11 Jun 1509. She was 24 years old.

No one knows much of Henry VIII’s time as the Prince of Wales between 1502-1509. We can only suppose a 10 year old boy grew into a 18 year old man. Henry continued his education and excelled in physical sports. Now here, it is my assertion that during this time he became sexually active and contracted syphilis from an undocumented sexual conquest. After all, a young teenage prince having sexual relations with an older woman of questionable habits wouldn’t be unheard of in Henry’s day. Can we all picture a 16 year old boy having his first sexual encounter? Of course. It is an educated guess on my part, but also realistic to believe Henry VIII was not a virgin when he celebrated his wedding night to Katherine in 1509.

The untreated syphilis in Henry’s body was in the active phase when he began having sex with Katherine. I would say Henry was in the primary or secondary phase of syphilis during this time, having recently contracted it. When he bedded his wife, he had to have had an open sore and transmitted the infection to her. Katherine contracted syphilis from Henry and it was untreated in her body as it was untreated in his.

Now we’re going to take a look at Katherine’s childbearing years. Katherine’s first child was a stillborn girl born around or about Dec 31, 1509. It is my strong assertion, based on the medical documentation of her pregnancies, that this stillborn and her further pregnancies were a result of “syphilis of the innocent.” Later on in 1510, she became pregnant again. In January 1511, she gave birth to a son named Henry. He died two months later. Young Prince Henry was sick from birth, suffering from symptoms of a baby born with congenital syphilis. He died 52 days after he was born.

During this time, Henry VIII took his first documented mistress, Elizabeth FitzWalter. I would use as evidence that Henry VIII had a very healthy sexual libido and he freely took mistresses to satisfy his sexual desires. He also strived to be very discrete about it so little is known about how often he enjoyed these conquests, but I would agree with Alison Weir (see her book, the Six Wives of Henry VIII) that it did happen on a regular basis.

Two years later in 1513, Katherine was pregnant a third time. She later lost the child, a boy. The baby was either stillborn or died shortly after birth. Again, I assert that this third pregnancy is strong proof that the syphilis bacteria in Katherine’s bloodstream was highly potent. Knowing the stats as I mentioned above, pregnancies have a 25% chance of ending in a miscarriage or stillborn. Katherine had three pregnancies and had yet to deliver a child that would live past the first year of its birth. During this time, in 1513, Henry VIII was 22 and suffered a bout of small pox, which fortunately, did not leave him scarred.

Katherine’s 4th pregnancy in 1514 resulted in another stillborn son. She was now 29. Katherine’s 5th pregnancy came to term in February 1516 and she gave birth a girl named Mary. Mary grew into childhood but the doctors noted she suffered from poor eyesight, sinus conditions and headaches. She was considered a sickly child, even from birth. Given what we know about congenital syphilis, Mary suffered from this condition from the moment she was born. We’ll take a further look at Mary later on.

Katherine’s 6th pregnancy in 1517 resulted in a miscarriage. Catherine’s 7th and last pregnancy was in 1518. She gave birth to a girl who died a few days later. Katherine was 33 during this last pregnancy. In 1522, when Katherine was 37, it was reported she went through menopause and was unable to have more children, but the syphilis in her bloodstream, a wedding night gift from Henry VIII, had done its work well.

Henry’s next documented and well known mistress was Elizabeth Blount. Weir puts the dates of their affair between 1514-1519. Henry VIII was 28 years old in 1519. Elizabeth Blount gave birth to a healthy baby boy that year. I assert that Henry was in the latent in the phase of syphilis when he had his affair with Elizabeth Blount. He probably entered the latent phase of the disease anywhere between 1510-1519, but probably earlier if he had infected Katherine in 1509. Henry did not have any open sores when he had sex with Elizabeth Blount, thus he did not give the infection to her and she did not transmit it to her child via the placenta. There is no documentation supporting that Henry Fitzroy, Blount’s child, was a sickly child. In fact he lived until 1536. He was 17 years old when he died and according to the documentation, while not confirmed, he probably died from consumption. It is because of this that Henry VIII felt confident he could have a “normal” son.

I assert that Henry had many unnamed mistresses. These women met nothing to him – he used them to satisfy sexual urges, while the Queen, his emotional lover was pregnant. I believe, as Alison Weir does, that the king conducted numerous short and secret affairs.

In 1522, Henry, 31, had two children – a legitimate girl who suffered from congenital syphilis and a healthy son. He also had his father’s long ago counsel haunting the outer recesses of his reign. He wanted an heir who he could leave his throne to and that heir had to be a boy. A girl simply would not do. Henry then began making preparations to name his son with Elizabeth Blount as an heir – just in case.

Between 1518-1522, Henry VIII and Katherine continued to have sexual relations, but Katherine did not get pregnant. It wouldn’t have made a difference. The syphilis bacteria was in her bloodstream and any pregnancy would have little chance of success. Henry found sex with her distasteful now because he reported she suffered from a gynecological condition. What that was, history does not say. As for Elizabeth Blount, once she had Henry’s son, he did not have any more relations with her.

HENRY VIII & MARY BOLEYN

It is believed that in 1522 or 1523, Henry took Mary Boleyn as his mistress until Henry became infatuated with Anne Boleyn, Mary’s sister. During the time of Mary’s affair with Henry VIII, she gave birth to two children, a girl and a boy. Both children were healthy. While Mary was a married women, once she began having sexual relations with the king, she would not have been allowed to sleep with anyone else. There is strong evidence that Henry VIII was the father of Mary’s two children. Again, he was in the latent phase of syphilis. These children were born healthy, with no signs of sickness, and lived long, rewarding lives. Henry did not see fit to acknowledge being their father. He was most likely lulled into a false confidence that he could get a legitimate heir, (if he married someone else) and he had Henry Fitzroy alive and thriving, being groomed to be his heir as well.

In 1524, Henry VIII, now 33, suffered from his first bout of malaria. This would reoccur the rest of his life. In 1526, now 35, Henry suffered from a serious jousting accident. He began to have migraines from it. He also began to suffer from leg ulcers. From this point on, Henry suffered from symptoms of syphilis in the tertiary phase. It was documented that while Henry was in his late 30’s, he underwent a major personality change from being a benevolent ruler to an irrational and hot-tempered despot. His enemies, i.e., Cardinal Wolsley, did not know his mercy and neither did his wives.

In 1525, as Mary was recovering from her second birth, a son she named Henry, her sister, Anne caught his eye. Henry then began his dogged pursuit to make Anne his wife. By now he realized Katherine would never have more children and he needed to have a legitimate son.

HENRY VIII & ANNE BOLEYN

The period between 1525-1533 is known as the king’s great matter because Henry so actively sought to divorce Katherine. In the end, he discarded her to live away from the court. He considered them divorced at this point, but the Catholic Church did not. In January 1533, Henry VIII married Anne Boleyn. He was 42 years old. Henry and Anne’s only living child, Elizabeth, was born in September of that year. I assert that when Henry first began having sex with Anne, he did not have any open sores and did not give her syphilis. Once Anne’s pregnancy was discovered, Henry stopped having sex with her, as was the custom in that time. Thus, she did not contract syphilis in the initial year of her marriage. Elizabeth was born healthy and thriving. There is no medical documentation from the 1500’s that proves otherwise. However, after Anne gave birth to a healthy daughter, I assert that Henry had a flair up of secondary symptoms. Henry gave syphilis to Anne at this point in time. In January 1534, Anne was pregnant again, but due to poor record keeping, the child was either stillborn or a miscarriage. It was rumored she was pregnant shortly after this, but no conclusive proof from reputable sources at the time exist.

In January 1536, Henry suffered from another serious jousting accident. He was 44 years old. Henry was unconscious for several hours before recovering. However, when he did, he was reported to be suffering from aggravated fits of blind rage, severe migraines, and sore throats, symptoms indicative that his syphilis was indeed in the tertiary stage.

Also, in January 1536, Anne suffered her last miscarriage. It was reported the child was a fifteen week old male fetus. Henry was now stunned to witness Katherine’s successive childbirth failures play out again in Anne Boleyn. He sought options to rid himself of Anne. In May 1536, Anne Boleyn was beheaded and Henry married Jane Seymour.

HENRY VIII & JANE SEYMOUR

During the king’s sexual relations with Anne, it was reported by her that Henry, on occasion, had a hard time sustaining an erection. In fact, Henry had been married to Jane Seymour for seven months before Jane conceived a child. While sources at the time can’t confirm Henry might be going impotent, I suggest this is strong circumstantial evidence he was. After all, we knew he was very virile. Katherine and Anne got pregnant by him almost immediately after consummating their physical relations with him. Also, while Jane Seymour died in childbirth, Edward, Henry’s son by her, was the last known child from Henry VIII. Henry did not get Anne of Cleaves pregnant in their brief marriage. Anne was reported telling one of her ladies that while he was on top, he tried and tried, but could not sustain an erection. In Henry’s next marriage to Katherine Howard, it was reported that due to his weight, she had to get on top of him. Katherine was documented often complaining that Henry could not sustain an erection. As for Henry’s last wife, Katherine Parr, while unconfirmed, I doubt they attempted sexual intercourse. Parr outlived Henry and entered into a marriage with Thomas Seymour, Jane’s brother. Parr gave birth to a healthy girl who never showed any signs of congenital syphilis.

The interesting question history now poses is this: Did Edward VI suffer from congenital syphilis?

It is interesting to note that during Jane Seymour’s pregnancy, Henry developed a strange lesion on the side of his nose, a further tell-tale symptom of tertiary syphilis and secondary symptoms. Also, during this time, Henry started to go prematurely gray and grow fat. Within four years, his doublet would have expanded to fit 3 of the biggest men of the time.

Jane Seymour suffered a hard, three day labor. Reports as to her son’s health were mixed. As for Jane, the childbirth was excruciating. Given the documented evidence that exists, there was probably a tear in her perineum which got infected and this infection developed into perpetual fever which killed her. She did not die from symptoms of syphilis. Ironically, Henry had ordered clean sheets and the finest linens for his son, while Jane recovered in dirty and unsanitary conditions. If he had ordered the clean sheets and hygienic conditions for her, she might have lived.

History is inconsistent as to Prince Edward’s health in his early years. One source documents he had a healthy, lusty cry, while the other states, “he was never a robust child.”

Circumstantial evidence leans toward Edward having congenital syphilis. After all, his sister, Mary, suffered from it and she was now 20. Henry and Jane had unprotected sex for seven months before she conceived. Remember that lesion he developed on his face? His secondary symptoms were active. I assert that Henry had an open sore while his secondary symptoms of syphilis were flaring up and he gave Jane syphilis.

Weir writes that Edward thrived under the care of a wet nurse. Henry imposed high standards of hygiene regarding his son, yet Edward did have reported problems teething. This would be a symptom of congenital syphilis. When Edward was four it was reported he had a bad fever. He was occasionally ill in childhood and suffered from poor eyesight, but enjoyed good health until the last six months of his life. Again, a child with congenital syphilis could display all of this and be considered “healthy.” Mary Tudor’s own health demonstrated this.

In 1546, Henry VIII was 54 years old. He could barely walk and became absentminded. When he finally died, the stench of his bursting leg ulcers consumed the room.

Interestingly, the king’s doctors never thought for one minute he suffered from syphilis.

When Henry died, his 9 year old son came to the throne under a regency due to his age. Edward VI died when he was 15. The general consensus of the medical doctors was consumption, and while it was probable Edward did suffer and die from this, most of the symptoms given for his poor health in the last six months of his life are consistent with congenital syphilis. Edward was now a teenager and exhibiting signs of the tertiary phase. His symptoms included hair loss, the loss of his nails, swollen legs and arms, flu-like symptoms, chronic coughing (possibly due to the consumption) and rash-like bed sores. It was noted that he ejected a greenish-yellow, black and pinkish matter from his mouth which would support a diagnosis of consumption. However, I assert that the totality of symptoms also indicate Edward had congenital syphilis and tertiary stage symptoms which contributed to his death.

TO BE CONCLUDED

NEXT: A look at Henry's children who survived to adulthood.

History Saturday - Henry VIII and Syphilis - Part 1

Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as Henry VIII in "The Tudors"


Here are my thoughts on Henry VIII and how syphilis played a part in his life. Enjoy.

Henry VIII. The name evokes Holbein’s famous picture – a tall man, overweight, with a trimmed, neat beard wearing clothes made of the finest cloth. After that, one thinks of his six wives and the toll marriage to Henry took on them. Katherine of Aragon died heartbroken, discarded and divorced in middle age. Anne Boleyn was beheaded for bewitching the king. Jane Seymour died after giving birth. Anne of Cleaves was divorced. Katherine Howard was beheaded for treason after cuckolding the king, and Katherine Parr was forced to walk a tight rope so as not to offend lest she be taken to the axe. Oh, and the real Henry VIII didn’t strike that handsome figure that Jonathon Rhys-Meyers does in the Showtime Series, “The Tudors.” No, the real Henry VIII was vain, selfish, and pitifully indulgent by the end of his life. That’s who history remembers – a king consumed by his desire to have a son.


Henry’s desire to sire a son drove the Tudor dynasty to implode on itself. Buy why was he consumed by this and why couldn’t he have a slew of healthy children? This question has haunted history throughout the ages.

I intend to explore several facets of Henry’s reign. Why did he desire a son? Why did two healthy and very different women, Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, in the prime of their childbearing years, suffer miscarriage after miscarriage? Why did Jane Seymour die in childbirth? What about the children Henry sired with his mistresses? Were they healthy?

To understand Henry’s desire for a son, we’ll look at the origins of the Tudor dynasty and we’ll examine the one thread that binds Henry’s women together – syphilis. There have been many arguments for and against Henry having this complicated disease. Medicine in the 1500’s was primitive with doctors believing in “ill humors” and leeching. Being the king, doctors did keep good notes of Henry’s health and these notes reflect the outward symptoms of syphilis. We’ll examine Henry’s medical history. Unfortunately, the doctors didn’t keep as good care with Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn’s medical history, but thankfully we do know enough about their childbearing years to come to an educated conclusion about syphilis.

While history can’t confirm that Henry suffered from this sexual disease, through a bit of old fashioned detective work, history builds a strong case of circumstantial evidence in favor of Henry having a very active strain of this venereal disease.

Lastly, we’ll examine Henry’s legacy, his surviving children, and how his quest for a son drove a promising family from the throne of England. Are you ready? Let’s peel back history’s curtain and peer through time to Tudor England…


HENRY VII

Henry VII was born Henry Tudor, the only son and child of Margaret Beaufort and Edmund Tudor. Interestingly, Edmund Tudor was the half-brother of Henry VI. They shared the same mother, Katherine of Valois. Edmund Tudor married Margaret when she was 12 years old. Edmund himself was relatively young, 24, when he married, but according to today’s moral code, such an age gap would be frowned upon. Indeed, it would be considered statutory rape. Edmund promptly bedded his young wife and then died during the Wars of the Roses, leaving her pregnant. She was 13 when she gave birth to Henry VII. Henry VII was born in 1457.

Henry VII grew into a strong, virile man. During Edward IV’s reign, Henry VII was raised under the tutelage of William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke. The Wars of the Roses left the royal houses of Lancaster and York devastated. Edward IV, well respected, died in 1483. His brother, Richard III, had Edward’s children declared illegitimate and took the throne for himself. In a final, decisive battle, the Battle of Bosworth, held in August 1485, Henry VII defeated Richard III. Richard died during the battle and Henry VII claimed the throne. Thus, Henry asserted his main right to the throne was by right of conquest.

While Henry VII had a strong link to the British throne on his father’s side, it was because of his mother he was able to assert a right to the crown. Margaret Beaufort was the great-granddaughter of John of Gaunt, the first Duke of Lancaster. In order to bring peace to England, Henry VII, now 28 at the end of the war, assumed the crown and promised to marry Edward IV’s eldest daughter, Elizabeth, and unite the two warring houses. Elizabeth was 20 when she married Henry VII in January 1486.

Henry VII’s marriage to Elizabeth accomplished several things. First, it brought together the houses of Lancaster and York, and second, it brought peace to the kingdom which had seen close to 25 years of war. Henry VII’s actual claim to the throne was weak (Elizabeth’s was stronger) and he benefited from the fact the Wars of the Roses had killed those who had stronger claims, and while there were members of the House of York with stronger claims, none dared to challenge him. Simply, while Henry VII had a poor claim to the throne, he was able to assume kingship by being the best, perhaps the only viable candidate available.

Henry VII loved his wife. She was kind and beautiful, and liked dancing. Henry had a document known as the Titulus Regius, which branded Edward IV’s children illegitimate repealed, thus legitimizing his wife. He received a Papal disposition so he could marry her since they were third cousins. From their union bloomed the Tudor Rose, a combination of the red rose of Lancaster and white rose of York. The future of England looked promising as Henry and Elizabeth came to the throne after years of war that had decimated the English countryside and people.

Almost immediately Henry VII had concerns. His claim was weak and he knew it. To secure his crown he used various successful methods. First he used bonds and created laws that discouraged the nobility from raising private armies. A pretender masquerading as Edward IV’s son made a play for the throne supported by John de la Pole, Richard III’s heir designate. Henry had de la Pole killed and the pretender was sent to work in Henry’s kitchen. John’s sister, Margaret, who had a strong claim to the throne was allowed to live, assuming the family’s title and lands in Lincoln.

Henry VII wanted to bring peace to England. His polices put money in the exchequer. He promoted shipbuilding. He conducted treaties with France, Spain, and the Holy Roman Empire. Notably, Henry VII managed to acquire a Bull of Excommunication from Pope Innocent VIII against all pretenders to his throne.

As Henry began to consolidate his position and secure his legacy, his marriage to Elizabeth proved fruitful. Their first son, Arthur, was born in 1489. Their second son, Henry, was born in 1491. Henry and Elizabeth had eight children, but only four survived to adulthood.

This much was clear; in 1500, Henry VII had been on the throne for 15 years. Arthur was 11, and Prince Henry (VIII) was 9. Henry VII was now 43. England had known peace and the exchequer was growing due to his policies. Still, there were underlying feelings that Henry VII’s claim to the throne was not strong and Henry VII was constantly on guard for rivals and pretenders. Henry VII would impart this belief onto his son who would succeed him – be alert for those who would covet the new dynasty’s throne. Civil war could threaten England again without a strong heir. It was a belief Henry VIII kept in the back of his mind as he reigned.

A LOOK AT SYPHILIS

I’m going to take a bit of an interlude from the history to talk about syphilis. It’s important to understand this disease and how it effects people, before we continue with Henry VIII’s story.

I first learned about syphilis in my high school sex education class. It was a venereal disease one got through sex. It could be treated with drugs. If you had unprotected sex with another you could give it to them. I think that’s all I remembered about it from my high school days. My next exposure to syphilis was when I got pregnant. In the early weeks of my pregnancy, my doctor took a blood sample from me to test for syphilis. I wasn’t worried, nor was I curious. Then I found an old medical book at work published in 1940 that discussed “Syphilis of the Innocent.” What I read stunned me and compelled me to do research on the disease itself.

The symptoms of syphilis vary from stage to stage and person to person. It is a sexually transmitted infection which occurs by having direct contact with a syphilis sore. Syphilis is caused by a bacteria called spirochetes. The most common way to get infected is through vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Once infected, the person who has been infected develops a painless and highly infectious sore (or sores) with raised edges called a “chancre.” This chancre develops at the site of the infection. It grows between three weeks to three months after the initial infection. Keep this in mind – the chancre is painless and if it is in a woman’s vagina, it is not seen. In today’s era of modern medicine, if you treat the chancre at this stage, you can be cured of syphilis. Back in the 1500’s, they simply did not have the medical knowledge to know this. Syphilis was known as a venereal disease, but it was more often referred to as “the pox.”

Once the chancre develops, it takes three to six weeks to heal. This is known as the first stage of syphilis. As it heals, the syphilis bacteria, spirochetes, spreads through a person’s bloodstream. The person who has done the infecting is highly infectious at this point; they are exhibiting an open syphilis sore or sores and open sores carry the infection.

As syphilis spreads through the bloodstream (after the chancre has healed) its now considered in the second stage of syphilis. A person might or might not develop symptoms. Symptoms of the second stage include a non-itchy rash anywhere on the body, lesions in mouth, wart-like sores in the genital area (which are infectious), hair loss, and flu-like symptoms. Again, in today’s era of medicine, if syphilis is treated at this stage, it can still be cured.

After this stage and even without treatment, these secondary symptoms will clear up, but the spirochetes bacteria remains in a person’s bloodstream and continues to multiply. This is known as the latent stage where there are no signs of symptoms of the syphilis. The latent stage can last two to thirty years after the initial infection. During the latent phase the person with syphilis will not infect their sexual partner because they are not presenting any open sores. However, during the latent phase, if they have a flair up of secondary symptoms and sores appear, they can be infectious. Syphilis’s extended latent phase “lulls” the infected person with a sense of security that they are fine.

The late stage of syphilis is known as tertiary syphilis. Symptoms include neurosyphilis, where the bacteria has gotten into the brain and spinal cord. This can cause seizures, blindness, hearing loss, dementia, and spinal cord problems. Additional symptoms can include lesions where syphilis has multiplied in bones, skin, heart, and arteries.


NEXT SATURDAY: A Look at Syphilis of the Innocent and the Ladies in Henry VIII's life.

References:

Book: The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Alison Weir, 1991, Ballantine Books, 642 pages.
Internet:
http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/syphilis.cfm
http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/pregnancy/a/syphinpregancy.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_I_of_England
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_VIII_of_England
http://www.tudorhistory.org/henry8/
http://www.cdc.gov/std/syphilis/STDFact-Syphilis.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syphilis
http://syphilis.emedtv.com/syphilis/syphilis-in-pregnant-women.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_VII_of_England
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_of_Aragon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur,_Prince_of_Wales
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Boleyn
http://en.wiki http://englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/edward6.html pedia.org/wiki/Edward_VI_of_England