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Wait a minute...I haven't watched this show but please tell me this pretty boy in the picture is NOT supposed to be Henry VIII? He was a burly man who was so coarse and rough and large in stature he was said to lift men up and crush them in one hand!
Wait a minute...I haven't watched this show but please tell me this pretty boy in the picture is NOT supposed to be Henry VIII? He was a burly man who was so coarse and rough and large in stature he was said to lift men up and crush them in one hand!
That was in later years, but in the earlier years he was surprisingly athletic.
For some good books on the period, look to some of Alison Weir's titles on the wives, the reign, the children, and on into Elizabeth and Mary's regins. Her books are very good as are those of David Starkey who is one of the foremost historians on the Tudor period. David Starkey also had a Six Wives series on PBS as well that was based upon his writings.
The show is very well done, and I, too, am eagerly awaiting Season 3. It's one of the few television shows I will watch, since it stands out among the manufactured "reality" that passes for much of television entertainment.
Wait a minute...I haven't watched this show but please tell me this pretty boy in the picture is NOT supposed to be Henry VIII? He was a burly man who was so coarse and rough and large in stature he was said to lift men up and crush them in one hand!
It was not until roughly during/after Anne Boleyn's time that he became overweight, if that's what you mean. I think it was around the time he injured his leg, which effected him the rest of his life - it may have even been part of the cause of the weight gain.
He was also supposed to be quite handsome and very athletic in his youth - although how much of that was influenced by the fact that he was a powerful king is unknown (you know how power and money can make an average looking man attractive). But fact still remains that in his younger years, he was regarded by the people of his time as attractive.
If you look at paintings of Henry VIII in his teens or 20s, although I wouldn't say he is attractive by todays social standards, you can see that he is not the big, burly man that most people know him as.
Also, in character, not just physical stature, Henry had a huge interest in academia and the arts. He was not this big, stupid, lazy man who just ate and ate - he was very intelligent and enlightened. Until he went slightly crazy, of course.
Admittedly, the actor is supposedly somewhat short whereas Henry VIII was very tall even in his younger years. But they are not hugely off the mark and in the end of the second season, they had a scene suggesting an introduction to his weight gain. I'm wondering if the actor will be gaining weight or whether he'll wear a fat suit.
April ?!?!??! For Season 3 ?
I did catch a glimpse of scenes from Season 3 but missed the date listing.
Okay can't wait !
I must get a hold of the suggested books to tide me over till then.
If you're looking for books, I suggest Autobiography of Henry VIII (With Notes By His Fool, Will Somers) by Margaret George. Best Tudor fiction I've read yet.
Season Three premieres tomorrow. Subscribers with "on demand" can view one week early. I'm loving it.
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Season Three Premiers April 5th
