To wonder which ‘history facts’ aren’t true.

[LeslieKnopefan]

I understand that history isn’t always true and the further we go back in time the harder it is know what the truth is and what is simply made up.

However I recently posted that I thought it was true that Marie Antoinette hair turned white overnight after her best friends head was paraded in front of her and that I only realised it wasn’t when I told a mate who pointed out it couldn’t be true.

So which history facts that people think are true are known to be lies?

Henry 8th was indeed raddled with a sexual disease that most probably caused his death. He stank to high heaven. His consorts were most likely infected as well. I'm not sure about him being a cross dresser though.

Plus Henry 8th was probably the cause of much miscarriages amongst his wives.

Hypermice, yes I know. But the babies dying etc was all put down to him when I was in school. Which wasn't true, it was a dangerous time for babies. The way he and his wives were portrayed as fact, I/we now know was incorrect.

He stank to high heaven.

It’s possible he did have a dose of something but the stink was most likely from a supparating diabetic ulcer on his leg, which had eaten down to the bone. His physicians deliberately kept it open to drain - it would have been agonising.
He probably also had a serious brain injury from a fall while jousting which is thought to have been the cause of a lot of his behaviour in later life - he was unconscious for a significant time.

Fascinating how such things can change history.

@Camiila can you post some sources please? I'd love to read them. I don't have anything other than an interest as credentials- no degree in History, not even History A Level- but I'm fascinated by some of the ideas you've presented and I'd like to know more.

Henry had a penis that was indeed 'vile' in his later life.

He did stink to high heaven. It may well have been agonising and he may well have been cantankerous but it was all his own doing.

It is said he suffered from 'short man' syndrome.

The supposed bones of the 2 princes were last examined in 1933 though photographs were studied in the 60's and 80's.

Henry's sores were left 'open to the wind' by all accounts.

it was all his own doing.

Oh definitely - I’m no big fan ;) Team Liz here ...

It is said he suffered from 'short man' syndrome.

Henry VIII was about 6ft tall!

Elendon, Henry VIII was over six feet so that seems unlikely.

I'd love to know the source for Henry VIII's vile penis...

QI is not massively reliable as a source.

Marie antoinette never said anything of the sort about bread or brioche.

I think Camiila's account of the bones comes from work by John Ashdown-Hill, who is a Ricardian historian.

Henry was said to be as wide as he was tall. Hardly 6ft.

Another myth.

He was probably 5ft 6ins. Extremely obese in his mid to late 40s.

i think the miscarriages were probably brought on by the use of lavender etc in the rushes used on the floors, clothing, food.

runs & hides

I'm not sure that's the height they're referring to when they talk about Henry VIII's short man syndrome...

Henry was not known for intimate cleaning in his later years.

Seriously, what are the sources for that Elendon? He was extremely athletic in his youth and quite the golden boy. His armour still exists - quite exaggerated in the codpiece but still the armour of a man over 6ft tall. I'm guessing 'as wide as he was tall' was a bit of an exaggeration, and I'd still love to know which chronicler wrote about his penis...

Almost everything about the Romans.

A lot of the stuff that gets taught was written by Roman historians who were themselves writing about events that happened decades before they were even born. Most of it is just propaganda. For example most of the stuff we think about Boudicca and Cleopatra are from Roman historians who were motivated by demonstrating the dangers of women leaders.

Boudicca (as that name) likely didn't exist but was an amalgam of a few different female leaders.

It was Queen Anne who was said to be as wide as she was tall.

Henry VIII was 6 foot 2. They measured his multiple suits of armour. His Grandfather Edward IV was also v tall.

Henry VIII's armour certainly confirms his height at over 6 foot, as well as the progress of his expanding circumference - www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2009/apr/01/heritage-monarchy-henry-viii

Nobody knows if Henry VIII had STDs and there certainly isn’t evidence he infected his wives and nobody knows why they had miscarriages although there are several theories including Catherine of Aragon being anorexic and Anne Boleyn having Rh- blood. Henry was relatively unpromiscous for a king and had few recorded mistresses.

I always follow these threads for the book recommendations

True @Bundlesmads, I think the 6 wives thing makes people think he was a massive lecher but he actually only had 2 (possibly 3) recorded mistresses and one illegitimate child. A far cry from his French contemporary Francis I or even his own grandfather Edward IV, who were famous womanisers.