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 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

Historical Saturday - It's good to be King

Henry VIII & Anne Bolyen

I love "The Tudors." And what's not to love? Jonathon Rhys-Meyers is HOT as young Henry VIII and the costumes are colorful and the palaces are lush. So I thought I'd gush (a little) and share my disappointment (a little) about a show I consider a "dirty little sin."

Mind you, I don't watch much TV these days. I've got a busy schedule and it's hard to find TV time for just me. Especially when Nick and Nick Jr are on 18 hours out of the day for the kids, but being the historical nut I am, when I saw Showtime was putting together a show about Henry VIII I had to tune in.

Thoughts on Pay TV
You have to pay for Showtime. Some people mind about paying for TV. That's understandable. But after watching THE SOPRANOS and ROME on HBO, I really liked the quality in which these shows were done. The production values were top notch and it realy was like having a movie theatre in my house. I knew Showtime's production values would be just as good as HBO's and I wasn't disappointed.

The Tudors, Season 1
With high expectations, I tuned into Season 1 of "The Tudors" The production was top notch. The costumes and palaces were spot on. I thought the cast was perfect for the show. The Season starts with Henry getting Elizabeth Blount pregnant. She carries to term and has his illegitmate son. Katherine of Aragon (Henry's 1st wife and queen) is saddened of course, because she has only given him a daughter.

Katherine of Aragon, The Tudors


And then there's Sam Neil as "Woolsey." I loved the Woolsey character in "The Tudors" and Sam Neil captured all the complex emotions of the character - his passion to protect the king, his own need for glory and possession, his own humanity and his own inhumanity.

And then there was Natalie Dormer as Anne Bolyen. We all know what happened there.

Syphilis and Henry VIII
Did Henry VIII have syphilis? Why couldn't he have kids with Katherine of Aragon? Anne Boleyn? Why did these women keep having miscarriages? Two healthy unrelated woman who went through pregnancy after pregnancy only to have that child be stillborn, or die shortly after birth?

While this topic isn't really explored in "The Tudors," it's one I feel passionately about - and I believe he did. Both Anne and Katherine of Aragon suffered with "Syphilis of the Innocent," allowing the syphilis to pass to their children in the womb. They got it from Henry of course. I digress a little here, and this is a blog post for another time and place.

Henry VIII & Jane Seymour, The Tudors


The point? The show highlights Henry's problems with having a healthy "male" child. And it's a problem of his own making since he's one giving syphilis to his lovers.

Season 2
Season 2 highlights the lusty yet combustable marriage of Anne & Henry's marriage culminating in Anne's death. It's tragedic in a way that love should turn so violently.

Margaret Tudor, "The Tudors."


What I didn't care for in Season 1 and 2 was the treatment of Margaret,Henry's sister. Margaret married the King of the Scots, James, and bore him a son. It is her descendants on the throne of England right now, not Henry's. Yet, in the story, Margaret marries Charles Brandon. Margarent never married Brandon. Henry's other sister, Mary, married him. Mary, Henry's sister is never even mentioned in the TV show.

Season 3
Season 3 Henry married Jane Seymour and finally has that son. She's only around for about 5 shows, but they are some interesting shows. We all know she dies in childbirth. Her son, Edward, is the interesting one. In history, reports are not consistant regarding his health. Some say he had poor health, some say he was healthy. Those reports that talk about ill health, rashes, fevers, etc, all point to Edward as suffering as a child with syphilis of the innocent symptoms would. Mary, Henry's daughter with Katherine of Aragon also suffers with syphilis of the innocent symptoms all her life and it's probably why she never had children. Surprisingly, Elizabeth, Anne Bolyen's child, was reported to be in good health all her life. What accounts for this is that syphilis has a "latent" phase and I have no doubts that Elizabeth was conceived during a latent phase in Henry's syphilis. He did not give syphilis to Anne Bolyen at the time they concieved Elizabeth so she was born in good health.

Anne of Cleaves, "The Tudors"


History implies Henry was going impotent during his marriage to Jane Seymour. After all they were married seven months before she conceived. Katherine of Aragon and Anne Bolyen conceived right away with him. There can be no doubt that Henry was impotent come Anne of Cleaves, his 4th wife.

I LOVED JOSS STONE as Anne of Cleaves. Brillant Casting! Joss has an innocenence about her that made Anne of Cleaves stand out. She's a surviour and Anne of Cleaves is, interestingly, the only surviour left standing after Henry's dead and gone.

Season 4
Season 4 starts out with Henry married to Katherine Howard. Katherine tries hard to have a baby with the king, but there's no doubt he's impotent. When she takes a lover, Thomas Culpepper, her head comes flying off. While there's plenty of evidence she's a cheater, Anne Bolyen, her cousin also accused of infidely, probably didn't cheat. Katherine Parr is next and Joely Richardson is set to play her. Katherine Parr goes on to marry Thomas Seymour, the love of her life after Henry. She dies giving birth to their child who they name "Mary."

Katherine Howard, "The Tudors"


The inaccuracies
One of the inaccuracies is the Margaret/Mary (Henry's sisters). Their stories are also rich goldmines and it's a shame the producers didn't tap into their stories. In fact, it's a SHAME the producers didn't start with Henry VII, Henry VIII's father. His story is rich with lies, greed, lust, and love as well.

Katherine Parr, "The Tudors"


Despite that, I love the Tudors. I love history comes alive with the show. I just wish there would be more after Season 4.

My favorite? Right now - Joss Stone as Anne of Cleaves but I'm dying to see Joely Richardson as Katherine Parr.

Tudor On!
Steph