LUCREZIA BORGIA: Was She Really That Beautiful?- In Real Life- Mortal Faces

This is Henry VIII, and in this video, we're going to transform his many portraits to see how he might have looked in real life using my technology and Photoshop skills. So let's get started. Thank you for watching. Subscribe for more historical recreations and let me know in the comments who you want to see in real life. Henry VIII was born in 1491, one year before Christopher Columbus found America. He was never meant to be king. You see, he was born the second son to his father, King Henry VII, who founded the Tudor dynasty in England. At a young age, Henry VIII was in the shadow of his older brother, Arthur, and also his father. His father, who had just ended the War of the Roses, which was a war on succession, which lasted 32 years, wanted peace. And as a result, he limited warfare, grew the treasury and England's economy, and was a very independent monarch. He was mentoring Arthur when Arthur suddenly died, leaving 10-year-old Henry next in line to the throne. For most of his childhood, Henry VIII was left to his own devices as his father was very overprotective of him and the crown, and he did not really mentor him hands-on like he did his older brother. So Henry spent his time developing his sporting skills. Henry was very good-looking, and according to historians, he had broad shoulders, he was strong, muscular, he was tall at 6'2", and had a 35-inch waist and a 42-inch chest. And for most of his life, he was like this, and they say he resembled his grandfather Edward IV. His father died in 1509, leaving 17-year-old Henry the throne. And much like a young adult, Henry did not really particularly enjoy administration work, so unlike his very frugal and attentive father, he preferred to give that work to other individuals and instead let himself enjoy some fun. He loved sports, and he loved socializing. He enjoyed tennis, wrestling, archery, dancing, and music, and he was considered one of the best jousters in England. And for jousting, you needed to be really strong, you needed to balance on your horse, you needed to carry that big heavy armor, and also hold that huge wooden jousting stick. Henry, as a result, was a very coordinated, athletic person, and it attracted a lot of attention. He loved to show off. He loved wearing big, broad-shouldered clothing with little weights and tight garters to accentuate his muscular legs and his upper body. And he loved to show off even more by upgrading his palaces and gifting generously to those who were in favor. As a successful athlete, you can imagine him having a very aggressive yet passionate personality with a never-ending flow of energy. His temperament, his mood, and his physical appearance would taper off, though, and eventually decline as he got into his 40s. So starting in his 30s, Henry needed an heir. He and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, had trouble producing a son. They had a daughter named Mary who, in history, would be known as the Bloody Tudor Queen, but he really wanted a son. You see, his father worked very, very hard to secure the throne and have a concept of peace, but because you have the throne, it doesn't necessarily mean it's all roses and daisies. People constantly want to kill you and wage war on you, and there are relatives who have claims to the throne as well, and so it's very stressful. You cannot turn your back on anything. And his father did a good job handling this when he was alive. So Henry VIII did not want to see this brand-new Tudor dynasty go to waste, and he knew that to have a strong security for the next generation, he needed a legitimate son who, upon marriage, would continue the Tudor name. And that's why he made the drastic decision to let go of Catherine and try to have a child with another. But to do that, he needed the permission from the church, and the church refused. So he basically made a case to give himself power over the church so he could make this decision. And he eventually splits England into Catholics and Protestants and makes England predominantly Protestant. And this brings fear which would eventually be inherited by his daughters Mary and Elizabeth. With this fear, Henry has to amp up his defenses and military because two huge powerhouse neighbors, Catholic France and Catholic Spain, could wage war on him, and that would be bad. So he's constantly spending his father's fortune on defenses, and if not already on his palaces. And this unsettles England's economy. If that's not already stressful enough, his new wife Anne Boleyn gave birth to a girl, Elizabeth, and four stillborn sons. And on top of that, he had a few serious sporting injuries on his legs and on his head, which resulted in reoccurring pain everywhere from these injuries. The weight of England, the weight of the throne, and security, and his declining health is really beginning to take a toll on him, and that's why he gets really moody and impatient. And he eats and eats and eats, becoming fatter every day. A son is more important now than ever, and he says goodbye to Anne. His next wife is Jane Seymour, and she gives him a son. So, whew, thankfully, that can be checked off. But Jane, unfortunately, dies from childbirth, unable to provide him with a spare. So he marries three more times, each no children. Some say he had a gene that made him infertile, or perhaps it was his overweight body. Either way, he dismisses the fourth wife, beheads the fifth, and it was only the sixth wife who survives beyond his death. Henry VIII died in 1547 at 55 years old, and you can imagine how different he must have felt about himself. He's no longer thin, he's no longer athletic, and he can no longer play sports. He requires the aid of a wheelchair to move about, and he's in constant pain all the time. England is near bankruptcy because of all his spending, and he knows that so many people want his head, his throne, and his country. But he has a son, so there's hope. Like the previous sportsman he was, giving up was never an option. Even if he had to break an ankle to get the goal, the Tudor dynasty will survive. And that's a little bit on Henry VIII, so thank you for watching. I hope you enjoyed this video. Let me know in the comments who you want to see in real life, and I will see you in the next one.