02 September 2008

Henry VIII portrayed as slender and sexy


"The makers of The Tudors, being shown on BBC2, have said Jonathan Rhys Meyers, who plays Henry in the costume drama, will not be required to put on a fat suit to reflect the aged king’s swollen girth. Henry, who died in 1547, is thought to have grown to more than 20st, with a waist of 54in; at the end of his life he needed a hoist to lift him onto his horse.

The makers of the saga have already been accused of taking too much licence with history. Now they have decided that, in the planned fourth series, Henry will remain svelte in his old age...

Critics have noted that the makers of the series... have been happy to distort history for dramatic effect. Thomas Wolsey, Henry’s lord chancellor and the Archbishop of York, committed suicide in the series. In fact, he fell ill and died in Leicester in 1530 on his way to London to face treason charges. Henry VIII’s sister is called Princess Margaret in the series, but her character is based on the king’s other sister, Mary. This was done so viewers would not confuse her with Henry’s daughter Mary."

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