Did syphilis cause Henry VIII's madness and reproductive woes?

Why did Henry VIII have so many wives and mistresses yet so few children? What caused the Tudor monarch's descent into mental instability and physical agony in the second half of his life? A rare blood group and a genetic disorder associated with it may provide clues, a new study suggests. read more

Henry VIII did not die from syphilis. He may have had six wives, as well as a mistress to prove he could sire a male, but he was not promiscuous like Charles II and his relations were. What killed him was septicemia and the results of concussion caused by sporting injuries. read more

The disease weakens muscles, causes dementia-like cognitive impairment and typically sets in between the ages of 30 and 40. Other experts have attributed Henry VIII’s apparent mental instability to syphilis and theorized that osteomyelitis, a chronic bone infection, caused his mobility problems. read more

Henry’s poor reproductive record has led some people to suggest that Henry may have had syphilis. Tudor doctors knew this disease well and called it ‘the great pox’. The Tudor cure for the disease was a six week treatment with mercury where the patient was usually confined to bed. read more

If Henry VIII had syphilis as early as 1509 when he married Catherine (or from early in their marriage), his syphilis would likely have been latent (no visible symptoms) by the time Paracelsus first used mercury as a treatment. read more