Henry VIII

From 1539 until his death in 1547, Henry VIII’s health declined rapidly. From about 1540 on, Henry was forced to walk with a staff; his legs were swollen, and he was in excruciating pain. It was this condition that would require the first ever ‘stair lift’ of its kind; the king would be hoisted to his first-floor Whitehall apartments on a chair precariously swung up on ropes by the Yeomen of the Guard. By 1545, overweight and immobile, he would be carried everywhere in a sedan chair. Included in the 1542 inventory of royal possessions are three walking staffs, all fitted with whistles in the top, as well as two leather trunks, or loudhailers, used for shouting for help in case he fell or needed assistance. Also mentioned was the purchase of ten pairs of wire-framed spectacles from Germany to help with his failing eyesight.

He was forced to give up signing state papers and instead used a wooden block with the royal signature carved in raised letters. This block would be impressed on documents and the imprint inked in. As a precaution against misuse of this dry stamp, as it was called, all documents stamped were listed every single month to keep track of what had been approved by the king. A year later, weary and desperately ill Henry stopped examining this list and handed over the power to those around him.

But it wasn’t just his physical health that was in decline; by the 1540s, his mental condition was also deteriorating. Henry was depressed and would often suffer violent mood swings. He became increasingly psychotic and paranoid. Still suffering with his legs, the doctors cauterised them with hot irons to burn away the infected tissue. He seemed to improve a little with this treatment. However, the doctors knew he was not long for the world, but they were too scared to tell their king that his time was near.

It was Sir Anthony Denny, groom of the stool, who undertook the task of telling the king he would soon meet his Maker. On January 27, 1547, Sir Anthony entered the king’s bedchamber and found him conscious. He explained this situation, and after a while, Henry agreed that it was time he saw Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, for spiritual comfort. The last audible words he uttered were, "I would take a little sleep."

By the time Cranmer was brought to him, Henry had slipped into a coma. Cranmer sat on the King’s bed, held his hand, and urged him to give some sign or token to demonstrate that he still put his trust in God, even through the mercy of Jesus Christ. There was no response, but the dying Henry did squeeze Cranmer's hand. This was taken by those present to mean that the king still dwelt firmly in the faith of Christ. Henry VIII died shortly afterwards, in the early hours of January 28, 1547.

Sources:

Historyextra.com

Friends' Review: A Religious, Literary And Miscellaneous Journal, eds. Samuel Rhoads and Enoch Lewis