Henry VIII

[Nasher]

How did Henry VIII die?

[DOUBRIS]

Horribly, by all accounts. But there seems no written record of the exact cause. The legend is that he caught syphilis as a young man and suffered with it through his life ' but there is no evidence for this. Henry suffered from obesity and fluid retention caused by circulatory problems ' then known as dropsy. It may be that he was diabetic. Henry originally had six brothers and sisters, only three of whom survived to be adults. The others died from a 'wasting' . These are the symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis. When Henry's brother, Arthur, was dying, he asked repeatedly for water. His thirst was overwhelming, another diabetic symptom. Many of Henry's symptoms ' a leg ulcer, wild mood swings, progressive dementia ' all point toward severe diabetes. At the time of his death, he was enormous and it took four strong men to lift and carry the sedan chair that he was carried around in. His coffin, which was lined with lead, was so heavy that it broke its supports in one of the churches where it was displayed. According to another account, Henry's coffin burst open at Windsor Castle and 'all the pavement of the church was with the fat and the corrupt and putrefied blood foully imbued'.

[gwatkin]

If I remember my history master correctly, a contributor to his death was osteomilitis and boils. That's in addition to what the previous answer says.