Why did Henry get so fat late in life?
And was his obesity associated with his deranged mental state?
The "Wilton Armor" belonged to the English king, Henry the Eighth. Many believe that he wore it towards the end of his life because it has been altered from size large to size XXXL.
Curator Stuart Pyhrr believes the armor can tell us more than Henry's waist size. He believes the armor holds the secret of why Henry VIII transformed from athletic to obese, and from a fair-minded ruler into a crazed tyrant bent on fighting an unwinnable war.
What does Henry's plus-sized armor have to tell us?
The secrets are revealed in the premiere broadcast of Museum Secrets: Inside the Met.
Armor as Art
Throughout history, noble warrriors have demanded armor that combines form and function. We invite you to view the most finely crafted armor in the Met's collection in our Web Exclusive Video: Armor as Art.
Further Questions
Can't get enough finely crafted steel? We invite you to visit this Metropolitan Museum web page: Works of Art: Arms and Armor.

1 Comments
Rudeppl • #101 • 2016-01-10 04:26:52
The commentary is rude. At one point they say that he was too fat to walk sowhy would he need armor, there a thousands of men who are a xxxl size who can walk and run. My brother has a 51 in waist and still passes his physical exams because he eats w