Question Home

Position:Home>History> What was life like at the Court of King Henry VIII?


Question: What was life like at the Court of King Henry VIII!?
What were come common practices at Court during the sixteenth century!?Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
One of the biggest differences from today's society is the lack of privacy!. The King was constantly surrounded by grooms, attendants, and other servants!.

The King had servants who slept in his bedchamber in case he needed something in the middle of the night!. Even those nights he spent in the Queen's bed!. Likewise, the Queen would also have servants that slept in her bedchamber for the same reason!.

Royal wedding nights were witnessed by as many as possible!. Legally, the marriage didn't exist until it was consumated, so consumation have to be witnessed!.

Corridors as we know them didn't exist!. You walked from one room directly into another!. So people had to pass through the door of your bedchamber to get to their own bedchambers!. The royal bedchambers were at the corners so people didn't walk through their rooms!. (RHIP) Many times rooms didn't even have doors, just arched openings from one room into another!.

The groom of the stool was the most important and highest paid position in the court as it was the one in closest contact with the King!. The stool is the name given to the King's toilet!. The groom is the person who helped the King undress, wipe and clean himself and redress!.

The King had a special room for his "stool" - but the rest of the court used guarderobes!. Open alcoves with no doors, just a wooden hole to sit on!.

The Kings "servants" were nobles, (Earls, Barons, Viscounts etc!.) in their own right and they had lesser ranked "servants" of their own!. Being a servant to the King was a privilege and the nobles did everything they could to become one of the Kings servants!.

Being one of the King's servants put them into close proximity to the King and allowed them the opportunity to "influence" the King!. It was expected practice for Nobles to take money to influence with the King!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It would have been full of intrigue and danger!.Www@QuestionHome@Com