Supplemental: This Week in YouTube January 19
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Hey friends, welcome to the Renaissance English History Podcast. This is the weekly highlight reel of videos that I have put out on YouTube. So in case you don't know, you can go over to YouTube and watch all my videos. The channel is History and Coffee, and you can just search for my name as well, Heather Tesco, History and Coffee, and you will get it. And you can subscribe there. Thank you to the many people who already subscribe. And then what I've started doing is

weekly highlight reels of some of the videos that have gone out on YouTube that would be of interest to the podcast listeners as well. So thanks for listening. And you can also, like I said, go over and join me on YouTube history and coffee and search for Heather. And there I am. So let's get right into it.

We are going to talk about what was really wrong with Henry VIII's leg. So I don't think it's any secret. Henry VIII was obese. He had a lot of medical issues and he had this famous leg wound. And we're going to talk about it a little bit about how it was treated, how it might have been treated today and kind of get into that. And it's interesting to imagine how things could have gone differently if Henry had just had some antibiotics. All

Although, you know, that doesn't necessarily solve everything. Even today, a lot of people have issues with wounds healing, stuff like that. But we're going to get into all that. So Henry VIII is remembered for his six wives, his break with the Catholic Church, his outsized personality. Yet in his later years, his chronic leg ulcers became one of his most persistent struggles. These wounds likely stemming from a jousting accident caused him pain, limited his mobility and frustrated his physicians.

Exploring the causes and the treatment of his condition offers a fascinating glimpse into Tudor medicine and the challenges that Henry faced. With modern medical knowledge, it's clear that his health could have been managed very, very differently.

So as a young man, Henry was the picture of health. He was tall. He was athletic and energetic. He excelled at sports like jousting, hunting, and tennis. His muscular calves were a point of pride, and his court admired him as a model of physical prowess. That image began to change after his serious jousting accident in January of 1536. He was thrown from his horse,

which then landed on him, and he was knocked unconscious for two hours. He recovered, but the injuries to his legs marked the start of chronic issues. Initially, the wounds healed, but over time they reopened, turning into painful and persistent ulcers that refused to go away. Blech.

By 1540, the ulcers were a constant problem. They became infected. They caused swelling and drainage and excruciating pain. Ambassadors at court noted the stench from the wounds, which could reportedly be smelled from three or four rooms away.

Henry's mobility was increasingly limited and his frustration grew. This once active king now struggled to maintain his physical and his emotional stability. Like you guys, I've had chronic pain from a shoulder injury that I had and it

it's like really not fun right and mine was like very very small compared to what Henry was going through you look at these changes in his personality and how he became so tyrannical and you know not to excuse it but honestly I can kind of get it like when you're in chronic pain like that can you imagine like having these ulcers that you could smell from four rooms away how painful that must have been and just mentally for someone who had been so fit and active I can't even imagine I

So let's talk about the medicine. In Tudor England, medicine was an art as much as it was a science. Treatments were guided by the theory of the four humors, which goes all the way back to the Greeks, which dictated that the balance of your four humors was essential for good health. Henry's physicians applied this principle to his leg ulcers, often resorting to very painful and invasive procedures that made it a lot worse.

The ulcers were lanced and drained regularly to drain out the bad humors, a process that involved, this is not for the squeamish, a process that involved using red-hot pokers. They kept the wounds open and increased the risk of infection. Physicians also applied poultices made of herbs like chamomile and mallow, which may have provided some temporary relief but wasn't a long-term solution.

There were other treatments like applying compounds made from lead or they called it unicorn horn, which were far less effective and could actually be quite harmful. Applying lead to an open wound. I'm not a doctor. I don't play one on TV, but I don't think that's a good idea.

Anyway, Henry was deeply interested in medicine and he oversaw some of his own treatments. His personal book of remedies that he kept himself includes nearly 200 recipes with two ointments specifically designed for his ulcers. These ingredients ranged from practical herbs with mild antibacterial properties to bizarre like ground pearls and narwhal tusk.

These treatments reflected the resourcefulness of Tudor physicians, but also showed their limits of understanding. If Henry was alive today, his condition might be diagnosed as a combination of several medical issues. The most likely cause of his ulcers was chronic venous insufficiency, a condition where the blood pools in the lower legs due to damaged veins.

His jousting injuries combined with his obesity and limited mobility likely also developed into deep vein thrombosis, which causes long-term damage to the circulatory system. Diabetes is another possibility. As Henry's weight increased and his diet remained heavy in meat, wine, and sugar, he may have developed type 2 diabetes, which can impair healing and increase the risk of ulcers.

Peripheral arterial disease, often linked with obesity and hypertension, might also have further complicated his condition. These modern diagnoses explain why his ulcer refused to heal and why he suffered from repeated infections. The swelling in his legs in his final years also might point to heart failure. Congestive heart failure can cause fluid buildup in the legs, worsening the existing wounds and making movement even more difficult.

taken together these factors paint a picture of a man whose declining health was the result of multiple interconnected conditions modern medicine would have transformed henry's experience compression therapy a cornerstone of venous ulcer treatment could have improved the circulation in his legs and reduced the swelling

Imaging techniques like ultrasounds and CT scans would have helped to identify the underlying vein damage or blockages, also guiding more effective treatments. Antibiotics would have been a really simple remedy that would have been crucial for controlling the infections that plagued him. Today, wounds like Henry's are often treated with specialized dressings that promote healing and prevent bacteria from spreading.

If necessary, even surgical options like vein bypasses or grafts could have addressed the underlying venous issues. Lifestyle changes also, of course, would have been recommended. A healthier diet, weight management, and moderate exercise might have reduced the strain on his body. And supposedly the doctors did tell him he needed to eat a bit more healthy, but it was going to be really hard for him to do any type of exercise as well with his limited mobility.

With these interventions, Henry might have avoided some of the constant pain and infection that defined his later years. Pain management would have been another game changer for him. Instead of enduring cauterization and red-hot pokers, Henry could have had some effective pain relief through modern medications. This alone might have improved his mood and allowed him to focus more on ruling than on his discomfort.

Can you imagine if he had like some good, strong pain medicine, how that would have changed his mood? Can't even imagine. Anyway, Henry's leg ulcers were a defining part of his later life, of course, influencing his physical and his emotional state.

While Tudor medicine was limited in its ability to treat such conditions, modern knowledge shows a very clear picture of what went wrong and how it could have been managed. When we can understand his medical struggles, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the challenges that he faced and the way they shaped his reign. Can you just imagine that? Like,

How different his reign might have been if he could have had some pain medicine. Like just the what if scenarios, the alternative histories of that. If somebody could travel back in time and give Henry some really good pain medicine. Just can't even imagine it, how that might have been different. At Verizon, anyone can trade in their old phone for a new one on us with Unlimited Ultimate. Which means everyone in your family could get a new phone and stay on your family plan. Keeping you close. Hey mom, you seen my toothbrush?

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Here today, we are going to talk about Queen Claude of France. Queen Claude comes up quite a lot in Tudor history because, of course, Anne Boleyn spent time at her court after she was with Margaret of Austria. But who was Queen Claude? She, of course, was her own person. She wasn't just the court at which Anne Boleyn spent time. So we are going to talk about her today.

So today we are going to talk about a queen who very rarely takes center stage when we're talking about the history of this period. But her life was filled with drama, duty, and a little bit of tragedy as well. Queen Claude of France was born into one of Europe's most tumultuous royal families. She became a pawn in the chess game of dynastic politics. And she lived a life that was as demanding as it was unfortunately quite short.

While her husband Francis I dominated the spotlight with his swagger and his escapades, Claude's quieter but no less fascinating story deserves its own video and its own moment.

So Claude entered the world on October 13, 1499 in the small town of Romoronton-Lantinay. I'm sorry I butchered that pronunciation. My French is not great. Her mother was Anne of Brittany, who had been through the heartbreak of countless pregnancies that had ended in sorrow and miscarriages or stillborns.

By the time Claude arrived, Anne wasn't taking any chances. She went on a pilgrimage where she fervently prayed to St. Claudius, and she promised that if her child survived, they would carry his name. So Claude's birth was a miracle in a family desperate for heirs.

Her early years were shaped by the shadow of her mother, who was a formidable woman who had fiercely defended Brittany's independence against the hungry ambitions of the French crown. Anne's dream was to see Brittany remain a distinct duchy free from the claws of Paris, and little Claude would be the linchpin in that dream.

from the moment she could walk claude became less a daughter and more a prize to be fought over with no surviving brothers she was brittany's heiress and her future husband would shape the destiny of the duchy anne had a bold plan betroth claude to charles the young future holy roman emperor this would place brittany firmly under the protection of one of europe's most powerful families

but back in paris another scheme was brewing king louis the twelfth claude's father had other ideas why should brittany go to some foreign prince when it could stay safely within france his solution was just as bold marry claude to her cousin francis the duke of valois the heir to the french throne

the stakes were incredibly high and at one point things got so heated that anne used every ounce of her considerable influence to crush those supporting the french match she even orchestrated a trial that ended with one of her opponents the marshal of guise convicted of treason claude may have been a child but the weight of nations was already on her very tiny shoulders

At last, in 1514, Anne of Brittany died, and 14-year-old Claude inherited her mother's duchy. Almost immediately, the deal was sealed. She married Francis, ensuring that Brittany stayed tied to France.

the wedding was of course a royal wedding all the pomp and pageantry you would expect of a royal union but the political calculation behind it was unmistakable claude's dowry including territories like milan and burgundy made her one of the most valuable brides in europe

frances was charming athletic and every bit the renaissance prince claude by contrast was reserved physically frail and already showing signs of the scoliosis that would plague her life still she played her role with grace even as her husband took the reins of brittany's governance

when francis pushed a formally annexed brittany into france claude stood her ground she insisted the duchy remain intact and named their eldest son as her heir was one of the few times she asserted her authority being queen wasn't glamorous for claude she was often overshadowed by her mother-in-law louise of savoy a domineering presence at court and her sister-in-law margaret of navarre a literary icon of the french renaissance

When Francis dazzled the court with his extravagance and dalliances, Claude lived a quieter life, focusing on her children and her faith. Her household became a haven for young women of promise, including Anne Boleyn, who served as one of her ladies-in-waiting. Of course, Anne would later rise to notoriety, becoming the second wife of Henry VIII, and she probably learned a lot about how the inner workings of court was set up under Claude's guidance.

It's tempting to imagine Anne soaking up lessons in survival and strategy from the Queen who managed to maintain her dignity despite all of the chaos surrounding her.

Claude wasn't known for her beauty or her wit, but those who knew her spoke of her kindness and her generosity. Her strict moral code contrasted sharply with the permissive atmosphere of Frances's court, earning her admiration among some and mockery among others. If Claude's courtly life was quiet, her domestic life was anything but. She spent nearly all of her marriage either pregnant or recovering from childbirth.

By the time she was 24, she had endured seven pregnancies, producing children who would leave their own marks on European history. Her first two daughters, Louise and Charlotte, tragically died young. Then she had sons, Francis III, the Duke of Brittany, and Henry II, the future king of France. She had a daughter, Madeleine, who married into the Scottish royal family and actually became Queen of Scotland. She was the wife of James V.

And then her daughter Margaret married into the royal family in Savoy, so her children spread out throughout the European courts. It's no wonder contemporaries remarked on her weariness. Foreign ambassadors at court described her as corpulent, which likely reflected the toll of multiple pregnancies, and noted her limp and her posture from scoliosis.

But despite her physical struggles, she remained devoted to her children. She was, by all accounts, a loving and attentive mother, deeply involved in their upbringing, which was, of course, really unusual for royal families, for queens at that time. Life as queen certainly had its humiliations. Her husband was notoriously unfaithful, with mistresses like François de Foix often flaunting their relationship in plain sight.

The court was a glittering playground for Frances, but for Claude, it was one of endurance. One of her few escapes was religion. She was deeply pious, something that she was brought up with. Also, she had a confessor, Christopher Newmar de Forley, who encouraged her. She sought

solace in her faith, she carved out a private space in this world where she had so little control over her own destiny. While she didn't wield the political influence of her sister-in-law Margaret or her mother Anne, her quiet devotion did earn her the loyalty of those who were around her. One of the chroniclers of the French court, Brantome, wrote of Claude's goodness and sweetness, emphasizing her charitable nature and her lack of vanity.

He paints a picture of a queen who was deeply loved by those closest to her, but often overlooked in the court that was captivated by her husband's larger-than-life persona.

Claude's relentless pregnancies and to her fragile health took their toll. On July 26, 1524, she was just 24 years old. She died at the Chateau de Blois. The exact cause of her death is unclear. Some sources claim it was complications from childbirth or miscarriage. Others suggest exhaustion or tuberculosis, the disease that also claimed her mother.

Still darker rumors circulated that syphilis contracted from Francis might have hastened her death. She was buried at St. Denis Basilica, the resting place of French royalty. Her eldest son, Francis III, inherited Brittany from her, but he also died young, leaving her second son, Henry, to carry on her legacy when he became king of France.

So in her short 24 years and being overshadowed by her husband's dazzling reign, she still made an impact. Her children went on to marry into the royal courts in Europe and her son became the king of France. And she was remembered, like I said, as being this very pious woman who created a court that was a training ground for some of the most influential women of the era from Anne Boleyn to Diane de Poitiers. And while Claude herself might not have commanded the spotlight,

she shaped the world of many of those who did. So there you go, a little bit about Queen Claude of France. Let's remember her in the future. When we think about Anne Boleyn, when we think about Francis and this glittering French court, let's remember the woman who was at the heart of it all, showing that in this world full of giants, there's still room for grace, devotion, and a quiet strength to shine. So we will leave it there for now.

Thanks so much for listening to this week's YouTube highlights. Remember, you can go over and subscribe. History and Coffee, Heather Tesco, you will find me there. And we'll be back again next week with more highlights from what went out on YouTube throughout the week. Thanks so much. Have a great week.

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