The Tudors

Matters of State - S2-E7

Question: Does anyone know the name and composer of the piece of music being played when Henry and Anne are dancing (interspersed with their passionate sex scene)? It sounds like Henry asks for A Valta but I'm not sure. (00:19:55 - 00:22:05)

Answer: Henry asks for a volta which was a type of dance as well as the general type of music played for it. It would be like requesting a waltz or tango.

Answer: While Harry can be a given name, it is also a standard "informal" version of the name Henry. For example, in the UK Royal Family, the younger son of Prince Charles, officially named Prince Henry, is commonly referred to as Prince Harry.

Tailkinker

Show generally

Question: Henry VIII was over 300 pounds through much of his reign. Why was Jonathan Rhys Myers not padded more realistically to portray him?

Answer: While he was obese for much of his life, Henry VIII didn't gain significant weight until after the death of Jane Seymour when he fell into a deep depression and succumbed to the pain of a leg injury he obtained from a jousting accident. He should've been heavier but he wasn't obese for his whole life, especially during his younger years. He was known to be 210 pounds, standing at 6'2", and to have a 32" inch waist for much of his life.

Answer: Although the series claimed to be historically accurate, there were many factual discrepancies throughout, including the extent of Henry's physical health and morbid obesity. As to why this was changed, the creators apparently felt they could better dramatize the story with a more physically fit and mobile Henry. In the real Henry VIII's later years, he was so incapacitated by weight and other maladies, that he literally had to be carried around by attendants.

raywest

Episode 2 - S1-E2

Revealing mistake: In Episode 2 during the scene when the king's son is born, it appears that the baby has been born for less than a few minutes, but when he is held up it is plain to see that his navel has healed instead of being freshly cut As It Should Be after the birth. (00:31:50)

More mistakes in The Tudors

King Henry viii: You think you know a story, but you only know how it ends. To get to the heart of the story, you have to go back to the beginning.

More quotes from The Tudors

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