King Henry VIII, was he a bipolar tyrant or just obssessed with wanting a son?

[PrincessIncarnate]

I would enjoy reading other educated responses on King Henry VIII of England. Did he suffer from mental illness or was he a mean tyrant whose only desire was to have a son?

[Taren]

It is believed that he had syphilis, which in its later stages causes a certain degree of insanity. That, coupled with the need to have a son to continue the succession, helps to paint the picture of the monster we know today. He was both a tyrant (to his wives, children, and subjects) and singleminded to the point of recklessness in his desire for a son.

[jehan]

I would enjoy reading other educated responses on King Henry VIII of England. Did he suffer from mental illness or was he a mean tyrant whose only desire was to have a son?

Neither, I would say.

Remember England had just emerged from more than 50 years of civil war and fighting over the succession to the throne.  The Tudor dynasty was a new one which had ended the wars by uniting the 2 dynasties (he was only the second generation), and he had no surviving brothers.  His elder sister was married to a foreign king (Scotland).  If the succession was not secure- and nothing besides a son would ensure succession without the possibility of rival claimants it could plunge England into more war once again.  I think that this was a major reason for his obsession.

I'm sure that ego did play a role- after all other kings had sons, but he didn't- and it must have been a crushing blow to one who saw himself as God's anointed.  I'm sure that modern psychiatry could find a name for what happens to the mind of someone with essentially  absolute power  for many years and nobody to say "no" to him, but I'm sure whatever condition it is would have happened to most people under the same circumstances.

[PrincessIncarnate]

[ilyala]

i think he was a guy that was used to having his way. he wanted a son and he was going to get it and i'm sure he was enormously frustrated at the lack of luck in the department.

[Kimberly]

Oh, by the way, HELLOOOO and welcome to PrincessIncarnate.

[ferngully]

he seemed both. anyone can be obsessed with having a child let alone a son, look at japan's lifelong obsession with not joining in with the modern world, even in this times where the royal succession is concerned. there isn't that much evidence he was mentally imbalanced though. i think he just got spoiled to the point of danger

[helenazar]

I don't think Henry was bipolar, but I think he probably had some sort of a personality disorder. This is a very ambigous definition though - many people suffer from personality disorders on various level, they are hard to diagnose because they are easy to "camoflage". The reason why it seems to me that Henry had personality disorder was because (among other things) he always saw himself as an innocent victim, and never took responsibilities for his own actions and/or decisions. Of course you may say, he was king, so he could do that, but not all monarch had this attitude!

[Prince_Lieven]

Oh, by the way, HELLOOOO and welcome to PrincessIncarnate.

Ditto! 

Can someone explain the meaning of 'bipolar' to me? Sorry. 

[Romanov_fan]

He was used to getting his way. And as well, it wasn't just personal, in that he wanted a son to feed his ego, but that he had to have one. The Tudor dynasty was not really legitimate, and there were still pretenders pretending to be the princes in the tower in Henry VII's reign. Henry also had a personal desire to have a son; he was in competition with other monarchs in europe who had sons. I think too often in history we see it as just a personal issue that he wanted a son- it was more than that. I don't think he had a personality disorder; 16th century monarchs were merely used to power, and him no less than others.

[PrincessIncarnate]

Here is information I copied and pasted from the National Institute of Mental Health on Bipolar Disorder: 

"Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in a person's mood, energy, and ability to function. Different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through, the symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe."

"About 5.7 million American adults or about 2.6 percent of the population age 18 and older in any given year,1 have bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder typically develops in late adolescence or early adulthood. However, some people have their first symptoms during childhood, and some develop them late in life. It is often not recognized as an illness, and people may suffer for years before it is properly diagnosed and treated."

"Bipolar disorder causes dramatic mood swings—from overly "high" and/or irritable to sad and hopeless, and then back again, often with periods of normal mood in between. Severe changes in energy and behavior go along with these changes in mood. The periods of highs and lows are called episodes of mania and depression."

Here is the NIMH website that I got my info from:  http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/bipolar.cfm#bp1

Here is another good resource to read about the psychiatric disorder:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipolar_disorder

Also, I live in California, USA so my information is from US sources 

[Kimberly]

It used to be called "manic depressive". Interestingly (well, to me any way because someone close to me was diagnosed with it and treated successfully), many comedians suffer from it for example Spike Milligan and I think,Tony Hancock. But I digress

[helenazar]

I still think that Henry had personality disorder rather than bipolar disorder.

There are many different types of personality disorders, but I think these may fit, one person may have more than one and not all symptoms may apply:

Paranoid personality disorder is characterized by a distrust of others and a constant suspicion that people around you have sinister motives. People with this disorder tend to have excessive trust in their own knowledge and abilities and usually avoid close relationships with others. They search for hidden meanings in everything and read hostile intentions into the actions of others. They are quick to challenge the loyalties of friends and loved ones and often appear cold and distant to others. They usually shift blame to others and tend to carry long grudges.

Borderline personality disorder is characterized by mood instability and poor self-image. People with this disorder are prone to constant mood swings and bouts of anger. Often, they will take their anger out on themselves, causing themselves injury. Suicidal threats and actions are not uncommon. They think in very black and white terms and often form intense, conflict-ridden relationships. They are quick to anger when their expectations are not met.

Histrionic
People with histrionic personality disorder are constant attention seekers. They need to be the center of attention all the time, often interrupting others in order to dominate the conversation. They use grandiose language to discribe everyday events and seek constant praise. They may dress provacatively or exaggerate illnesses in order to gain attention. They also tend to exaggerate friendships and relationships, believing that everyone loves them. They are often manipulative.

Narcissistic personality disorder is characterized by self-centeredness. Like histrionic disorder, people with this disorder seek attention and praise. They exaggerate their achievements, expecting others to recongize them as being superior. They tend to be choosy about picking friends, since they believe that not just anyone is worthy of being their friend. They tend to make good first impressions, yet have difficulty maintaining long-lasting relationships. They are generally uninterested in the feelings of others and may take advantage of them.

[Prince_Lieven]

This is all a bit deep for me so I'll leave you guys to it. 

[PrincessIncarnate]

Very interesting Helen A...the paronoid personality disorder does sound like his behavior...