When Henry VIII died at Whitehall Palace in January 1547, England faced a dangerous moment. His heir was nine years old, power was about to shift, and the death of a king had to be handled with extreme care.

In this video, we follow Henry VIII from his deathbed through one of the most elaborate royal funerals of the sixteenth century.

We look at how his body was prepared, why his burial was delayed, how the funeral procession moved from Whitehall to Windsor, and what those towering candle-filled hearses actually were.

Along the way, we examine one of the most enduring stories associated with Henry’s death - the claim that his coffin burst open at Syon Abbey - and why that story almost certainly isn’t true.

We also explore Henry’s plans for a monumental tomb and a perpetual chantry at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, and why neither was ever completed.

Despite the scale of his funeral, Henry VIII ended up buried without a visible monument, his vault unmarked for centuries.

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