Was it nearly impossible for Henry VIII to have children?

Question

That is to say, was there something physically wrong with him that made it nearly impossible for him to sire children--more specifically sons?

Answer 1

It seems to have been more bad luck than any kind of infertility; he sired at least two biological sons onto women who were not his wife, but failed to produce a living, legitimate male heir until his third marriage and eighth child (the only legitimate surviving children being Mary and Elizabeth).

Answer 2

He had 2 sons that were documented. One boy was by Bessie Blount and the other by Jane Seymour. He had 2 daughters that were documented - Queen Mary, aka Bloody Mary, and Queen Elizabeth I.

Looking back to the 1500's from the present, It's amazing that 4 children lived. Infant mortality was high due to inadequate nutrition. There was bacterias in the water that could kill, no indoor plumbing so bodily fluids were dumped in the street and when it rained, they went into the river. People weren't as clean back then, they felt being clean made them more susceptible to illness. There were rats with plenty of fleas on them to spread disease. Back then, they didn't drink milk, thinking it was bad for them, and with no refrigeration, it was. They drank ale, wines and beer-even the women. Due to the alcohol drank, there were alot of deformities. Plagues happened every summer in London-sometimes the nobility didn't get away quick enough and took the plague home.

There is also a rumor in the writings about Henry VIII that he had syphilis, which would also have led to him being unable to have children.

Answer 3

Well it's not that he couldn't have kids it's just that they kept dying on him. Queen Anne (of the Stuarts era) had 17 children but they all died too. Children died like flies until the early part of the 20th century.But the worse thing he did was, that he wanted a male heir so bad that he said that he didn't have any children at all, his daughter Mary didn't count because she was ONLY a girl. So he thought that a younger woman would produce real heirs for him,of course no one in their right mind would've dared suggest that the problem was with him. One man said that about Elizabeth I ,saying she was too old to have kids (she was 46 at the time) and she ordered the man's right hand to be cut off.Besides we now know that men determine the sex of a child and not women.To bad people didn't know that back in the old days it would've spared women alot of trouble.

Answer 4

Henry actually fathered 11 legitimate children, though several were stillborn or died in infancy;-

by Catherine of Aragon;-
daughter (stillborn, 1810); Henry Duke of Cornwall (born/died 1511); Henry Duke of Cornwall (born/died 1513) son (stillborn 1514); Mary I (1516-1558); daughter (stillborn 1518).

by Ann Boleyn;-
Elizabeth I (1533-1603); Henry Duke of Cornwall (born/died 1534); miscarriage (1535); son (stillborn (1536).

by Jane Seymour;-
Edward VI (1537-1553).

Probably due to age and ill health, Henry fathered no further children with his 3 succeeding wives.

He also fathered at least 4 illegitimate children.

Answer 5

Henry had sons by mistresses. Henry had many medical problems including VD, gout, and some mental instability.

Answer 6

He probably had a low sperm count