How much do you know about Henry VI? We reveal the most curious facts about the king’s life – from his relationship with his wife, Margaret of Anjou, to his mysterious 18-month illness…
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When Henry’s wife, Margaret of Anjou, visited the king’s bedroom, they were sometimes joined by “trusted attendants”
Pious, simple and puritan. This is how Henry VI is often described by historians and scholars. And the label certainly fits: the medieval king spent his free time meditating on the sufferings of Christ; staying in monasteries; and practising Devotio Moderna, a movement for religious reform that advocated humility and obedience.
It was therefore unsurprising when historian Lauren Johnson revealed that Henry VI may have had a “sex coach” in his marriage bed in 2019. Johnson, who had been investigating the king’s private life, claimed to have discovered evidence in the National Archives and royal household accounts that suggests Henry and his wife, Margaret of Anjou, were occasionally joined by “trusted attendants” in the bedroom.