3 British Monarchs Who Ate Too Much Food

This is what happens when royalty meets gluttony

A caricature of George IV by James Gillray, 1792 (Wikimedia Commons)

Britain has experienced many kings and queens throughout its history. Some of them were honourable, while others were selfish individuals who only cared about themselves.

All of them enjoyed a privileged lifestyle, and for some British monarchs, food was an irresistible temptation. They ate their way through an abundance of luxury dishes and became dangerously fat by the end of their reigns.

1. King Henry VIII

A painting of Henry VIII by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1540 (Wikimedia Commons)

King Henry VIII is a famous monarch. The six-wife saga is a notorious part of our past, and historians aren’t particularly positive about him.

Leaving aside his fondness for beheadings, Henry also enjoyed eating a lot of food. During the early stages of his reign, he stayed healthy by playing sports, such as tennis and wrestling. But as Henry grew older, his taste for gluttony became a problem.

Henry spent much of his time at Hampton Court. Here, the kitchen consisted of fifty-five rooms with two hundred staff members. Meat was a core part of Henry’s diet. The cooks frequently served…