From The Daily Mail:
King Henry VIII was a real mummy’s boy, his handwriting suggests.
According to historian Dr David Starkey, his handwriting was so similar to his mother’s it can be assumed he was emotionally dependent on women.
An exhibition opening next month at the British Library compares and contrasts his handwriting to his younger sister Mary and their mother, Elizabeth of York.
Dr Starkey revealed to the Sunday Times: ‘Henry was brought up very, very unusually, in a female household.’
All have the same bold, square and rather laboured forms of writing, which is unlike the writing of most men in the royal court of that period.
Dr Starkey has deduced that the young prince must have been taught to write by his mother in what were unheard of circumstances for nobility, let alone royalty, in those times.
This is interesting.I will be planining a visit to The british library in april to see the exhibition.It’s coming closer to the 500th anniversary this year since king Henry VIII came to the throne.
Over the years, as I have conducted archival research, I have seen and held documents signed by Henry VIII’s own hand (as opposed to having been signed by secretaries or by use of a “dry stamp,” both of which were common practices). And it is true that his signature is quite clear, written in a script similar to that often seen used by women of the era. The handwriting of his autograph signature is remarkably similar to that of the young Elizabeth, his daughter, in fact.
However, many men had signatures that were “bold, square, and rather labored.” Henry Grey, father of Lady Jane Grey, for example, had a signature in this style.
I have to think of handwriting analysis 500 years after the fact should be placed in the same category as posthumous psychoanalysis: largely anachronistic and useless in the vast majority of cases, and highly suspect in the remaining few. I believe Dr Starkey is once again over-reading the evidence and finding what he wanted to see from the beginning. Makes for great media headlines, but poor scholarship.
David starkey thinks that his mother taught him to write.which I beleive is true.Henry did grow up in a household of women.With his mother and two sisters.He didn’t have a male role model.Henry only had limited contact with his brother and his father.I don’t just think it is what he just wanted to see I think it’s more than that.An as for starkey over reacting it’s possible but it might not be over reacting at all.Just seeing what he has saw and come up with the answers.The truth.which would imply no over reaction.