Plot Synopsis

Based on Tracy Borman's book of the same name, HENRY VIII AND THE KING'S MEN is a three-part documentary series that chronicles the life of England's most famous king and the enablers, the fools, the teachers and the men-at-arms who knew him best and shaped his outlook on the world. Henry VIII was taught by some of the most famous scholars of his time and developed a reflective and intelligent manner people seldom hear about. Raised to be a great prince, he enjoyed being the center of attention, but as the second born had few of the pressures of his older brother. He could enjoy court life and by all accounts he thrived in the companionship of men, reveled in jousts and loved hunting. Even after the death of his elder brother, after he became the Crown Prince, he maintained a careless joie de vivre. He could also be naive and was often too trusting of those around him, often to his detriment. And despite his lascivious reputation...he could be prude. Finally, in his elder years he became the paranoid tyrant we have come to know. As Chief Curator of Britain's Historic Royal Palaces, Tracey shows us the places where Henry and those who were closest to him lived. HENRY VIII AND THE KING'S MEN had its U.S. premiere on Monday, September 7, 2020 at 8pm ET/PT on Smithsonian.