David Starkey Recalls Henry Viii As The Inventor Of Stairlift

The stairlift is a blessed invention in today’s world. Medical patients throughout the world use it extensively. The main reason for inventing it was to help out the sick people. In the 1920s, C. C. Crispen invented the first stairlift in the world. But, recently, Dr. David Starkey, a famous historian has discovered that the famous king of England, Henry VIII is the inventor of the stairlift. Going down the historic lane, David discovered the fact that Henry VIII had a “stairthrone” in his possession. The discovery happened because of Henry VIII’s obesity and sheer laziness. But, due to his one invention, today it has a great positive impact on our world.

Early Life of Henry VIII

Henry VIII is famous mainly for having six wives and building the Church of England. Born on 28^th June 1941 at the Palace of Placentia in Greenwich, he served as the King for thirty-eight years. He was the second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. From the tender age of two, Henry VIII started gaining fame and received honorary positions like Earl Marshal of England, Warden of the Scottish Marches, Constable of Dover Castle, and many more.

Taking responsibility

After the death of Henry VII, Henry VIII became the king of England at the age of seventeen. Apart from how he reined the empire, he was very much inclined towards public execution. Anyone who crossed his path had their fate decided. But, he also pardoned some of the prisoners who were imprisoned by his father.

In 1510, Henry VIII decided to renew his relationship with Louis XII of France. But, after that, he invaded France twice as he was promised the title of Most Christian King of France. In his entire life, he married six women, namely, Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, and Catherine Parr.

Once he entered into his marital life, Henry VIII started gaining weight with age. Both his territory and waist started increasing simultaneously. After a point of time, Henry started suffering from gross obesity and might have suffered from gout as well. He survived under medical supervision for most of his life and moved from one place to another with the help of medical equipment.

The Invention of Stairlift

And, now you can understand why the invention of a stairlift was so vital in his life. It is a known fact that he roamed around sitting on his stairthrone. He mostly used it to get up a twenty feet staircase at the Whitehall Palace in London. It is also known that Henry VIII’s waist finally stopped growing after fifty-inches. His armor kept getting bigger every year.

David found out the fact about stairlift when he was going through the list of possession of Henry VIII. He also believes that the stairlift used by him was based on a block and tackle system where ropes were used to lift the king. After he falls prey to obesity, he avoided walking and started using his stairlift. But then they preferred calling it stairthrone. To some point, Henry VIII himself was also responsible for his bad health.

Henry VIII did horse riding and underwent a lot of exercises. But, everything stopped after he faced an accident at the age of forty-five. He stayed mostly in London after the accident. Though he was cured he didn’t prefer many physical activities. This led to his enormous weight gaining and on top of that he preferred having a thirty-course meal every day.

Starkey said that no one found any picture of Henry VIII sitting on a stairthrone. But, a person with his lifestyle is likely to have one of those in his possession. He died at the age of fifty-five due to obesity.

Stairlift in Today’s World

Commonly three types of stairlift are available these days, namely, straight, curved, and outdoor stairlift. When Henry VIII made this excellent invention there weren’t many high-tech features installed in it. But, today, many new features are available that are of immense help for the physically challenged people or those who have undergone any medical operations.

Remote control stairlift has also been invented to make this equipment more user-friendly. Many companies also provide stairlifts through a rental service for those who cannot afford to buy one or need it primarily.