cod pieces gone wrong. That is a story we're going to talk about today when a codpiece of Henry

the 8th went horribly wrong, led to a whole fashion mess that doesn't get talked about that

often, but we're going to break it down today. So welcome back, friends, to the YouTube channel

for the Renaissance English History podcast. I am Heather. I've been podcasting on Tudor England with my show since 2009, which makes it the original Tudor History podcast.

This channel is where I put all of my episodes from all of my shows, as well as tons of extra content like this video right here.

So cod pieces, they are one of the curious fashion artifacts that make modern eyes

widen and eyebrows raise. If you've ever seen a portrait of Henry the 8th or one of his

courtiers with a rather prominent accessory, you might have wondered what on earth were they thinking.

Originally, the codpiece had a purely practical purpose.

In the late Middle Ages, men's hoses were two separate pieces that had a rather inconvenient gap in the middle.

So the codpiece was a handy little flap or pouch that covered this area keeping everything in place,

functional, sensible, and discreet.

But by the time we reached the Tudor period, the codpiece has transformed into something

quite different, become a symbol of masculinity, of power, and quite frankly, a way to show off.

But how did it go from a simple cover to an outrageous,

ostentatious symbol of fashion excess? It all started one day when Henry the 8th made a bold

and as it turned out quite unfortunate fashion choice. So let's get into it. Before we do though,

if you would like to see more tutor history in your YouTube feed,

who doesn't? Go ahead and hit subscribe so you never miss a video that we put out.

So picture the scene. It's a grand court event at Hampton Court Palace.

Henry VIII is in his prime still a strong, powerful, larger than life.

He enters the room making a statement as only Henry could.

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