29 thoughts on “what colour were Henrys eyes?”

1. TudorRose says:

   October 16, 2009 at 8:07 pm

   As King Henry VIII was a redhead just like his mother I would say that his eyes were blue.

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2. Emma-Louise Rabson says:

   November 2, 2009 at 3:19 am

   Well im a redhead and my eyes are green……….. It could be a possibility that Henry’s eyes were green too….. most likely to be green or blue.

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3. Livia says:

   December 5, 2009 at 3:49 pm

   I’ve read plenty of books about the tudors and his eyes are always described as blue.

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4. David says:

   October 5, 2010 at 2:07 pm

   I would agree in saying that most likely they were blue. They were quite small though don’t you think, at least the paintings of him show that. I would think it safe to assume that he may even have looked like he had no eye brows. Most red heads freckle, so I wonder if his face was covered with freckles…..Hummmmm, food for thought!!

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   1. Charlene says:

      November 4, 2014 at 11:02 am

      I think his eyes are brown dark brown

      Reply
5. Cushla says:

   October 26, 2010 at 7:33 pm

   I’d agree that his eyes were probably blue based on his general colouring – my bf has very similar colouring and his eyes are blue with green flecks. Elizabeth would have inherited her mother’s dark eyes.

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6. Kat says:

   June 10, 2011 at 5:21 am

   I’m pretty sure I’ve got hard evidence that they were a medium brown. Here’s a link to an upclose portrait of baby Henry VIII.

   http://lh5.ggpht.com/_10YhTlcgM6w/Sf3Mbm1lV4I/AAAAAAAABdA/jBuk27ezqWo/s1600-h/Young%20Henry%20VIII%5B3%5D.jpg

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   1. Oscar says:

      February 19, 2019 at 12:33 pm

      they are not they are bluey green

      Reply
7. Jazzy says:

   June 26, 2011 at 7:44 am

   I’m pretty sure thats actually his son Prince Edward not Henry. I’ve always read that his eyes where blue as where Elizabeth’s as she was most similar to her father in apperance. Its even refered to as Tudor blue a family trait.

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8. Sophie-Marie says:

   November 26, 2011 at 9:17 pm

   I’ve got this secret fantasy where he looked like Johnathan Rhys-Meyers… Aaah, he’d be simply too handsome. But obviously it isn’t the case.
   I actually wonder why portraits wouldn’t have represented his true eye colour. This era had so many mysteries…

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9. Another redhead says:

   February 9, 2013 at 10:29 pm

   I’m the youngest of multiple redheads (all siblings, no parents) and my eyes are amber. They are mistaken for a shade of brown frequently, but like the genes for blue or green eyes common among redheads, it has a yellow aspect to it that mixes with brown and causes an almost feline-like bright shade of amber. It could be mistaken easily for light brown eyes or even hazel to a degree. It’s common with redheads just as green and blue can be.

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10. too many answers! says:

    May 9, 2013 at 11:26 am

    i just need one answer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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    1. Claire says:

       May 9, 2013 at 1:37 pm

       The majority of people say that they were blue.

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    2. Dani Moore says:

       July 19, 2019 at 5:24 am

       I’m a red head and my eyes vary from amber to a very dark chocolate brown. Brown eyes are dominant.

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11. Della says:

    October 20, 2014 at 6:15 pm

    Elizabeth did NOT have blue eyes!they were nearly black lime her mothers!and she was a redhead.
    In the portraits Henry’s eyes also look dark,but mybe dark blue?

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12. Della says:

    October 20, 2014 at 6:21 pm

    I’ve been drawn to anne since I was about 15 I’m now 50! What is it about her?
    I do like her except for 2 counts of what I feel were very cruel!
    The wearing of yellow when Katherine died and taking her nephew from her sister!
    Shows she could be spiteful I recon,but I still am fascinated with her.
    If only one day a true portrait would come to light.one that was painted in her lifetime?
    Surely there must be one?

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13. Regina Porter says:

    December 21, 2015 at 8:29 pm

    I am half welsh and I am a red head with dark brown eyes. Lots of Welsh and Irish have brown eyes with red hair. Which could explain Elizabeth dark eyes and red hair.

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14. Marian says:

    May 9, 2016 at 9:49 pm

    I think he had dark brown eyes or dark blue and i think prince edward had green eyes

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    1. Love says:

       July 21, 2016 at 10:14 am

       Red hair and blue eyes is the rarest combination only 1% of the world’s population has it

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    2. Love says:

       July 21, 2016 at 10:15 am

       Red hair and blue eyes is the rarest combination only 1% of the world’s population has I am a 1% er

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       1. Dave C. says:

          June 23, 2020 at 4:28 pm

          Yes, most redheads have brown eyes.

          Reply
15. Charlene says:

    September 24, 2016 at 2:00 am

    One problem with figuring out what eye colour he or anyone else in Tudor times had was that Renaissance-era green and blue pigments weren’t particularly stable; green pigments were often copper-based and tended to turn brown or fade completely, and blue pigments often turned a muddy, greyish navy.

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16. Lazy Konna says:

    September 25, 2016 at 4:13 pm

    This is all bull about his eyes being blue or green they are brown because in all the paintins are brown

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17. Victoria says:

    October 2, 2016 at 2:04 pm

    I agree with Charlene’s comment about the paints; I have had the opportunity to view Holbein’s work close up and of course there will be a general yellowing and darkening of all pigments. Probably the most reliable would be written accounts. I’ve seen Henry’s armor too in the Wallace Collection and he was pretty massive (I mean tall as well as muscle bound) and must have towered over those around him. Not only that but to bear the weight of the armor.

    One of the really fascinating things about Holbein’s portraits is his minute attention to detail (he was also the Court designer and designed clothing and horse buckles and you name it) and the symbolism used. I can’t believe he would not use or would overlook the eye color of the king…

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18. benny says:

    November 13, 2017 at 2:10 pm

    i think his eyes were blue

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19. Maddy says:

    November 8, 2018 at 10:05 pm

    From his portraits as a youth, which I’ve seen, and into his mid thirties, Henry had dark green eyes.

    Below is a link for ‘Inside the body of King Henry V111

    Reply
20. Kara says:

    December 20, 2018 at 4:03 am

    I’m the 15th great granddaughter of Henry VIII (through Catherine Carey to Ann Myles (Humphrey) Mass. colony) and I have green eyes. My grandmother on this line had green eyes and red hair. My hair is ash brown. I was wondering if Henry had green eyes, because I know he had red hair. My father has green eyes as well. I rarely meet people with truly green eyes, like Greek olives

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    1. Kathy Petersen says:

       October 13, 2019 at 9:56 am

       Just found out today through dna genealogy site I am related to Henry the 8th. was surprised of course. Need to the dna actual testing to see how my maternal line is related. My mothers father had red hair as did his father. The line that goes back. heard from mother they had blue eyes. Know thatt henry was hundreds of years before them. Just a notation.

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       1. Susannah Fox says:

          October 13, 2019 at 1:02 pm

          I also am a descendant of Henry VIII through the Carey line and have red hair and green eyes….like olives!

          Reply

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