13. Although carrying certain differences in backstories, the personality and character of King Robert Baratheon is unquestionably similar to that of King Henry VIII of England
Reigning as the seventeenth ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, Robert I Baratheon was the first monarch of the country to not belong to House Targaryen. Initiating a rebellion against King Aerys II Targaryen, commonly known as the “Mad King”, after his son, Rhaegar, Prince of Dragonstone, allegedly abducted Robert’s betrothed, Lyanna Stark, Robert would suffer only a single defeat in the field. Emerging ultimately victorious, personally killing Rhaegar at the Battle of the Trident, Robert was a great warrior and inspirational leader in his prime. A passionate devotee of hunting, feasting, and womanizing, the character of Robert, if not his path to kingship, heavily mirrors that of King Henry VIII of England.
Known as “one of the most charismatic rulers to sit on the English throne”, Henry VIII inherited his title after the death of his father, Henry VII, in 1509. Whilst known today predominantly for his six marriages, Henry was contemporaneously also known for his lavish expenditures. Using the proceeds from the Dissolution of the Monasteries to finance his lifestyle, although this fortune proved insufficient and the realm was almost bankrupted by debt in a manner similar to Robert. A fan of hunting and jousting in his younger days, Henry grew severely obese as he aged, with Robert’s death whilst hunting an honorable homage to the gluttonous real-life king.