WI: Henry VIII's 1536 jousting accident leaves him sterile?

[WorstOfHumanity]

What if, rather than suffering injuries to his thigh after being hit with a misplaced lance and being thrown from his horse, he sustains injuries slightly to the side, leaving him infertile?

I just had this thought, and it is fascinating to me. A male heir becomes an impossibility for one.

This is also around 3 months before he has Anne investigated; does that still happen with his condition? How does Henry, a man obsessed with appearing masculine (the very reason he frequently jousted in the first place) cope with his new reality?

 

[Stahlo]

Well, at the time of the joust, Anne was still pregnant with a male child. It's all going to come down to if she still miscarries. The injury itself though and the implications of it will be a deep source of shame to Henry no doubt.

 

[Cate13]

what kind of infertile and how quickly does he figure it out?

if he doesn’t know right off the bat, things continue until Jane doesn’t get pregnant, and then Jane might go the way of Anne or to a nunnery.

If he knows right away, I could see him hoping it would heal and staying with Anne for awhile so no one else finds out. Eventually for a PR move he might blame Anne but say he’s magnanimously decided to stay married.

Or if you want to lean towards ASB he finds someone to “help” then get pregnant.