If I mention “Henry VIII”, you’d likely think of a fat guy eating a turkey leg. But that’s probably inaccurate.
Turkeys are indigenous to North America. Contrary to a debunked claim, turkeys DID arrive in England late in Henry’s reign. He possibly ate turkey, but there’s NOTHING in the historical record that says he did (or didn’t), or if he liked it.
Many people swear they’ve seen a portrait of Henry holding a turkey leg… but if so, that would be news to Tudor scholars. They’re most likely thinking of Hans Holbein’s portraits (and later variations thereof) in which he’s holding gloves, not a turkey leg:
OK, but where do we get the idea of Henry the Glutton? Likely from 1933’s The Private Life of Henry VIII:
It’s a film where Charles Laughton portrayed Henry as almost comically over-the-top in every way. Loud? Fat? A philanderer? Gluttonous? Laughton turned all those traits up to 11 in the film. Famously, there’s a scene where he tears into a roasted chicken and casually tosses the bones over his shoulder as he eats. THAT’S likely where the trope come from!