I fell into a post in which you reported the account of a venetian ambassador who found Henry VIII beautiful… And like I understand that les goûts et les couleurs… But it seems it was quite a frequent description (at least in his youth) and yes the guy was tall, athletic and had all the right colorings… But I can’t be the only one noticing that he had a super flat face (la face plate)… Am I missing an historical context about flat face here?

Hm…I don’t particularly notice that, honestly? His most attractive portrait is probably this one. 

Idw to sound blunt but also like…portraits weren’t like…photographs? They were likenesses. 

Idk about historical context re: flat features; but re: misogyny and beauty standards…Queen Consorts were expected to be models of beauty. When they did not meet that exacting standard, it was commented on rather harshly. Kings, however, were not expected to be so– so when they were handsome, the praise was fulsome and lavish– this was viewed as a bonus; not a requirement. We see this in ‘a great deal handsomer than the King of France’, etc…

The comments COA’s appearance garnered vs. Henry’s are demonstrative of how ambassadors tended to be more critical of the appearance of wives than husbands:

Personal charisma also shouldn’t be discounted here– it certainly has an effect on whether or not we view someone as physically attractive, and in context the same secretary says of Henry:

The ambassador made a fine and skillful oration, to which his Majesty listened to with the utmost attention, standing immoveable under the canopy; with his eyes always fixed on the ambassador’s eyes and countenance, so that he seemed very much delighted with him and fluent discourse.

Quite simply, it seems that Henry was a delightful person to converse with; these were the reports given by several men that were not his subjects, and who were not praising him directly (so have no reason to exaggerate or lie), rather writing to their home country with the goal of writing as accurate and expressive an account as possible:

He is affable and gracious, harms no one, does not covet his neighbour’s goods, and is satisfied with his own dominion, having often said to me, ‘Sir Ambassador, we want all potentates to content themselves with their own territories; we are satisfied with this island of ours.’ He seems extremely desirous of peace. 

So…I don’t believe every single person found him to be incredibly handsome as that’s not realistic (everyone has different personal judgement of beauty, and as you said to each their own)– but he seems to have been a person, in his youth, of infectious enthusiasm, energy and laughter…and I think others’ impressions of his personality possibly colored their opinions of his appearance as well.