Trivia

Keith Michell was one hundred eighty-eight centimeters (six feet one inch) tall, the same height as the real Henry VIII.

Costume Designer John Bloomfield worked for nearly a year on the mini-series. He spent three months doing basic research at the National Portrait Gallery, Windsor Castle, and various libraries, going through books and papers, and studying paintings and drawings, especially those by Hans Holbein. Apart from the sheer number of costumes involved (three hundred, including twenty-five for Henry), the real challenge was to re-create the richness of court dress. This was accomplished by using screen printing methods with paints and resins on cheap heavy materials. Embossed fabric patterns were achieved by drawing on the basic material with fiber pens, then painting over it.

The series' success led the BBC to cinematically adapt the subject matter. Les six femmes d'Henri VIII (1972) featured Keith Michell (Henry VIII) and Bernard Hepton (Thomas Cranmer) reprising their television roles. In addition "Henry VIII and His Six Wives" cast Donald Pleasence, father of Catherine Howard (1970) star Angela Pleasence, as Thomas Cromwell.

In the U.S., this mini-series first aired on CBS. Masterpiece Theatre (1971) showed it years later.

Anthony Quayle is credited as the Narrator in every episode, but his voice is not heard on any episode in the UK DVD release version as of 2021.