Henry VIII Twitters from 1509

The Historic Royal Palaces, the charity that cares for Hampton Court Palace and the Tower of London (two sites synonymous with the monarch) has set up the social networking identity IamHenryVIII.

Followers of the king will be able to read about events -- from when he learned of the death of his father on April 22, to his coronation at Westminster Abbey on June 24 -- exactly half a millennium after they happened.

The stunt is designed to mirror the way celebrities and public figures, such as Barack Obama, have used Twitter to communicate to the masses.

According to The Historic Royal Palaces, Henry used the most modern means available to him to paint himself as the most powerful and absolute monarch -- indeed he became a paragon of modernity by severing ties with Rome and reforming the church in England so he could divorce.

The Tweets will start on April 22 with the following feed: "My father has died and I am to be King: a role -- were it not for the death of my brother Arthur -- for which I was not born.

"Pray God give me the strength to glory this great nation."