Why was Henry VIII's groin area in his armor so...large and extended? Was this common in those times?

by alien13869

[In this video] (https://youtu.be/YPKrAfww79U?t=16s) Henry VIII's armor around his groin is outwardly extended. To the point where it's almost comical.

Was this common in medieval times? Was this a boast, or could only Kings or nobles get away with it?

PirateDuchess

Here we are just looking at one big armored codpiece. Codpieces began as a piece of cloth to protect/conceal the genitals as the cut of doublets started to work their way up, leaving that area unprotected. The codpiece became prominent during the reign of King Henry VIII and during this time, codpieces became something used to accentuate and emphasize what was contained in the groin area. Codpieces grew to enormous proportions before they fell out of fashion late in Elizabeth I's reign. The codpiece here, although made of metal, is just another example of Henry VIII showing off as he so often did.

Modesty to Majesty: The Development of the Codpiece