Henry VIII would have been a modern-day psychopath

Henry VIII, who got two of his wives beheaded, was a psychopath, a study of some of the most successful people in British history has found.

Professor Kevin Dutton assessed ten people, who are widely regarded as among Britain's greatest, to determine how psychopathic they were.

His study found that Henry VIII could be classed in the same category as dangerous criminals such as Ian Brady or other serial killers.

The test was inspired by psychologist William James, who had claimed that any person who has been determined by history as successful was very likely to score highly as a psychopath.

His theory was that to become highly successful, a person has to show the sort of charm, selfishness and ruthlessness, which is common among psychopaths.

When Henry VIII was ranked against the 'psychopathic spectrum,' he scored 174 against a psychopath score of 168, Sky News reported.

However, others, such as war leader Winston Churchill, Lord Byron and Isaac Newton, scored much lower, Charles Darwin, scored only 97, which was lower than average of 112 for most men.

The ten figures, who were assessed were Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Charles Dickens, Freddie Mercury, Lord Byron, William Shakespeare, Winston Churchill and Oscar Wilde.