Portrait of a young Henry VIII goes on display

The portrait of the young king appears in the letter H of Henry's name in the charter

A portrait of a young Henry VIII has gone on display.

The picture of the monarch appears in a charter granted to King's Lynn, Norfolk in 1524.

He is depicted as a young, slim and dashing king on the eve of his 33rd birthday.

The charter is on show to mark its 500th anniversary in the town which was known as Bishop's Lynn in 1524.

West Norfolk archivist Luke Shackell said the document helped set the structure of the town

The charter gives the town the right to appoint a mayor, 12 aldermen and 18 members of the "common council", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

At the time, the town was known as Bishop's Lynn because it had a connection to the Bishop of Norwich.

It was renamed King's Lynn in another charter of 1537, which severed the connection with the Bishop.

The document set out how the town would develop and be organised

The portrait of Henry VIII, who died aged 55, appears within the letter H in the 1524 document, and depicts him as having a young and slender figure.

Instead of the familiar thick brown hair and beard, he appears to have the flowing locks of a handsome youth.

Luke Shackell, the archivist for West Norfolk Council, said: “This important document has had a long legacy and helped set the structure of the council for centuries later.

"Many will know him as being bearded and rather large but he was young once.”

The charter is on display at the Stories of Lynn museum in the town hall

To mark the anniversary, West Norfolk Council is holding events to give young people the chance to learn how to write like a Tudor through calligraphy workshops.

A piece of art will be produced incorporating the work of the young people which will be presented a council meeting on 27 June.