Beautifully designed armour helped the King maintain and extend his influence over his subjects and even abroad. A beautifully designed set of armour could help the King in several ways.
Henry’s stylish suits helped him to…
1. Promote his rule
Henry VIII was keenly interested in the monarchy’s public image. Armour decorated with Tudor symbols such as the rose and the portcullis gave Henry another chance to promote the monarchy.
2. Reflect his status and patronage
Henry also used armour to maintain his status. He was ‘not only a King to be obeyed on earth, but a venerable idol to be worshipped.’ This required top-notch equipment.
Fashionable armour was also a sign of his cultured taste. As a great patron of the arts, sciences and new learning, he imported the most talented artists in Europe. The decoration of his 1540 armour includes some motifs from sketches by Hans Holbein the Younger, the greatest artist to work for the King.
3. Look good – no matter his size
The King looked his best in the beautiful armour made by Europe’s most talented craftsmen. Brought together from across Europe, the designers and craftsmen working at his workshop at the Palace of Greenwich produced parade, sport and field armours that were works of art in their own right.
As Henry’s waistline expanded over the years, his armour workshop responded with new suits, ensuring the King was always fashionably armed, no matter how rotund.
4. Grease the wheels of diplomacy
Elaborate armours were often exchanged as diplomatic gifts during Henry’s day. Maximilian I, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, presented Henry VIII with an armour that included an intricate and extraordinary ‘Horned Helmet’. Henry himself gave presents to the French in pursuit of an Anglo-French alliance.
