Dressed to kill: Henry VIII's life in armour | Art and design
As the Tower of London unveil a vast exhibition of Henry VIIIs armour on the 500th anniversary of his coronation, we go behind the scenes to bring you the highlights of the collection Fri 3 Apr 2009 04.19EDT First published on Fri 3 Apr 2009 04.19EDT
As the Tower of London unveil a vast exhibition of Henry VIII’s armour on the 500th anniversary of his coronation, we go behind the scenes to bring you the highlights of the collection
Fri 3 Apr 2009 04.19 EDT First published on Fri 3 Apr 2009 04.19 EDT
The poster for the exhibition outside the Tower of London
Henry VIII wore this tonlet armour for a friendly tournament with King Francis I of France at the Field of the Cloth of Gold in 1520. It was constructed in three months after the rules of the contest were changed, requiring a new outfit
Front view of the 1540 Greenwich armour garniture of Henry VIII, decorated with designs by the artist Hans Holbein the Younger. Some think the considerable size of the groin defence, commonly known as the cod piece, was a propaganda device to promote Henry’s virility, despite his difficulties in fathering a son and heir
Flemish engraved and embossed ‘Burgundian Bard’, or horse, armour, presented to a youthful Henry VIII by Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I sometime between 1511-15
Possibly the oldest football in the world, discovered in the 1980s in the roof above Mary Queen of Scots’ bedroom at Stirling castle. It is thought Mary - a keen football fan and possible player - may have put it there to ward away demons
