UK:Henry VIII armour to be exhibited

[welshmann]

An exhibition of the most complete collection of King Henry VIII's personal arms and armour is set to open in London.

Henry VIII: Dressed to Kill includes a personal suit of armour not seen in the UK for 70 years.

The priceless Wilton anime armour of about 1544 is on loan from New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was only discovered to be Henry's in 2003.

The Tower of London exhibition marks 500 years since his accession.

The Italian made suit is probably Henry's last surviving armour, capturing his large frame, and was made for the Battle of Boulogne.

It was in the Pembroke armoury at Wilton House in Wiltshire. However, it was sold privately to New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art in the 1930s as a French nobility suit of armour.

Only in 2003 was the suit identified as belonging to Henry VIII.

It will be reunited in the exhibition with its arms, perhaps for the first time in five centuries.

Ted Hunter, conservator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, said: "It's been quite a task to bring the armour over, but we are excited to be able to exhibit this Wilton anime armour with the rest of Henry's arms for the first time."

The exhibition documents Henry as a soldier - including his use of early guns - and as a sportsman with one of the oldest surviving footballs, dating from between 1540 and 1570.

Thom Richardson, keeper of Oriental and European armour for the Royal Armouries, said: "Henry was a pioneer in the use of arms and weapons, such as some of the early muskets, in battle.

"This collection represents the most comprehensive collections of his armour perhaps since he was alive."

Henry VIII: Dressed to Kill runs from 3 April to 17 January 2010.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7971616.stm

[5./FjgBtl610]

What, you sold the armour of a British King to the Yanks?
:bash:
I assume the greedy traitor has been exhumed, tared and feathered.
p-)
If someone is visiting this exhibition I really would appreciate some nice photographs.
Thanks in advance.
Frank

[Lov3ll]

However, it was sold privately to New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art in the 1930s as a French nobility suit of armour.

Only in 2003 was the suit identified as belonging to Henry VIII.

..........

[Eoin666]

These are Henry VIII tournament foot combat armour (when he was young and fit) from the Royal Armouries, Leeds. (fantastic place for a day out if you get the chance)

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/9745/dsc0074.jpg

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/4166/dsc0077d.jpg

He was a big bugger, in more ways than one judging by the codpiece! p-)

[wetheperson]

was it originally polished like that?

[a_very_ex_STAB]

I was in Windsor Castle yesterday where they have a set of Henry VIII's armour on display.

He was quite a short guy by modern Western standards - the armour I saw I had a built-in beer gut :-) so it must have been made for him when he was older!

[danielc]

was it originally polished like that?


I would think so, especially being the king's armour!

Just think about it. Clean weapons and clean armour had to be an important hallmark of a knight.

Cool pictures, medieval armour is great. If anybody has pictures of the newly discovered suit of armour, please share so that those of us who do not have the change to see it live, can have a look.

Cheers!

[nemowork]

was it originally polished like that? Probably. War armour tends to be surface treated or lacquered to prevent rust and looks black or brown. its shown that way in all the contemporary illustrations. Tournament armour was for showing off for a day so it was unvarnished metal since silver is more impressive and you didn't have the maintenance worries with an armourer at the end of the field and a nice dry castle to keep it in.

[Eoin666]

I was in Windsor Castle yesterday where they have a set of Henry VIII's armour on display.

He was quite a short guy by modern Western standards - the armour I saw I had a built-in beer gut :-) so it must have been made for him when he was older!

He was 6'2"

[welshmann]

^^^ and they saying in that vid he was a very fit bloke.very.

[Britishhawk]

was it originally polished like that?

What were you expecting? DPM?

[G-AWZT]

Wonder if this armor will be reproduced for airsofters.

[Eoin666]

I would think so, especially being the king's armour!

Just think about it. Clean weapons and clean armour had to be an important hallmark of a knight.

Cool pictures, medieval armour is great. If anybody has pictures of the newly discovered suit of armour, please share so that those of us who do not have the change to see it live, can have a look.

Cheers!

This is also Henry VIII foot combat armour, with the skirt designed to absorb blows to the hips/legs


http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/9049/henry4.jpg

His early 20's


http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/6254/henryviii003.jpg

middle age


http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/5001/henryviii002.jpg


and his late armour in the Cuirassier style rather than tournament style


http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/7880/henryviii001.jpg

http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/7061/henryviii004.jpg



These are general tournament armours not field/combat armours, so very heavy and these are specially designed for the joust

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/1139/dsc0088kpp.jpg

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/2330/dsc0091c.jpg


These two show some of the blackened laquer type finish which was both decorative and protective

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/5529/dsc0029qpr.jpg

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/4259/dsc0087i.jpg

[Masakari]

Middle ages looks quite impressive. I would like to have one that looks like itwoot

[PUG]

Middle ages looks quite impressive. I would like to have one that looks like itwoot

For your Tudor loadout?

[a_very_ex_STAB]

He was 6'2"

Well I'm 6'3" and standing next to his 'middle aged' beer gut suit of armour on Tuesday I could see that I am a lot taller than he was so something's not adding up!

[Awatron]

Middle ages looks quite impressive.

Oh well, actually Henry was born 1491, at the end of the middle ages.

[Masakari]

By middle aged i meant the armor for the middle aged Henry VIII:roll:

[Awatron]

Oh, my apologies. Plus, if you look close enough, you will notice, that the armour for middle aged henry has a power fist. p-)

[Eoin666]

Well I'm 6'3" and standing next to his 'middle aged' beer gut suit of armour on Tuesday I could see that I am a lot taller than he was so something's not adding up!

You've been striding round in those old 6'' platforms again mate that's why, I've seen it quoted as him being either 6'1'', 6'2'' or 6'4''

according to Royal Armouries..........
The armour tells us unequivocally that he was 6ft 1in and that he was pretty enormous but still vigorous at the end of his life.


also from http://www.the-tudors.org.uk


Death of Henry VIII
King Henry VIII died on 28 January 1547. Henry VIII was buried in St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, next to his third wife Jane Seymour, the mother of his son and heir Edward VI. But what was the cause of his death? He was 56 years of age when he died, not a bad age to reach during the Tudor period. So did he die of old age, was there a specific illness or was the cause of death syphilis? To ascertain the cause of the death of Henry VIII it is perhaps a good idea to look at any health issues or illnesses that he had suffered during his life.

Death of Henry VIII - Life Illnesses
The most famous doctors who attended Henry VIII were George Owen, M.D, Doctor Augustine and Doctor Butts. During his lifetime King Henry VIII suffered from the following health issues and illnesses:

In 1513 at the age of 22 he suffered from a bout of smallpox

In 1524 at the age of 33 he suffered the first of recurring attacks of malaria

In 1535 at the age of 44 King Henry VIII badly injured his leg in a jousting accident.

Although the leg first appeared to have healed it reopened a few years later and became ulcerated. He was unable to take exercise and his weight heavily increased

His height was six foot four inches

His early armour showed a waist measurement of about 34 to 36 inches indicating a weight of about 180 to 200 pounds

His last set of armour showed a waist measurement of about 58 to 60 inches indicating a weight of about 300 to 320 pounds

Eventually, both of his legs and feet became affected with ulcers

His increase in weight could also have been due to diabetes

He then suffered from insomnia, sore throats and migraine headaches

He suffered with some mental decline in later life exhibiting some paranoia, feelings of depression and loneliness and a terrible temper

He suffered from a series of strokes prior to his death possibly indicating circulatory problems and high blood pressure

His toes became gangrenous as ulcerations worsened and advanced

Death of Henry VIII - Was the cause of death syphilis?
Was the death of Henry VIII due to syphilis? This is the belief of many people as such a death caused by a ******ly transmitted disease seems to go with his image as a lecher. This image is in fact incorrect. Henry had very few mistresses for a royal monarch and as we all know tended to marry the women in his life. The gradual mental decline, paranoia and the leg ulceration he developed as he grew older could have been the result of a terminal syphilitic infection. But no one has ever proved that the death of Henry VIII was due to syphilis.

Death of Henry VIII - The last Days
King Henry VIII spent his last 8 days in bed and was too weak to even to lift a glass to his lips. His sick room was filled with the hideous stench of his bursting leg ulcers. His doctors and physicians were afraid to tell him that he was dying because the Treason Act forbade anyone from predicting the death of the king. Archbishop Thomas Cranmer gently told Henry of his imminent death. King Henry VIII died on 28 January 1547.

Death of Henry VIII - The Burial and the strange prophecy
Following the death of Henry VIII his body was transported to Windsor for burial. Legend has it that sometime during the night the coffin burst open and when the sentries found him, dogs were licking his remains. Someone had once prophesied that "...dogs will lick his bones as they did Ahab's." and this legend appeared to fulfil this prophecy. Henry VIII was finally buried in St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, next to his third wife, Jane Seymour.

Death of Henry VIII - His Will
Henry VIII had made a Will confirming the order of succession upon his death. The Will of King Henry VIII dictated that his son, Edward, should succeed on his death. If Edward then died without heirs, his daughter Mary should then accede, followed by Elizabeth, if Mary also died childless. Should all his children die without issue, the will stated that the throne of England was to go to the descendants of his younger sister, Mary and the Grey line and not those of his elder sister, Margaret and the Stuart line, although there is some suspicion that the Seymour faction appointed to rule during the minority of King Edward VI had these alterations to the Will to suit their own interests.

[a_very_ex_STAB]

You've been striding round in those old 6'' platforms again mate that's why, I've seen it quoted as him being either 6'1'', 6'2'' or 6'4''

according to Royal Armouries..........
The armour tells us unequivocally that he was 6ft 1in and that he was pretty enormous but still vigorous at the end of his life.


Must have been the platforms then! Either that or metal shrinks over the centuries.

[nemowork]

Armour doesnt cover the whole of the body because of articulation, for example at the top of the thigh where the armoured skirt would cover it and therefore cant support itself. It gets most of its shape from being strapped tight to the body so the shape it takes on display depends on whether theyve fitted it to a mannequin of the right size or hung it on a frame and so on! (and yes, i'm making that up as i go along)

[a_very_ex_STAB]

Armour doesnt cover the whole of the body because of articulation, for example at the top of the thigh where the armoured skirt would cover it and therefore cant support itself. It gets most of its shape from being strapped tight to the body so the shape it takes on display depends on whether theyve fitted it to a mannequin of the right size or hung it on a frame and so on! (and yes, i'm making that up as i go along)

The example of Henry's armour that I saw the other day was fitted to a mannequin. If Henry was 6' plus then I think they must have used a rather undersized mannequin to display it - which seems like a strange thing to do.

[danielc]

Eion666:

Thanks for posting those pictures!

The first tournment armour is quite something.

Cheers!

[Eoin666]

Eion666:

Thanks for posting those pictures!

The first tournment armour is quite something.

Cheers!

No worries Danielc, if you get the chance it's well worth a visit. I was at some crappy conference in Leeds which was opposite the Royal Armouries, so half hour into it I slipped away and spent the day in the museum, besides the traditional armour, there are galleries devoted to Samurai, Indian (armoured elephants), Turkish, Persian, firearms, jousting re-enactments you name it

[pmj]

that's basically renaissance armor - rounded forms, looks bulky but it's very comfortable to wear, at least the field armor, not the specimens worn at tournaments.
But I prefer the looks of the earlier "Gothic" armor of the 15th century - sleek lines, pointy and end edgy in general :)

[Eoin666]

that's basically renaissance armor - rounded forms, looks bulky but it's very comfortable to wear, at least the field armor, not the specimens worn at tournaments.
But I prefer the looks of the earlier "Gothic" armor of the 15th century - sleek lines, pointy and end edgy in general :)

I think you're right, Henry usually employed Milanese or Italian armourors

[Winger]

Death of Henry VIII - Was the cause of death syphilis?
Was the death of Henry VIII due to syphilis? This is the belief of many people as such a death caused by a ******ly transmitted disease seems to go with his image as a lecher. This image is in fact incorrect. Henry had very few mistresses for a royal monarch and as we all know tended to marry the women in his life. The gradual mental decline, paranoia and the leg ulceration he developed as he grew older could have been the result of a terminal syphilitic infection. But no one has ever proved that the death of Henry VIII was due to syphilis.



Type II Diabetes was the more likely culprit for his ailments. His older sister Margaret exhibited similiar symptoms pointing to something genetic such as diabetes.

Also, I'm inclined to agree with STAB. I can't see him at 6'4". Even the best fed back in those days didn't really have a nutritious diet and by the looks of the heights of those armors I would be inclined to say he was around 5'9" which would make him tall for that era.

IIRC, I read somewhere that the average weight and height of drafted Americans in WWII was 135lbs and 5'6".

[wotsnext]

6'2" seems very tall for a Welshman :)

[PEMM]

Hmm, didnt know japanese influence was so strong in those times. Anime in 1544?

[Eoin666]

Type II Diabetes was the more likely culprit for his ailments. His older sister Margaret exhibited similiar symptoms pointing to something genetic such as diabetes.

Also, I'm inclined to agree with STAB. I can't see him at 6'4". Even the best fed back in those days didn't really have a nutritious diet and by the looks of the heights of those armors I would be inclined to say he was around 5'9" which would make him tall for that era.

IIRC, I read somewhere that the average weight and height of drafted Americans in WWII was 135lbs and 5'6".

Actually average heights decreased during the 1800s due to the rapid increase in population and poor nutrition coupled to the industrial revolution, be interesting to see if there was another dip prior to WWII following the depression etc.

Don't mean to be funny but how can you just pluck out 5'9'' when the custodians of his actual armour the Royal Armouries themselves state Henry was at least 6'1''. Heights going back to the medieval, and earlier, particularly for the ruling classes at least were little different from today. Edward I was 6'2'' back in 13C' and that is from a direct measurement of his skeleton.

The link between height and nutrition can be vague, some of the tallest people in the world are from East Africa, hardly the most well fed compared to Europeans or Americans.

[TallGuy]

These are Henry VIII tournament foot combat armour (when he was young and fit) from the Royal Armouries, Leeds. (fantastic place for a day out if you get the chance)

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/9745/dsc0074.jpg

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/4166/dsc0077d.jpg

He was a big bugger, in more ways than one judging by the codpiece! p-)
I believe the codpiece was so big because he suffered from syphilis.

[MN_Air]

I believe the codpiece was so big because he suffered from syphilis.


or he got a ragin' cajun while killing people.

[Tokamak]

Interesting thread. Thanks.

[B_706K]

or he got a ragin' cajun while killing people.
Nah in those cases he wore this seedy perve armour Mk.1.




http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/1139/dsc0088kpp.jpg

[Limeyfellow]

According to the curator of the Royal Armouries (which is a fantastic place to go visit)...

The exhibition has been five years in the planning and includes field armour made for the 6ft 1in Henry when he was 23, with his 34.7in waist and his 41.7in chest. Then there is armour made for the Field of the Cloth of Gold five years later - he's up to a 36.1in waist and 41.8in chest. Foot combat armour also made for that year shows some particularly rapid weight gain - a 37.9in waist and 44in chest. Twenty years later his armour for a tournament to celebrate May Day has him ballooned up to a 51in waist and 54.5in chest. "You get an impression of what he was like in the flesh that you just can't from a painting. Armour has to fit quite closely," said the Royal Armouries academic director, Graeme Rimer.

Just as remarkable is the sheer weight of the armour he was wearing. The foot combat armour made for 28-year-old Henry weighed 94lb or 42.7kg.

And then there are the codpieces, which can best be described as roomy. "I think the king's codpiece also had to stand out a bit more than the common herd," said the keeper of armour, Thom Richardson. In later centuries Henry's codpieces found a new life with barren women pricking pins into the lining in the hope it would bring them babies.

The sets of armour are not in their original black and gold because of over-aggressive polishing in the 19th century when, said Richardson, "they were polished with brick dust and rangoon oil to within an inch of their life" to fit the aesthetic of what armour should look like, all shiny and silvery. "Walter Scott is to blame," Richardson added ruefully.

Henry's specially-made Field of the Cloth of Gold armour is particularly impressive with its many overlapping parts using up to the minute designs - so remarkable that Nasa studied its contruction when they were designing the first space suits in the 1960s.

The French changed the tournament rules late on so the armour was never completed, but you can see the impressive figure he would have cut at what was a big event. "Imagine G20 meets formula one with all the world leaders driving F1 cars and you get a sense of what it was like," said Richardson.

The exhibition shows how modern a monarch Henry was and his desire for his soldiers to have the best, most technologically advanced kit. One of the exhibits is a long spiked mace with three gun barrels at the end of it. "How you are meant to use it is an interesting challenge," admitted Rimer. "It would most likely have been used as a club."

Another quirk to the exhibition is the display of what is thought to be the oldest football in the world. It was discovered in the 1980s in the roof above Mary Queen of Scots' bedroom at Stirling castle and it is thought Mary - a keen football fan and possible player - may have put it there to ward away demons.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/apr/01/heritage-monarchy-henry-viii

[62ECHO]

Awesome stuff. I sometimes feel like blowing all my cash in getting some of those to display in my house especially the German gothic style armor.

[MN_Air]

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/1139/dsc0088kpp.jpg




"I see what you did there"