Henry VIII's Brothers in Armour

Summary

Not Just the Tudors: Henry VIII's Brothers in Armour

Podcast Information:

• Title: Not Just the Tudors
• Host/Author: History Hit (Professor Suzannah Lipscomb)
• Episode: Henry VIII's Brothers in Armour
• Release Date: October 17, 2024

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Introduction

In the episode titled "Henry VIII's Brothers in Armour," Professor Suzannah Lipscomb delves into the intricate world of 16th-century tournaments, exploring the dynamic relationship between England's King Henry VIII and the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I. This episode uncovers how these grand spectacles were not only displays of martial prowess but also significant political tools used to forge alliances and assert dominance.

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Listener Engagement: A Call for Insight

The episode begins with a contribution from listener Karen Niswold, an art historian from Vienna, who expresses a keen interest in the martial relationship between Maximilian I and Henry VIII. She states:

[01:48] Karen Niswold: "Maximilian even sent Henry armour as a gift and there was a great exhibition about it called the Last Night at the Met in New York a few years ago. So I would really enjoy to learn more about the relationship of these two royal powerhouses. And I'm sure other listeners do."

This input sets the stage for the episode's exploration into the shared passion for tournaments between these two influential figures.

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Guest Introduction: Dr. Karen Watts

To provide expert insight, Professor Lipscomb welcomes Dr. Karen Watts, a renowned curator emeritus at the Royal Armouries and a professor of Military Heritage and Archaeology at the Ecole du Louvre. Dr. Watts brings a wealth of knowledge, particularly regarding tournament armour from Henry VIII's era, including a unique piece gifted by Maximilian I.

[03:18] Dr. Karen Watts: "Oh, thank you, Susanna. I'm thrilled to be here."

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The Evolution of Tournaments

Dr. Watts begins by tracing the origins of tournaments, highlighting their transformation from medieval training grounds to early modern spectacles:

[03:39] Dr. Karen Watts: "The earliest form of tournament was the tourney, which was a mock battle simulating warfare. Two teams facing each other with lances and closing with swords. But this didn't allow for personal glory. So jousting developed as individual sports of two knights jousting against each other with lances."

She explains the emergence of two primary forms of jousting:

1. Joust of War: Aimed at unhorsing the opponent with sharp, pointed lances.
2. Joust of Peace: Focused on shattering the lance upon impact, minimizing actual harm.

Dr. Watts notes that while Maximilian I embraced both forms, Henry VIII preferred the safer Joust of Peace, referred to in England as the "jousts royal."

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Beyond Jousting: The Full Tournament Experience

Tournaments were multifaceted events encompassing more than just combat. Dr. Watts describes the accompanying festivities:

[06:15] Dr. Karen Watts: "Banqueting, dancing, a great deal of music, musical entertainment as well, and above all, processions and parades. It was a great occasion."

These elements made tournaments grand social gatherings, reinforcing political alliances and showcasing the host's wealth and sophistication.

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Political Significance of Tournaments

Tournaments served as strategic platforms for political maneuvering. Dr. Watts elaborates on their role in diplomacy and maintaining international relations:

[06:43] Dr. Karen Watts: "It was an occasion for political prominence. It was occasion to be close to the emperor or the king and show your prowess and make your way through the court."

The Field of Cloth of Gold (1520) exemplifies this, where Henry VIII and Francçois I of France engaged in elaborate jousting displays to project power and negotiate alliances without direct confrontation.

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Chivalric Culture and Its Legacy

The tournaments also upheld and romanticized medieval chivalric ideals, bridging the gap between the past and the emerging modern warrior ethos:

[08:20] Dr. Karen Watts: "We begin to see much more interest in the combats themselves. The allegorical framework begins to fade away and we begin to see these last of these medieval knights moving into the modern knights, the modern leaders, the modern leaders of armies."

This shift reflects a transition from symbolic representation to actual military preparedness, highlighting the evolving nature of leadership and warfare.

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Henry VIII's Tournament Armour: Masterpieces of Engineering

Dr. Watts provides an in-depth analysis of Henry VIII's tournament armour, emphasizing its craftsmanship and functionality:

[09:47] Dr. Karen Watts: "So at the Royal Armouries, we have got armours from when he was 28 years old in 1520 through to 1540. And we're gradually seeing his body shape change and grow somewhat stouter, to put it mildly."

She praises the engineering behind the armour, noting its articulations that allowed movement despite its heavy construction:

[09:47] Dr. Karen Watts: "These are engineering masterpieces because you have to be able to move, to run, to walk, to leap onto your horse. So all of these plates have to articulate, and they're articulating on rivets and on internal leathers, and they will move as your muscles move."

One particularly notable piece is the Field of Cloth of Gold armour, described as a "completely articulated shell" that even caught the attention of NASA:

[11:39] Professor Suzannah Lipscomb: "In 1962, NASA... sent engineers over to study this armor to see how it articulated in order to create spacesuits."

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The Decorative Triumphs and Anecdotes

While functional, Henry VIII's armour was also a canvas for artistic expression. Dr. Watts recounts an amusing incident involving the decoration of the armour:

[14:25] Dr. Karen Watts: "He decorated the armor so quickly and so rapidly that the decorator made a mistake and he went into the wrong square. And so there are three in a row that are decorated. And you can see where he started to do the great line of decoration and then went, this is completely wrong and took his hand away but it was too late because it was engraved into the metal."

This anecdote highlights the blend of artistry and craftsmanship that characterized royal armours of the period.

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Maximilian I's Gift: The Horned Helmet

A centerpiece of the episode is the discussion of the horned helmet gifted to Henry VIII by Maximilian I. Dr. Watts describes this unique piece:

[16:42] Dr. Karen Watts: "It also had the steel skirt on it and it was rippled as though it was actually textiles, which is extraordinary. And the helmet would have had the purple velvet and bands around it. But what's the most extraordinary thing is the face. It is a grotesque mask with eyes, a great nose and mouth. And you can see through the eyes, you can breathe through the nostrils and you can speak through the mouth. And it also has a pair of mystery horns."

The helmet's design raises intriguing questions about its intended symbolism. Dr. Watts suggests it may represent either Maximilian himself or convey a sense of jest and folly:

[19:07] Dr. Karen Watts: "So, is he meant to be a fool then? A jester?"

The presence of horns, historically associated with cuckoldry, adds a layer of complexity, especially considering Henry VIII's tumultuous marital history.

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Political Intricacies of the Tournament Gift

The horned helmet's symbolism extends into the political realm. Its grotesque features, possibly mirroring Maximilian's own prominent nose, could imply subservience or mockery:

[19:31] Professor Suzannah Lipscomb: "It makes him almost into a sort of puppet."

This interpretation suggests that the gift was not merely ornamental but carried underlying political commentary.

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Field of Cloth of Gold: A Diplomatic Showcase

Dr. Watts expounds on the significance of the Field of Cloth of Gold as a diplomatic tournament designed to display power and foster alliances without direct combat:

[21:37] Dr. Karen Watts: "Any moment where you can gather together and bring together your political opponents for debate and discussion in a relaxed environment, I think is perhaps the best answer to this."

She recounts how Henry VIII and Maximilian I, despite their differences, collaborated in battle against the French, solidifying their alliance and mutual respect.

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Jousting Accidents and Their Impact on Henry VIII

The episode also touches upon the physical toll of jousting on Henry VIII. Notable accidents include:

1. 1524 Injuries: Henry sustains facial injuries but continues to joust with remarkable resilience.
2. 1536 Fall: A severe accident where Henry falls off his horse, leading to lasting injuries and potential behavioral changes.

Dr. Watts discusses the possibility that these injuries, especially the 1536 incident, may have influenced Henry's notorious temperament in his later years:

[25:15] Dr. Karen Watts: "When we go back to the 16th century... it's entirely possible, but impossible to prove."

Professor Lipscomb connects these physical traumas to the emotional and psychological challenges Henry faced, such as the deaths of Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, and the Pilgrimage of Grace rebellion.

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Conclusion: The Dual Legacy of Power and Prowess

The episode concludes by reflecting on how tournaments were instrumental in shaping the legacies of monarchs like Maximilian I and Henry VIII. Their active participation in these events underscored their commitment to chivalric ideals and showcased their physical prowess, reinforcing their authority and status among European leaders.

[34:06] Dr. Karen Watts: "It's part of what I refer to as the presentation of self. It is important that you are visibly seen and that you are seen to be successful and that you are seen to be physically powerful."

Professor Lipscomb wraps up by emphasizing the unique intersection of sport, politics, and personal legacy embodied in these grand tournaments.

[35:43] Professor Suzannah Lipscomb: "Well, thank you so much for this wonderful introduction to the tournament, to their armour, and to the whole idea of the joust in the 16th century."

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Further Listening and Engagement

Listeners are encouraged to explore related episodes, such as:

• Henry VIII and Jousting
• Henry VIII's Billionaire Wardrobe
• Swords in Elizabethan England
• Hampton Court Golden Glory

Feedback and topic suggestions are welcomed via the podcast's website or social media channels.

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Note: This summary intentionally omits non-content segments, including advertisements and promotional messages, to focus solely on the substantive discussions of the episode.

Transcript

[Professor Susanna Lipscomb]

Thanks for listening to Not Just the Tudors. To get all History Hit Podcasts ad free early access and bonus episodes, head over to historyhit.com subscribe and you can sign up on Apple Podcasts with just one click. Hello, I'm Professor Susanna Lipscomb and welcome to Not Just the Tudors from History Hit, the podcast in which we explore everything from and Berlin to the Aztecs, from Holbein to the Huguenots, from Shakespeare to samurais, relieved by regular doses of murder, espionage and witchcraft. Not, in other words, just the Tudors, but most definitely also the Tudors. At the turn of the 16th century, at the court of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, tournaments were a wage to display enormous wealth and personal skill. Responsible for developing at least 11 different types of jousting. These events were used to impress visiting dignitaries and broker delicate foreign alliances. In England, the young Henry VIII used similar spectacle to demonstrate his legitimacy and power. At the famous diplomatic summit of 1520 known as the Field of Cloth of Gold, Henry and the King of France, Francois I, participated in jousting displays combining medieval pageantry with modern political theatre. Not just the Tudor's listener Karen Niswold of Vienna got in touch to see if we could cover the martial relationship between Maximilian and Henry viii. Here's what she had to say.

[Karen Nisvolt]

Hello, my name is Karen Nisvolt and I'm an art historian working in Vienna. For us Austrians, our royal Renaissance superstar is Maximilian I, who we know as the Last Knight. So I'd like to suggest an episode about the relationship between Maximilian and Henry viii. They both love tournaments. Maximilian even sent Henry Amor as a gift and there was a great exhibition about it called the Last Night at the Met in New York a few years ago. So I would really enjoy to learn more about the relationship of these two royal powerhouses. And I'm sure other listeners do. Not just the Tudor's foot too. Thank you so much.

[Professor Susanna Lipscomb]

To do just that, I'm joined today by Dr. Karen Watts, curator Emeritus at the Royal Armouries, professor de Patrimoine et Archaeologie Militaire at the Ecole du Louvre and visiting research fellow at the Institute for Medieval Studies at the University of Leeds. Dr. Watts Co edited the collection the Medieval Tournament as Spectacle, Tourneys, Jousts and pas des Arms 1100-1600 with Alan V Murray. And in her role at the Royal Armouries has had unparalleled access to the tournament armour of Henry viii, including a unique item gifted to him by Maximilian I. Let's find out more. I'm Professor Susannah Lipscomb. And this is not just the Tudor. Dr. Watts, welcome to the podcast.

[Dr. Karen Watts]

Oh, thank you, Susanna. I'm thrilled to be here.

[Professor Susanna Lipscomb]

So let's start by thinking about tournaments, because as I understand it, in the medieval era, they would have been a training ground for warfare. How did the early modern tournament, the one we're talking about at the beginning of the 16th century, develop from that?

[Dr. Karen Watts]

Well, first of all, they were wearing their armor for war. And of course, just like in battle, they got killed, so they started to develop protective armor. The earliest form of tournament was the tourney, which was a mock battle simulating warfare. Two teams facing each other with lances and closing with swords. But this didn't allow for personal glory. So jousting developed as individual sports of two knights jousting against each other with lances. From that developed two forms of jousting, a joust of war with sharp, pointed lances, the main aim, to unhorse your opponent, and the joust of Peace, where the main aim was to shatter your lance against your opponent. And then there was also foot combats. And the early period that we're talking about foot combats, had become a minor part of the tournament, the one that happened after the jousts, except that Maximilian loved foot combat and he had revived the use of foot soldiers with his Landsknecht. So he fought on foot himself with a variety of foot weapons. And what we have is we have Henry viii, who likes the Joust of peace that it is called, where you are meant to shatter your lances. And he referred to them in England as the jousts royal. And he didn't tend to use the joust of war with the sharp pointed lances. The main aim is to unhorse your opponent, which was considered to be more dangerous. But Maximilian himself loved both forms of the joust and was particularly adept at the joust of war. These are dangerous sports, these are extreme sports, and they still had the great risk of hurting themselves and causing injury and damage. And that is why the armors developed specialized forms wearing extra plates and extra protection to protect themselves against injury, which didn't always work.

[Professor Susanna Lipscomb]

Yes, and I want to talk about precisely that question of the level of risk. But let's do a bit more sort of setting out the type of things that were going on. So we've got these different types of jousts. What other sort of events might we have seen?

[Dr. Karen Watts]

Banqueting, dancing, a great deal of music, musical entertainment as well, and above all, processions and parades. It was a great occasion.

[Professor Susanna Lipscomb]

And what sort of Political events might have involved a tournament. I mean, how are the European courts benefiting from what I suppose is essentially largely a safe display of military skill and might?

[Dr. Karen Watts]

It was an occasion for political prominence. It was occasion to be close to the emperor or the king and show your prowess and make your way through the court.

[Professor Susanna Lipscomb]

So it was good for nobility to be able to rise by demonstrating their skill. But could we imagine that there's a sort of international component here as well?

[Dr. Karen Watts]

Oh, certainly. Jousters traveled great distances to be there. They were also representing their countries. Remember, Maximilian I has great domain stretching from Spain to Flanders to Hungary to the German lands, and it is his way of controlling the knights and the leaders from those countries by jousting with them. His court was quite peripatetic. He moved around and held tournaments and jousts wherever he was, as a form of political control, but also in his case, because he loved tournaments and it's extraordinary that he participated in them himself before this and after. The tournaments were held by kings and monarchs, but they didn't participate them in themselves. Here we have two incredible monarchs, Henry VIII and Maximilian I, who wanted to participate in them themselves simply because they loved the sport.

[Professor Susanna Lipscomb]

Is there something there about a kind of chivalric culture as well, though the medieval past being upheld, even elevated through these events?

[Dr. Karen Watts]

Yes. We have to go back to the influence of Burgundy, and Burgundy was one of Maximilian's lands that he inherited, and Burgundy had developed a romantic chivalric court in which it was theatrical. They took on roles and positions. Henry VIII was coeur loyal, loyal heart in the Westminster tournament that he held. It was all an allegory of love and romance. And they all fought within this format that was the inheritance from the Middle Ages through the period, the early modern period that we're discussing. We begin to see much more interest in the combats themselves. The allegorical framework begins to fade away and we begin to see these last of these medieval knights moving into the modern knights, the modern leaders, the modern leaders of armies, hence the importance of fighting on foot.

[Professor Susanna Lipscomb]

So let's talk a bit about the armor, then. You've got these wonderful surviving examples. Let's start with Henry VIII's tournament armor field and tournament armor. What do they tell us about his role and his participation?

[Dr. Karen Watts]

First of all, they show us his body shape, his form, because these suits of armors are molded on him so they are like a second skin. So at the Royal Armouries, we have got armours from when he was 28 years old in 1520 through to 1540. And we're gradually seeing his body shape change and grow somewhat stouter, to put it mildly. To put it mildly. But these are engineering masterpieces because you have to be able to move, to run, to walk, to leap onto your horse. So all of these plates have to articulate, and they're articulating on rivets and on internal leathers, and they will move as your muscles move. And one of the earliest ones that we have, the one that was made for the field of cloth of gold, is a completely articulated shell, front and rear. Every part of him moves, every part of him will articulate. It's completely all enclosing. It was an engineering masterpiece. It has the problem that it is very heavy, and all armors, the participants, suffer from overheating and dehydrating. That's always a problem with wearing armor. But the weight is distributed over the whole body. And this particular armor was made for the field of cloth of gold and is almost unique. There is no chink in his armor. In fact, if I could tell an amusing anecdote, in 1962, NASA, when they were designing spacesuits, sent engineers over to study this armor to see how it articulated in order to create spacesuits.

[Professor Susanna Lipscomb]

So what sort of motion and movement is possible in this armor? I mean, and what is not as well?

[Dr. Karen Watts]

Oh, he could have done anything. It's a dharma for fighting on foot. So he could have done a forward roll in it. He could have done star jumps in it. And it was designed to be used with a poleaxe, which is a very, very brutal weapon, which has got a hammer, an axe and a spear on it so that he had to be protected on all sides. It was designed in his own workshop and even has fashionable elements. The feet are shaped with bear paw sabatons, as they're called. They've got the bear paw shape of his shoes. So it would have been remarkable to have seen him running and moving in it.

[Professor Susanna Lipscomb]

It's so interesting because, of course, that makes sense that he could do all of this in the armor. And yet, when one looks at it, that isn't the first thing that comes to mind. Does it differ significantly from armor that would have been worn in battle?

[Dr. Karen Watts]

Yes, it's twice the weight, for a start. And armor worn in battle would have had areas behind the legs, in the arms that would allow you to be able to breathe and wear the armor for longer periods. He could only have worn this for a short time. He also had another armor that had a skirt or tonnelet, as it's called. It's imitating the fabric basis that they wore. And this was also made to be used with big swords, but it had more exposed parts. Because you're facing your opponent with the large swords, you're not turning your back on them.

[Professor Susanna Lipscomb]

Why would they have put skirts on it? I don't understand. Can you explain? I mean, I've seen them so many times. I've never asked that question. Now I'm thinking why?

[Dr. Karen Watts]

This is a steel articulated skirt so it sticks out all around you and you are holding a large two handed sword. So it is going to keep the opponents apart from each other so they don't come in close so they can use the full length of the sword with their two hands. You were talking recently about flowers. It's decorated with the Tudor roses all over it on a checkerboard pattern. It has got St. George on one shoulder and the Virgin Mary on the other shoulder. He's wearing the collar of the Order of the Garter and they've etched the garter itself around his knee. And one of the most amusing things is that they carefully did Tudor roses in checkerboard. So alternate squares were decorated and they decorated the armor so quickly and so rapidly that the decorator made a mistake and he went into the wrong square. And so there are three in a row that are decorated. And you can see where he started to do the great line of decoration and then went, this is completely wrong and took his hand away but it was too late because it was engraved into the metal. And I've always wondered whether anybody ever told him because it's at the back. So he got into the armor sideways. It was then buckled and strapped all down the other side. And I've always assumed that nobody ever told him.

[Professor Susanna Lipscomb]

Do we know who the decorator was?

[Dr. Karen Watts]

It was decorated in the royal workshops that he founded at Greenwich, but we don't know the name of the actual man.

[Professor Susanna Lipscomb]

We've now got that vivid moment of this poor Tudor artisan, very highly skilled in engraving and that moment where he's like, oh, sugar.

[Dr. Karen Watts]

Absolutely.

[Professor Susanna Lipscomb]

They wouldn't have said sugar because they didn't have that in the time. But anyway.

[Don Wildman]

In case you haven't heard, in the US it's a presidential election year. We're going to hear a lot of this is America. No, no, you're all wrong. This is America. But on American history hit. We're leaving that to the rest of them. Join me, Don Wildman. Twice a week where we look to the past to understand the United States of today. With the Help of some amazing guests. Let us introduce you to the Founding Fathers, guide you through the west wing of the White House and shelter you on the battlefields of years gone by. To find out just how we got here, American History hit. A podcast from history Hit.

[Professor Susanna Lipscomb]

So these are beautifully decorated sort of works of art, as well as, you know, having this extraordinary ability to protect and to articulate, and they would have been worn for these occasions. Tell me about the tournament armor that was gifted to Henry VIII by Maximilian I. The so called horned helmet.

[Dr. Karen Watts]

Oh, this was wonderful. Now, Maximilian has got his own workshops at Innsbruck and he has got magnificent families of armorers working for him. The family called the Seusenhofer family and the Helmschmidt family and Conrad Seusenhofer made a suit of armor to be given to Henry viii. We only have the helmet surviving, but we know what the rest of the armor looked like because two armors were commissioned, one for Henry VIII and the other for Maximilian's beloved grandson and heir, who was to become Charles V. And Charles V's armor has survived, but only from the neck down. So his helmet is missing. Now, you'd have thought that all we have to do is photograph the helmet of Henry on the body of the Charles armor and we could see what the whole thing would look like. Unfortunately, the Henry is for a full adult and Charles was only a child. So it's a miniature armor. But the whole armor was covered in purple velvet with pierced steel plates all the way around it. It also had the steel skirt on it and it was rippled as though it was actually textiles, which is extraordinary. And the helmet would have had the purple velvet and bands around it. But what's the most extraordinary thing is the face. It is a grotesque mask with eyes, a great nose and mouth. And you can see through the eyes, you can breathe through the nostrils and you can speak through the mouth. And it also has a pair of mystery horns. But the thing that I want to ask you is that the nose is, shall we say, very prominent, politely. And we do know that these are one of the characteristics of Maximilian himself, to have a very prominent nose and the jaw. It's difficult to tell about the jaw because it's grinning manically. So do you think that it was intended to be a representation of the Emperor himself, with Henry appearing and wearing it behind it?

[Professor Susanna Lipscomb]

What an enchanting idea. I mean, you know better than I whether this unusual nose could be taken to be a representation of Maximilian. But if that suggestion is correct, then it was politically quite naughty. Isn't it? To make him wear the Emperor's face. It makes him almost into a sort of puppet.

[Dr. Karen Watts]

That's right. On the other hand, there's also another queer feature about the nose, is that there's a drip on the end of it. So is it meant to represent a fool? I mean, there's eyebrows etched on it. There's little wrinkles at the corners of the eyes. Henry is wearing something that makes him look grotesque. So is he meant to be a fool then? A jester? There's clearly a sense of fun and humor in this. He would have worn this helmet and the whole armor for the parade part of tournaments, not the actual fighting. He would have taken the whole visor off and put another one on for the actual combats. But this helmet has been one of the great star pieces of the royal armories and in fact is the logo of the whole museum and is seen on signs as you're entering leads from all sides. It is unusual.

[Professor Susanna Lipscomb]

It is. And we haven't yet talked about the spectacles or the horns, really.

[Dr. Karen Watts]

No. The horns are the big mystery. I'm glad you've mentioned that. We have wondered about the horns. The horns were clearly put on during his lifetime if they weren't a part of the original gift. So we've had moments where we've decided the horns must be there were originally part of Maximilian's original gift. They're certainly listed in his inventory at his death. So they were there during his lifetime. Again, is this part of him acting the fool? Because, of course, we always associate these horns with cuckoldry.

[Professor Susanna Lipscomb]

Exactly. That's exactly what I was going to say is given that this man goes on to have two wives who are accused of committing adultery against him, it seems a little bit prescient to have put horns on his helmet at this early stage.

[Dr. Karen Watts]

Yes.

[Professor Susanna Lipscomb]

So let's go back to the thinking about the tournament as a kind of moment of political showmanship. How did it become something that was used between European countries, such as the Field of Cloth of Gold, to mark political occasions?

[Dr. Karen Watts]

They used coronations at weddings. Any moment where you can gather together and bring together your political opponents for debate and discussion in a relaxed environment, I think is perhaps the best answer to this. It was an occasion for people to meet sometimes for the, you know, for the first time, as happened at the Field of Cloth of Gold between Henry VIII and Francis I. It was also an occasion to show how physically powerful you were.

[Don Wildman]

In case you haven't heard, in the US It's a presidential election Year, we're going to hear a lot of this is America. No, no, you're all wrong. This is America. But on American History hit. We're leaving that to the rest of them. Join me, Don Wildman, twice a week, where we look to the past to understand the United States of today. With the help of some amazing guests. Let us introduce you to the Founding Fathers, guide you through the west wing of the White House, and shelter you on the battlefields of years gone by. To find out just how we got here, American History hit. A podcast from history Hit.

[Professor Susanna Lipscomb]

One of the things that's said about Henry and Francis at the Field of Cloth of Gold is that both demonstrate how expert they are. And they can do that in part because they're never required to joust against each other. So is this an opportunity to allow the less established king of England to assert himself as being equal to a great Renaissance prince like Francois?

[Dr. Karen Watts]

Oh, yes. What we have is Henry viii, who is playing power politics against two much richer and more powerful countries, the Holy Roman Empire and France. And he is trying to make sure that he has equal respect. And holding tournaments is one of the great ways of achieving this. And at the Field of Cross of Gold, the two kings fought as brothers in arms against knights from each other's court so that they would not have a consequent loss of face when one of them lost. At that particular tournament, Henry did demonstrations of archery, longbow archery, at which he excelled and impressed the spectators greatly. Francis, I took no part because he wasn't interested in that at all. But Francis challenged him to a wrestling match instead, to the horror of both courts. And in fact, at this point, there was almost a diplomatic incident because of it. But at this stage, Henry is 27, 28. He is very, very fit and very active and enjoying all of his sport. Do you know he even had football boots in? This elicited his inventory.

[Professor Susanna Lipscomb]

Yes, he was a remarkable athlete, wasn't he? Early in his life, he was. And I suppose the question is, how long could that be sustained? I mean, we'll come back to Henry in a second, but for Maximilian, the first. Is this something he's doing as he gets older?

[Dr. Karen Watts]

Oh, it is. We were talking about the risk of injuries. Maximilian is still taking part in tournaments well into his 50s, but he had a bad fall from his horse and broke his leg in many places. And so he carries quite severe injuries, which is nothing compared to what Henry got in terms of injuries in 15254 while he was jousting against his brother in law. Charles Brandon, it should be said that people aren't holding back when they're jousting against Henry. He complained if he didn't get good enough opponents, he really was fine. Joust are probably the finest in the land. And he is jousting wearing a new helmet of his devising. Apparently, we don't know exactly what. He didn't close the helmet properly. Charles Brandon hit him on the head and splinters entered the helmet, particularly above his eye, and caused great damage to his face, his eyes. He, with great bravura, got back up, emptied his helmet of the splinters, picked up another lance and jousted for another six courses. There has been some question about whether he had got some kind of brain damage at this point. And then the second injury was in 1536, where he fell off his horse and the horse fell on him in armor, the horse and man, and he was knocked unconscious for several hours. In fact, they were really worried that he would die. So my question to you is, do you think that these sporting accidents actually affected him and his personality thereafter?

[Professor Susanna Lipscomb]

So the jousting accident that happened at the beginning of 1536 is at the start of a year in which there are multiple losses for Henry on an emotional level. Catherine of Aragon died at the beginning of the year. Anne Boleyn miscarries later. It's suggested that she's guilty of adultery. His illegitimate son dies as the Pilgrimage of Grace rebellion against him. I mean, some years ago I wrote about this and said that I thought that this year, and there's more besides, had all the sort of necessary ingredients to foster and entrench and catalyze a change in Henry's personality. But you're absolutely right that there is this question over his health. So we know, of course, he opens up an ulcer in his leg that never heals in that jousting accident. And pain, I think, is very important to understanding Henry in the last decade of his life. But the question about whether we see a brain injury is almost unanswerable. I spoke to a pathologist about it once who suggested that it is entirely possible that Henry bruised his cerebral cortex, that this sort of flung him back into adolescence in a way. So that what we see from him later in his life is kind of recklessness and inability to control his emotions, doing things and then thinking about them later. Death of Cromwell, for example, and pointed to examples of American footballers who've had similar injuries where their personalities have seemingly changed dramatically. But the problem with this is that when we go back to the 16th century. We don't have the medical evidence that we would want to have to be able to conclude firmly. So that's my thinking about it, is that it's entirely possible, but impossible to prove.

[Dr. Karen Watts]

Oh, that's fascinating, Susanna. Of course, the other thing is that Maximilian and Henry viii, they met physically on the battlefield rather than actually at a tournament. And I think this is a lovely example of Maximilian seeing Henry VIII as somebody that he would mentor. There is 32 years difference between the two of them. Henry is clearly trying to emulate Maximilian and his great tournaments in hosting his own because he admires Maximilian so much. And we have got the two meeting at the Battle of the spurs in a magnificent cloth of gold tent held by Henry viii. So Henry VIII and Maximilian meet. There's a painting in the royal collection which shows them shaking hands on horseback, which I think is lovely. And it should be mentioned that the battle in which they both took part as allies against the French and was a magnificent victory for them. They routed the French completely. Maximilian was leading the cavalry on the battlefield. He was leading a cavalry of about 200 men, while Henry was advised to stay with the foot soldiers on the side and didn't actually take part. And after this great victory at the Battle of the Spurs, a tournament was held in Tournay once they'd captured it. And that's another you were asking about why one should hold tournaments. Well, one holds them as victory after battle, so that's another great reason for them holding it.

[Professor Susanna Lipscomb]

That's fascinating because also there's a sense there that having been deprived of the opportunity of participating in the battle itself, Henry's making up for it by participating in the tournament.

[Dr. Karen Watts]

Yes, I think you're absolutely right. We have an armor at the royal armories of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I. It is for this a joust of war with the sharp lances, where the main aim is to unhorse your opponent. So they have saddles that allow them to come off easily at the back. The horses pass always left side to left side. So you couch your lance under your right arm, pass it over your horse's neck and then you pass left side, left side. So the left side of the body is the ones that are the closest target and the ones that's got the heavy reinforces. So this armor has got a great big leather shield on the left side. On the right side, where he's holding his lance is a big shield around the lance and his hand is protected behind it. He is wearing a helmet and there are two plates slotted into the top of the helmet, just over the brow. And as you are jousting along, if the opponent hits the head, where you get the maximum number of points, in jousting, hitting the head was the major primary target. If you hit these two plates, or if you hit any of the plates on the far side, that is the side around the lance, they fly off, giving the impression that the whole armor is breaking up in front of you. It's a trick armor, which is amazing. And also, this armor is one of the earliest examples of a screw thread. In order to bolt, you're bolted into it and you are only facing forwards. And with the armor, we have the 15th century spanner that you need to bolt the armor together onto the body, which is extraordinary. So you're facing forwards, you're running in one direction, and you have to train your horse to run against another horse running towards it. Now, horses are naturally flight animals, so they will spook easily, and they will. If they see another horse running towards them, they'll just simply deviate. So the horses have got blind chefrons, which are their head armor, so that their eyes are completely covered over, they can't see, and they're trained to go straight ahead. Now, you will say to me, yes, but you can hear the other horse. So they then wear bells around their necks, so they're trained to listen to the bells and go in a straight line. And we have these pieces for this particular armor belonging to Maximilian I.

[Professor Susanna Lipscomb]

This level of detail is so fascinating. And I suppose there's one last thing we really need to talk about, which is the idea that it mattered that a monarch had this degree of personal skill and spectacle. Like, why in this period, was it so important for Maximilian, for Henry, for Francois, to demonstrate that they could do this?

[Dr. Karen Watts]

It is, I think, part of what I refer to as the presentation of self. It is important that you are visibly seen and that you are seen to be successful and that you are seen to be physically powerful. And it is interesting that it is really for these three who participate themselves at this particular time, this moment, that they're all participating in tournaments and being extremely good at them. We don't see this with Henry vii, his father, who held many tournaments, but he held them, he watched them, he judged them, but he didn't participate in them. And Maximilian's successor, Charles V, again held many tournaments, had a great many armors, loved suits of armor. When Charles V retired to a monastery, he took with him 17 suits of armor. He didn't take any of his paintings by titian who was only the court painter. His armorers were much more important to him. So what we see is, I think, an extraordinary moment in time where Maximilian, the first Holy Roman Emperor, Francois I, King of France, and Henry VIII of England are all competing and presenting themselves and loving and relishing the fact that they are all extreme sportsmen and physically powerful potentates.

[Professor Susanna Lipscomb]

Well, thank you so much for this wonderful introduction to the tournament, to their armor, and to the whole idea of the joust in the 16th century. Dr. Karen Watts, it's been a pleasure to talk to you.

[Dr. Karen Watts]

Thank you so much for having me. Susanna, it's been a real pleasure talking to you too.

[Professor Susanna Lipscomb]

Thanks for listening to this episode of Not Just the Tudors from History hit, and also thanks to my researcher Alice Smith and my producer Rob Weinberg. If you enjoyed this episode, why not go back and listen again to our episode on Henry VIII and jousting? Or the one titled Henry VIII's Billionaire Wardrobe. That's fascinating. And then there's swords in Elizabethan England. Or you can find out more about the field of cloth of gold in the episode Hampton Court Golden Glory. The links are in the show Notes for this episode. We're always eager to hear from you, including receiving your brilliant ideas for subjects we can cover. So do drop us a line at not just the tutorshistoryhip.com or on X, formerly Twitter otjusttutors. Remember, you can also listen to all of these podcasts on YouTube and watch hundreds, hundreds of documentaries when you [e-mail] subscribe it is well worth it. And as a special gift, you can also get 50% off your first three months when you use the Code Tudors at checkout. That's historyhit.com subscribe with the code Tudors and if you'd be so good as to follow Not Just the Tudors. Wherever you get your podcasts, you'll get each new episode as soon as it's released.

[Eva Longoria]

Do you ever wonder where your favorite foods come from? Like, what's the history behind bacon wrapped hot dogs? Hi, I'm Eva Longoria. Hi, I'm Maite Gomez. Our podcast Hungry for History is back and this season we're taking an even bigger bite out of the most delicious food, food and its history, seeing that the most popular cocktail is the margarita, followed by the mojito from Cuba and the pina colada from Puerto Rico. Listen to Hungry for history on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.