Field of Cloth of Gold

When most people think of Henry VIII, they think of him as a fat, bloated, lumbering, bad-tempered, crude king hurling meaty bones at his dogs and ch*pping off his wives’ heads. What many people don’t associate Henry with is a tall, muscular, fit king who took part in tournaments that he was particularly good at.

We know exactly what Henry’s physique was in 1520. He was 29 years old, 188 cm (6ft 2 in) tall, and very athletic. Amazingly, a suit of armour has survived that fitted the King as close as a second skin. It brings Henry VIII back to life better than any portrait. This suit of armour was made for Henry VIII to wear during the jousting tournaments at the Field of Cloth of Gold. The armour weighs 42.6kg (about 94 lbs), which is twice the weight of a normal battle armour!

Photo via : collections.royalarmouries.org