At the royal armouries collection in the UK,
stands an unusual suit of armor: A masterwork of tutor design
its overlapping plates offer full protection
as well as free movement. Flared wings
guard the knee joins, and even the feet are articulated.
It is for a man 6 ft, 2 inches tall
500 years ago, a team of armorers and smiths
assembled it with careful precision,
for when the man stepped onto the tournament field,
he must Not Be Injured. For this armor was
custom made for Henry the 8th, by the grace of God
King of England, France, and Ireland.
And he would be fighting in foot combat
at the field of the cloth of gold.
This episode is sponsored by the Royal Armouries Museum
which contains weapons and armor from the medieval era to the
present day. Stay tuned until after the episode to find out how you can check out
the armor we discussed with your very own eyes.
London 1514
For centuries, Europe had been at war. The great powers of France,
Spain, and the Holy Roman Empire, have been at each other's
throats in neverending campaign.This is a new era
of warfare, one where the feuding kingdoms of Europe make war
in great alliances. Not one state fighting another,
but international coalitions taking on common threats
with smaller states joining larger ones.
War and diplomacy intertwine, and
few people play this game better than Cardinal Thomas Wolsey
In 1514, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey was
the most powerful minister England has ever had,
holding sway over both civic and religious life.
The son of a butcher, his meteoric rise came through a decade
of serving his Chaplin, to important men,
eventually landing him a place at the side of the young Henry the 8th.
Wolsey was a man of enormous intelligence and
administrative talent, and political cunning. One who understood
that a minister could amass power, by volunteering
for the dullest tasks of state, managing finances
and logistics, and doing them well.
From his seat on the British Council, he served as a mentor and councilor
to Henry, while ably sidelining other advisors.
Now I know it's hard to imagine anyone counseling- or guiding-
Henry the 8th, but keep in mind, this is not
Henry of later years;
The one who will break centuries of precedent,
and spark a religious schism, over a divorce.
No, this is Henry in his mid 20s, handsome and vigorous
He wants nothing more than to be seen as a glorious Renaissance prince,
Patron of the arts, holder of banquets,
master of 3 languages, avid athlete,
and a man of learning and style.
A conquering hero in love and war.
The result of which, was that in the early years of Henry's reign,
there existed an unofficial division of power
Wolsey handled the bureaucracy, domestic policies, diplomacy,
and a series of reforms targeting taxation, the judicial system,
land use, and the church.
Meanwhile Henry handled all of the hunting, feasting,
banqueting, jousting, tennis, seducing,
and drinking with the boys