The Tudor period is considered the most famous in English History as it was a brutal time
where there was a huge number of executions.
Henry VIII throughout his almost 4 decade long reign would execute some of his closest
friends and advisors such as Cromwell, and also two of his wives would end up at the
executioner’s block in the Tower of London.
But the first Tudor King was his father, Henry VII who defeated Richard III at the Battle
of Bosworth Field, and Henry’s victory would end the wars of the Roses.
He was considered a shrewd and careful monarch, and one who did not necessarily show emotion,
but following the death of his wife Elizabeth of York, Henry VII’s world changed.
He died on the 21st April 1509 at the age of 52, having an almost 24 year long reign
on the throne of England, bringing stability back to the monarchy.
But after his death, a death mask was cast of it’s face that has inspired other effigies
of the first Tudor King, and recently technology has been used to bring Henry’s face back
to life.
But what is the story of Henry VII’s death mask?
As mentioned on the 21st April 1509 Henry VII died, and he had been ill since spring
1507, as he suffered from a nasty throat infection.
It was said that the King for some time had suffered with acute rheumatic fever, and he
experienced bouts of depression and a loss of appetite.
It was thought at the start of 1509 that he was suffering from tuberculosis, and on the
day before he died, his confessor was summoned to administer the last rites.
He was tended to by other members of his household.
The final days of Henry VII were documented by John Fisher, the future executed Bishop
of Rochester.
It was said that the King died a good christian death, and that his last days were not peaceful,
and that they were filled with confession, prayer and the emotion of Henry VII’s life
came out.
He was weeping constantly, and he received the sacrament of penance, ‘with a marvellous
compassion and flow of tears, that at some time he wept and sobbed by the space of three
questers of an hour.’
Henry VII had then prepared himself for death.
It was said, ‘"That same day of his departure he heard mass of the glorious virgin the mother
of Christ to whom always in his life he had a singular and special devotion.
The image of the crucifix many a time that day full devoutly he did behold with great
reverence, lifting up his head as he might, holding up his hands before it, and often
embracing it in his arms and with great devotion kissing it, and beating often his breast.
Who may think that in this manner was not perfect faith, who may suppose that by this
manner of delaying he faithfully believed not that the ear of almighty God was open
unto him and ready to hear him cry for mercy.”
Henry VII was in agony, ‘not for the dread of death only but for the dread of the judgement
of almighty god,’ and he was worried and stressed about what would happen to his soul
after his death.
He was praying heavily for mercy, but then his final moments came.
He succumbed to tuberculosis which was a nasty death, and he left the throne to his eldest
alive son, Henry VIII.
Henry VIII’s reign would change history forever, but following his death, Henry VII’s
body remained at Richmond Palace for some time until the funeral arrangements were finalised.
He was then embalmed and at some point a death mask was cast of the first Tudor King.
A death mask was a wax or plaster cast of someone important’s face after their death,
and it was done as a moment of the dead.
The death mask of the first Tudor king was cast before he was taken to his funeral and
most likely during the embalming process.
But it had a very important purpose, as today using it we can see what Henry VII looked
like and what his appearance was like in his final years.
His death mask was used to create his funeral effigy and this shows a man sitting upright
with short cropped black hair, and with his eyes wide open and mouth pursed closed.
It shows the King having symmetrical features, and shows him looking rather stern.
It’s believed that the effigy was made from the death mask, and this effigy sat on top
of the coffin when it was taken into Westminster Abbey where he was interred inside the ornate
and huge Lady Chapel that he had commissioned to be a place of royal burials.
The death mask was made to form part of the funeral effigy and as it sat on top of Henry’s
casket, thousands inside of London would have seen their King’s final form in this wooden
image that sat ontop of the horse drawn hearse.
It showed many people in London their king for the first time, as during the Tudor times
it wasn’t common for people to even know what their monarch looked like, and many wouldn’t
have been able to recognise him if they saw him, as it wasn’t common for people to even
see portraits of the King.
But the life like effigy would have shown the people who was inside the coffin, and
it would have been dressed in Henry’s robes and showed him true to life.
Henry in the effigy also looks rather ill and gaunt in opposition to the variety of
paintings that were created of him, showing his longer flowing hair and bright coloured
countenance.
Another image would be made of Henry VII after his death, and this was a bust made by Torreigiano,
and it shows the King clad in a fur lined gown and a black Tudor style hat.
He looks as if he is contemplating something, but in this he certainly looks more healthy,
and it’s believed that Torrigiano when he made this bust used the death mask and the
effigy to create the sculpture.
Using this death mask, he then tried to make the King more life like and alive, and show
him in his younger and more glorious years.
It’s believed that this bust was also a plan or a starter on the bronze tomb effigy
which would be placed on his resting place in Westminster Abbey.
Henry VIII as a King was known for being a man who after the Wars of the Roses managed
to bring the country under control.
His marriage to Elizabeth of York united the country following the turbulence of the previous
civil war, and he would deal with many disputes in a serious manner.
He used justices of the peace to keep order for him, but his final years were marred by
worry, tragedy and upset.
Henry VII’s life was rocked by the death of his heir and eldest son Arthur, but also
then the loss of his wife Elizabeth of York.
These tragedies greatly upset the man who was considered emotionless and staunch, and
after Elizabeth’s death his health suffered and he would succumb to a nasty bout of TB.
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