Search results

Start typing

In order to pursue his ambitions in France, Henry VIII formed an alliance with the Holy Roman Emperor, Maximilian I. This painting records their meeting and the main events pertaining to Henry’s first campaign against the French in 1513.

The composit
European Armour in the Royal Collection

An introduction to European armour in the Royal Collection.

JACOB JACOBSZ DE WET II (HAARLEM 1641/2 - AMSTERDAM 1697)

Caratacus, British Chieftain (34-54)

1684-86

RCIN 403325

Caratacus (r.35–54) was a king in Iron Age Britain who became the spearhead of military resistance to Roman invasion. In this painting he is presented as a heroic figure, equipped with gleaming armour. However, according to the classical historian Tacitus, Caratacus and his troops were in fact 'destitute…of the defence of breast-plates or helmets'. De Wet's depiction is thus an exercise in imagination. He combines a seventeenth-century sword and commander's baton with a fantastical helmet and shield, and has failed to divide the cuirass (covering Caratacus' torso) into back- and breast-plate. Rather than attempting historical realism, then, the armour acts largely an iconographic tool, making Caratacus recognisable as a warlord. The letters 'SPQR' on his shield may serve as a reminder of his greatest display of bravery: they stand for the Roman Republic where, as captive, Caratacus' courage elicited the Emperor's admiration. 


    The income from your ticket contributes directly to The Royal Collection Trust, a registered charity. The aims of The Royal Collection Trust are the care and conservation of the Royal Collection, and the promotion of access and enjoyment through exhibitions, publications, loans and educational activities.