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.

Composite cap-a-pie field armour of the Marquess of Waterford

mostly early 19th century in the late 15th-century style

RCIN 71650

Medieval notions of chivalry were the object of intense interest by British aristocrats in the first part of the nineteenth century. A high point of this 'Gothic Revival' was the Eglinton Tournament of 1839, hosted by the Earl of Eglinton in Ayrshire, Scotland. Dozens of peers, baronets, knights and gentlemen gathered there for medieval jousting and pageantry. Much of the armour for the occasion was supplied by the Bond Street dealer Samuel Pratt, who sought out armours, old and new, to satisfy his customers. This composite armour was worn at the event by the Marquess of Waterford. Most parts were made in the early nineteenth century but mimicked the late fifteenth-century style, incorporating extensive fluting in the 'Gothic' fashion. After the tournament, the armour was sold by Pratt to the Tower of London Armouries.


    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.