3rd October 2018
The magnificent spectacle of the Field of the Cloth of Gold is to be brought to life by Historic Royal Palaces for the 500th anniversary of the event in 2020. They are planning to recreate a section of Henry VIII’s tent that will go on display at Hampton Court Palace. The Field of the Cloth of Gold was a meeting that took place in June 1520 near Calais between Henry VIII and Francis I in an attempt to preserve the peace and improve relations between England and France. It was also an opportunity for each king to show off his wealth and majesty to the other – which included the construction of lavish tents, the gold cloth of which gave the event its name.
Recreating Henry’s tent will explore how these structures were assembled, and also give us an idea of the luxury and style the Tudors travelled in. Alden Gregory, curator of historic buildings at HRP, describes the largest tents as ‘portable palaces complete with many of the features that you would expect to find in a palace like Hampton Court, including a great hall, bed chambers, withdrawing chambers and toilets.’ It’s incredible to imagine how much work and expense went into keeping the king comfortable in his temporary accommodations.