Leonardo da Vinci
Tower of London
Henry VIII's Coronation
Jousting Rules
Catherine of Aragon's pregnancy
Utopia by Thomas More
Songs written by Henry VIII
The Field of Cloth of Gold
First printed Bible in English
Henry VIII's 'Great Matter'
Last letter from Thomas More to Henry VIII
Dissolution of the Monasteries
Henry VIII's Great Bible
Henry VIII's Psalter
Minstrels at a feast
Chopping Wood
Vesalius's anatomy lessons
Copernicus
Edward VI's diary
Henry VIII's assets
Letter from Elizabeth I
Circular zodiac chart
Elizabeth I's Map
The First National Lottery
Elizabeth I in a golden chariot
Handwritten recipe
Elizabethan dress codes
First English Dictionary
Recipe for pancakes
Mary Queen of Scots
Elizabeth's Tilbury speech
Elizabethan thieves
Doctor Faustus by Marlowe
A cure for drunkenness
In June 1520, Henry VIII and King Francis I of France met near Calais at the 'Field of Cloth of Gold' in an attempt to strengthen the bond between the two countries. Each king tried to outshine the other, with dazzling tents and clothes, grand feasts, music, jousting, and games. The tents and the costumes included such great quantities of 'cloth of gold' (an expensive fabric woven with silk and gold thread), that the site of the meeting was named after it. These drawings are thought to be the original designs for the tents, which were connected by a series of galleries, following the arrangements of Tudor palaces. Spaces were divided by hangings of rich cloth, enabling the creation of reception rooms, private apartments, chapels and connecting galleries.
Shelfmark: Cotton Ms. Augustus III. 18