Early in the reign of Henry the Eighth, the fashion of wearing trawses was much affećted : these were breeches (sàys Randle Holme) which fat fo tight upon the thighs, that they discovered the whole make and shape. But this fashion was by no means now newly invented; for its first appearance was, I believe, in the middle of the reign of Edward the Fourth. [see plate 1 below]
Some of the apparel of king Henry the Eighth himself, we meet with in the inventory of his secret wardrobe, at Westminster.
Amongst the Gowns,
Item a gowne, with a square cape of crimson vellat, and crimson satten, all over embraudered with pirles of damaske golde and silver; having a riche border, and gaurde of crimson vellat, embraudered with damaske golde and perles, faced with crimsen satten, also alover embraudered with the same damaske golde, and perles; with a like border cut the length of the said faceing; – being upon the sleeves of the same gowne, 26 diamonds set in buttons of gold;—the same gowne is lined throughout with crimsen sattin. Another was of purple sattin, and had on the sleeves 10 butttons, and 28 pair of agletts of gold.
Among the kirtles,
The foreparte of a kirtle of crimson satten, all over embraudered with damaske peele[?], and perle; with a pair of sleeves of the same work, haveing perles set in golde.
Among the Robes.
A mantle for the parliament, of crimson vellat, partely furred with powdred ermyns. Two mantles for the order of St. George, one of blue the other of purple vellat, lined with white sarcenet;– a crymson vellat hoode, lyned with white sarcenet.
Cotes and Doublettes.
A cote of shamewe,1 of purple clothe, with goldsmithes work, furred with sables gaurded with purple vellat, and enbraudered with gold. - One doubelett of crymson vellat, embraudered with gold; the same doublet set oute with camerike.
Various other things.
Shirt bandes of golde, with ruffles to the same: a cloake of tawny satten, of 2 yardes, enbraudered with Venice gold, and lyned with tawny sarcenet – Sumptous sleeves (Note, this part of the dress was separate from the gownes and kirtles, being buttoned on to them). Stomachers; some of purple, silver tissue, others enbrawdered with gold, and pirles. Frontlettes of crimson satten, embraudered with perles 3-plumes of feathers for helmets, of white ostrich feathers, richly garnished with passemayne,2 and fringes of Venice gold, and gold spangles intermix'd, with small copper ones, and either of the plumes having a toppet of herons fethers.–Large plumes of feathers for horses, of all colours, chiefly herons feathers, garnish’d with spangles and toppets. Toppets. — [Of these sorts of plumes, both on the helmets and horses, see plate 2 below].
At Hampton Court, I find mention of a payer of sweete gloves, lined with white vellat, each glove trimmed with 8 buttons, and 8 small aigletts of gold enamelled; also knitte gloves of silk, and handekerchers edged with gold and silver, others with needle-work. Thefe handkerchiefs, wrought with gold and silver, were not uncommon in the after times.
Strutt then moves on to Hall's Chronicle description of the “habits” of Henry and Catherine at their coronation:
Henry the Eighth's habit, when he rode from the Tower of London, the day preceding his coronation, as also that of his queen, &c. are thus set down by Hall: “His grace wared in his upperst apparrell, a robe of crimsyn velvet, furred with armyns ; his jacket or cote of raised gold; the placard embrowdered with diamonds, rubies, emeraudes, greate pearles, and other riche stones; a greate bauderike aboute his necke, of large balasses;3 the trapper of his horse damaske gold, with a depe pursell of armyns; his knights and esquires for his body, in crimosyn velvet; and all the gentlemen, with other of his chappell, and all his officers, and houshold servauntes, wer appareled in skarlet.
The quene (Katheryne) sittyng in her litter, borne by two white palfries, the litter covered, and richely appareled, and the palfries trapped in white cloth of gold: her persone appareled in white satyn embrodered, her haire hangyng downe to her backe, of a very great length, bewtefull and goodly to behold, and on her hedde a coronall, set with many riche orient stones.”
1 shamewe] Shemewe. Loose lawn gown or short-gown.
2 passemayne] passemaine. Handmade trimmings.
3 balas] a type of ruby.
Also at Virtual Grub Street:
Paul Hentzner in the Presence of Queen Elizabeth I: September 1598. January 3, 2024. “ Hentzner kept a now famous dairy...”
- Rocco Bonetti's Blackfriars Fencing School and Lord Hunsdon's Water Pipe. August 12, 2023. “... the tenement late in the tenure of John Lyllie gentleman & nowe in the tenure of the said Rocho Bonetti...”
On Shakespeare's lameness and historical-fiction biography, etc. August 5, 2023. “Those who support Sogliardo of Stratford and other authorship candidates generally stop by from time to time to remark...”
- Shakespeare CSI: Sir Thomas More, Hand-D. April 22, 2023. “What a glory to have an actual hand-written manuscript from the greatest English writer of all time!”
- Check out the English Renaissance Article Index for many more articles and reviews about this fascinating time and about the Shakespeare Authorship Question.
- Check out the Queen Elizabeth I Biography Page for many other articles.
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