ABSTRACT
Henry VIII was depicted dressed in red and kneeling at prayer in his closet in the Liber Niger of the order of the Garter. Since the reign of Edward III, English kings had emulated the magi by making offerings of frankincense, gold and myrrh to the high altar, and Henry VII and Henry VIII continued the practice. The evidence relating to the king's ceremonial wardrobe is fragmentary and comes from four sources that do not readily combine to provide a definitive account of how Henry VIII dressed on the key days in the ritual year. In 1503 Henry VII wore blue for his Maundy Thursday observances. In 1503 Henry VII wore blue for his Maundy Thursday observances. While the evidence presented below demonstrates that this was not always the case, it is quite clear that Henry made very careful use of his dress on days of estate, crown-wearing days, the days for wearing purple and scarlet and days of mourning.
