ABSTRACT
That John Skelton (c. 1460–1528) was in one sense or another a 'court poet' has been the corner stone of most accounts of his life and work. This chapter examines Skelton's engagements with the royal court, both in his poetry and during his career as a writer and scholar, as he gained and lost royal favour and the place close to the centre of political affairs that such favour brought with it. Before turning to the realities of Skelton's patronage, it is valuable to look briefly at the way that courts are examined in the poet's own work, to gain an insight into how he imagined his own relationship to them. The chapter presents a brief account of the early Tudor court itself, which demonstrates the need for caution and clarity when discussing even such seemingly uncontentious questions as: what were the limits of the court, people who had a place there, and who could claim to influence its culture.
