ABSTRACT
This chapter will explore what is and what is not known about the portrait commissions of Henry VIII’s queens. It will seek to understand: why royal queens (and prospective royal brides) had their portrait taken; what such portraits were used for; how they were circulated; why they were copied, and consequently what such artistic histories can tell us about the cultural and political interests of each queen and her supporters. Panel portraits provide the focus for this investigation, but other figurative expressions of identity will also be considered. The chapter will look at the documentary record, but will also analyse the pictorial record through the surviving portraits of the queens.
