ABSTRACT
The material appearance of early Tudor kings’ lodgings is difficult to reimagine primarily because of the monarchy’s very mobility. Henry VIII regularly shuttled between residences, built or seized further houses and ventured on progress most years. Consequently, we lack inventories and descriptions of his homes as he used them. This chapter explores the role of the Great Wardrobe in servicing a demand for domesticity that both projected royal magnificence and met the king’s personal needs wherever he was. Amongst the records of everyday clothing and furnishings are occasional references to ‘progress stuff’: two heraldic pavilions kept annually in readiness; flags and banners; a chariot. Tapestries were constantly repaired by arras-makers in London and further afield. The setting required in the king’s palaces had to be transferable. Specialised furnishings were provided, including folding chairs, ‘trussing beds’, even a ‘hunting bed’, all with the gear to carry them in liveried carts. Even when making war on ‘his ancient enemy’, the king’s velvet bed had to move to France, and Wardrobe keepers scoured the country for extra cloth-of-gold. Besides giving new texture to our image of the king on tour, the Wardrobe provides a useful source to refine our knowledge of his day-to-day movements.
