ABSTRACT
Thus the English poet and satirist John Skelton mocked Cardinal Wolsey’s power and pretensions as Henry VIII’s chief minister and England’s ‘alter rex’ in 1523 (Walker 1988, 159). He also provided a useful summary of the elements of the early modern royal court. It was, first and foremost, the locality and residence of the monarch. It had to appear in every sense excellent, to maintain his or her honour and reputation as a great prince. It was therefore also a theatre for the display of the material magnificence of monarchy to domestic and foreign observers. Finally, it was a place of resort and meeting, of supplication, negotiation and exchange between the sovereign and subject and between him or her and the representatives of other rulers. An elite material culture – architecture, tapestry, furniture, clothing, gifts – was central to the operation of these three functions in expressing and enabling the dynamics of power and petition. The court was characterised by different spaces and places, each carrying greater or lesser status, depending on its use by the monarch and how much access it afforded to the king or queen. This status was reflected in the degree of luxury with which it was furnished and decorated.
