Review - Henry VIII: Dressed To Kill
Published on 16 December 2009 by Jonathan Dudley
No doubt you're all familiar with Henry VIII; big chap, was in charge of England for a bit in the 15th—16th century, somewhat of a ladies man. Yes THAT Henry VIII, the one played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers in racy 'historical' drama, The Tudors.
The story of Henry VIII and his six wives is a massive part of English culture. From an early age we are taught the mantra; divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived, lest we forget what happened to the king's unfortunate wives. Henry's face is the most recognisable of all English rulers and his role in separating the Church of England from papal authority and the Dissolution of the Monasteries led to his name being indelibly etched into the great history of our nation.
Sadly, the grisly and unflattering details are all than many people ever hear about a truly fascinating monarch. As time passes, it becomes increasingly difficult to draw a line between the man and the legend. As Henry has slipped into the dusty realm of half-forgotten history, he has become something of a caricature, echoing his story through drama and literature and with each retelling, it loses a little subtlety, becomes cruder and just a touch more simplified.
Luckily, Henry's story—or at least his personality—can be better understood by simply examining the vast collection of stuff he left behind. Right now, there's no better place to do that than the Henry VIII: Dressed to Kill exhibition at the Tower of London. I'm sure I could have summed the collection up with a slightly more eloquent choice of word, but 'stuff' really does encapsulate the amazing cache of Henry's personal belongings currently on display at the Tower.
Everything from dog hair-stuffed tennis balls to the most jaw-droppingly intricate armour is currently available for public viewing. Arranged over three floors in the White Tower, a structure itself saturated with history, the Henry VIII: Dressed To Kill exhibition celebrates the 500th anniversary of Henry becoming King of England, and a jolly interesting celebration it is too.
The incredible collection has been brought together from the Royal Armouries and a variety of international collections. It was a great pleasure, an honour in fact, to stand in the White Tower, my fingers grazing brickwork that Anne Boleyn or King Henry may themselves have touched 500 years ago, gazing at a glittering collection that has not been seen together since the reign of Elizabeth I.
As no doubt you've gathered from my tone so far, I was rather taken by the exhibition. Each glass case contained some new wonder to discover, be it a sword with a gun in the handle (Henry loved guns, much to my surprise) or a massive, artfully crafted suit of anime armour covered in the most intricate, exquisite decoration imaginable.
I'd hate to spoil the exhibition, so I'll spare you overly-detailed descriptions of each of my favourite pieces but what I will say is look out for the horned helmet, the holy water sprinklers (aka big fat maces with guns in) and the shields with guns in (I told you he loved guns).
The displays were beautifully arranged and the accompanying information struck a nice balance between accessibility and detail. Hardcore history buffs may be left wanting to know a little bit more about certain pieces, but that's what Wikipedia is for. The vast majority of visitors will leave feeling that they have learnt a great deal about not only the king himself, but also the legions of craftsmen who ensured that he had only the latest, highest-quality arms and armour possible. To some, all this may sound a little dull and to be fair, it's not for everyone. It's unlikely that those who have no interest in history will be as transfixed as I was.
Personally, I skipped the interactive section of the exhibition and instead doubled back to have another look at a few of the more striking pieces. However, the high concentration of very happy-looking kids running around telling their parents all about 'King Henry Eight' seemed to suggest that if your little ones enjoyed Horrible Histories, they'd more than likely enjoy this.
If you have even a passing interest in history or maybe just really really enjoyed The Tudors and want to learn more about the king who lived like a rock star, make time while you're in London to pop to the Tower. You won't be disappointed.
I shall be going again before it closes in January.
Please note: This exhibition has now closed. However, several pieces mentioned are still on display at the Tower.
