[Duncan Cooper]

Hi everyone, here is another newbie...
I have read many items in the forum and found them very interesting.
I wondered if anyone has reproduced King Henry VIII's Armour and worn it to a joust?
Are there any pictures of this?
I particularly enjoyed visiting the Tower of London's great exhibition of all the armour that Henry had owned,the Royal Armouries really know "how to put on a show!"
Thankyou in advance.

[Zac Evans]

I'm not sure which harness you mean, as he had many made for different points of his life. One example is the "silvered" harness owned by Mark Griffin:



(Picture is also a link to the armourers website with a few more details and bigger shots.)

Which was worn at this years Hampton Court Joust:



Both Mark and Toby (his opponent) have comissioned 16th century Harnesses for the joust Royale (an original is on display in the Henry VIII exhibition at the tower. Its being displayed on a dummy that is set up to look like he's jousting.). These will hopefully get their first outing this year at the Hampton Court Jousts, where they will use solid hardwood lances.

Other than that, I don't know of any other reproduction Henrican armours currently around on the jousting circuit.

Zac

[Duncan Cooper]

Thanks Zac,
The top picture is amazing.
I could've been more specific,I was thinking of his foot combat armour.
I recall seeing a story on a kid's tv programme (Blue Peter) a presenter called Mark Curry in a replica of the harness,it was only on for a moment(I was watching a documentary on the programme)and I would like to see that again,but I cannot find it on the net.
regards D.

[Zac Evans]

Unfortunately just saying foot armour doesn't necessarily narrow it down too much as I can think of two harnesses that were specifically foot combat Harnesses and two others that could be configured for such combat. I assume however, that you mean this one:

link

To answer your question as best I can:

I've never seen a reproduction of that harness, except horrible fibreglass cast ones that don't work as anything but expensive 3d posters. This doesn't mean its never been done, but I should think I would have seen images of it if it had. It's not the kind of thing an armourer would hide away, even if any had the skill nowadays to make such a harness.

Secondly, that Harness, even if it had been completed, would never have been worn to Joust in. Its a foot harness and the construction that makes it so brilliant as a foot harness would also make it impossible to ride in.

Hope this helps.

Ps. Some foot combat harnesses have been replicated, and work very well, however, they are not the same as the one above, but rather tonlet armours, like these worn by the royal armouries team in Leeds:
link
Which are based around the same idea as this one of Henry's armours:


Once again these armours were never intended to be worn at a joust, as they are not built for riding. You can tell a tonlet armour built for riding as it has a huge cut out in the front and back of the skirt, as seen here:

link

I've never seen one of those riding armours reproduced as yet.

[Adam D. Kent-Isaac]

I saw a video on YouTube of those guys at the Tower of London fighting in the tonlet armours. Let me see if I can find it.

[Duncan Cooper]

The first link you gave me Zac is the one I meant.
Quite a few years ago,I saw a picture on a website, that had two guys in suits of armour.One of which kina copied that harness.The only difference was that the guy had had the helmet made with facial features.
I thought that the whole harness was fascinating in the fact that armourers could actually build something like this so far back in time.
It must have took an age to get him in it.
regards d