Podcast: Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn: clothing, courtship and consequences

This talk draws on a range of documents in the collection of The National Archives to explore the clothing choices of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. It considers the types of clothing that they wore, the gifts of clothing that Henry gave to Anne and the clothing that they wore at key points in their relationship and how this provides us with insights into court culture. This draws on research published in Dress at the court of King Henry VIII (2007) and Rich apparel: Clothing and the law in Henry VIII’s England (2009).

Dr Maria Hayward is professor of early modern history at the University of Southampton. Her areas of interest include material culture at the Tudor and Stuart courts with a particular focus on clothing and furnishings. She is currently working on a comparative study of the clothing of Charles I and Charles II.