( Cover Image © The National Archives)
Today, on 7th June 2024, marks the 504th anniversary of the infamous party and political peace treaty known as The Field of Cloth of Gold, which saw thousands of people from England and France meet to put their differences aside after hundreds of years of conflict.
This event was a never-before-seen spectacle of kingly wealth, splendor, and ceremony, which was to be expected given that the two kings - Henry VIII of England and François I of France - had never met before and wanted to impress one another.
But why was this meeting so important?
Why was it called The Field of Cloth of Gold?
And what happened during the event to make it so iconic?
England vs France
For many years prior to the birth of Henry VIII, the conflict between the kingdoms of England and France had been ever-present, often having a direct impact on the lives of both nobles and ordinary people. Whilst rulers fought for power and ultimate control, playing political games, and demanding that able-bodied men join in with the fighting, many lives over the course of history have either been ruined or lost due to the bad blood between the countries.
Unfortunately, things had not improved much with Henry VIII as king. As a young man, both he and François I of France were said to be ‘natural rivals’ {1}, as they were of a similar age and felt the need to compete with each other in their ambitions. English kings had fought to claim the French throne since the 14th century, so it was no surprise that Henry tried his luck by invading France in 1513. However, Henry was unsuccessful with his invasion and was pushed back by François, who was said to be a fearsome warrior at the time.
In the coming years, many people with power and influence called for peace between England and France, arguing that ‘peace was a better route to glory’ than battle and war {1}. Orchestrated by Henry’s chief advisor Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in 1518, a non-aggression pact called the ‘Treaty of London’ was finally signed by those in power across Europe, and central to this was a requirement that Henry and François should meet to affirm their alliance and their commitment to peace {1}.
It is from here that preparations for a grand event began…
How a simple meeting became a field of cloth and gold
In the event that two kings from the most powerful nations would meet, it is to be expected that excess, glory, and riches would be on show for all to see!
As not to spark any further conflict or debate, it was decided that this meeting would take place on neutral ground, so preparations began in France, between English-owned Guînes and the French town of Ardres {1}. The site was carefully chosen to ensure that both parties would be on ground of equal elevation {2} to prove that neither side would have an advantage.
It took just over two months and a vast workforce to put up hundreds of dazzling tents, many made from - yes, you got it - cloths of gold and expensive fabrics, as well as a custom-built tiltyard and tournament arena. In addition to this, a magnificent but temporary palace was built specially for Henry and his wife Katherine, which covered nearly 12,000 square yards and was made of brick, timber, and stretched canvas {2}, all painted to replicate real stone. The inside of the temporary palace was apparently decorated with terracotta and the windows were glazed with stained glass, so much so that the French called it The Crystal Palace {1}!
Once the preparations had been completed, both Henry and François set off on their journeys to the event, each bringing around 6000 men and women to join them for the celebrations to come.
The meeting of two kings
On 7th June 1520, the two kings finally met one another in the hopes that a new friendship would blossom and be strong enough to bring about ever-lasting peace between England and France.
Whilst tensions were inevitably high, with both sides wondering if the other would attack, some time in the afternoon Henry and François finally approached each other - both doffing their caps, dismounting their horses, and embracing one another like brothers {1}. From here on, the two were practically arm-in-arm, and enjoyed discussing politics and participating in the activities that had been set up for them.
The next eighteen days of the event were filled with tournaments, banquets, games, and entertainment {3}.
Both Henry and François participated in jousting tournaments, but fought on the same team to avoid disaster or embarrassment. At one point however, after a few drinks, Henry felt brave enough to challenge François to a wrestling match. Unfortunately for Henry, his competitor had ‘grown up in a region of France famous for its wrestlers’ {1}, meaning that François quickly knocked Henry to the ground.
After this, Henry then challenged François to a sport that he excelled at - archery. In the end, François was not strong enough to draw back Henry’s longbow {1} in order to shoot an arrow, proving that both kings had their strengths and weaknesses!
Whilst the men were sporting in the arenas, Henry’s queen, Katherine, and François’s queen, Claude, were participating in their own tournament - that of diplomacy and courtly wisdom. It is likely that there was tension between the two women, as Katherine was yet to give Henry a male heir, whilst Claude had already given birth to two sons and was pregnant at the time with a third child.
Katherine and Claude hosted and were the overseers of many of the feasts and events at the camps, and as there were so many people to cater for and entertain, good supplies were sourced from far and wide {1}. In total, roughly 2200 sheep were consumed during the event {3}, alongside nearly 200,000 litres of wine and 66,000 litres of beer {1}.
On Sunday 24th June 1520, the feast day of Saint John the Baptist and eighteen days after the Field of Cloth of Gold event began, a religious Mass was held in a temporary chapel {1} that was erected in the tiltyard. As the ceremony drew to a close, a magnificent spectacle arose in the sky and the crowds were amazed to see an actual dragon flying across the field! Well, a dragon kite, made by the English out of stretched canvas and wooden hoops, and pulled across the sky ‘at the end of a long rope tethered to a carriage’ {1}.
Styled in the shape of both François’s salamander emblem and Henry’s Welsh dragon, this kite was likely a ‘tribute’ to the new friendship between the new kings. Apparently, the dragon’s eyes blazed and its mouth hissed as it passed through the sky, which suggests that it may have contained fireworks {1} for extra excitement!
Short-lived peace
Despite this vast event being a spectacular success, once Henry and François had returned to their normal lives, sparks soon began to fly between the two nations once more.
Two weeks after The Field of Cloth of Gold, Henry’s advisor, Cardinal Wolsey, tried to arrange an alliance with the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, in the futile hope that everyone could finally be friends. However, this was not to last, as Charles declared war with France later that year {2}. Henry fought against François and peace was, once again, shattered.
Overall, what should have been a victory for England and France, as differences were set aside in favour of harmony, the event that was The Field of Cloth of Gold remained just that - a magnificent party and an excuse for splendour and excess. However, it did prove that peace can be achieved through communication, common ground, friendship… and alcohol!
Unfortunately, England and France would continue to have a tumultuous history for years to come…
References:
Chisholm, Hugh. (1911). The Field of Cloth of Gold. Cambridge University Press.