Claire | March 10, 2017
On this day in history, 10th March 1524, thirty-two-year-old King Henry VIII suffered a jousting accident. The king had forgotten to lower the visor of his headpiece and was struck by his good friend and brother-in-law, Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, on the brow. It could have been a very serious accident “for the Duke’s […]
Claire | June 30, 2015
If you follow The Anne Boleyn Files Facebook page or you have my On This Day in Tudor History book you will know that today is the anniversary of a horrible jousting accident in 1559. On 30th June 1559, Henry II of France suffered a mortal head wound while jousting at the Place Royale at […]
Claire | January 24, 2014
On 24th January 1536, at Greenwich Palace, the forty-four year-old King Henry VIII suffered a serious acccident while jousting. We have three main contemporary reports of the accident: one from Eustace Chapuys, Emperor Charles V’s ambassador in England, another from Dr Pedro Ortiz, Charles V’s ambassador in Rome, and a further one from chronicler and […]
Claire | January 12, 2014
According to chronicler Edward Hall, it was on 12th January 1510 that Henry VIII jousted for the first time as King. The joust took place at Richmond Park and was a private event. The King and his friend, William Compton, both attended the joust in disguise and this led to confusion and panic in the […]
Claire | January 12, 2013
On this day in history, 12th January 1510, Henry VIII jousted for the first time as King. The joust was a private one, and took place at Richmond Park. Henry and his friend William Compton attended in disguise, and there was panic when Compton was seriously injured by Edward Neville. Nobody knew whether it was […]
Claire | February 7, 2012
The shrovetide joust of 1526 was the first indication of Henry VIII’s courtly pursuit of Anne Boleyn. According to the chronicler Edward Hall, it was on this day that Henry VIII rode out in cloth of gold and silver “richely embraudered, with a mannes harte in a presse, with flames about it, and in letters […]
Claire | January 24, 2012
On the 24th January 1536 the 44 year old King Henry VIII had a serious jousting accident at Greenwich Palace. Eustace Chapuys, the imperial ambassador, reported it in his dispatches, writing:- “On the eve of the Conversion of St. Paul, the King being mounted on a great horse to run at the lists, both fell […]
Claire | January 24, 2011
On this day in history, 24th January 1536, Henry VIII was unhorsed by his opponent during a joust at Greenwich Palace:- “On the eve of the Conversion of St. Paul, the King being mounted on a great horse to run at the lists, both fell so heavily that every one thought it a miracle he […]
