At the royal armouries collection in the UK, stands an unusual suit of armor: A masterwork of tutor design its overlapping plates offer full protection as well as free movement. Flared wings guard the knee joins, and even the feet are articulated. It is for a man 6 ft, 2 inches tall 500 years ago, a team of armorers and smiths assembled it with careful precision, for when the man stepped onto the tournament field, he must Not Be Injured. For this armor was custom made for Henry the 8th, by the grace of God King of England, France, and Ireland. And he would be fighting in foot combat at the field of the cloth of gold. This episode is sponsored by the Royal Armouries Museum which contains weapons and armor from the medieval era to the present day. Stay tuned until after the episode to find out how you can check out the armor we discussed with your very own eyes. London 1514 For centuries, Europe had been at war. The great powers of France, Spain, and the Holy Roman Empire, have been at each other's throats in neverending campaign.This is a new era of warfare, one where the feuding kingdoms of Europe make war in great alliances. Not one state fighting another, but international coalitions taking on common threats with smaller states joining larger ones. War and diplomacy intertwine, and few people play this game better than Cardinal Thomas Wolsey In 1514, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey was the most powerful minister England has ever had, holding sway over both civic and religious life. The son of a butcher, his meteoric rise came through a decade of serving his Chaplin, to important men, eventually landing him a place at the side of the young Henry the 8th. Wolsey was a man of enormous intelligence and administrative talent, and political cunning. One who understood that a minister could amass power, by volunteering for the dullest tasks of state, managing finances and logistics, and doing them well. From his seat on the British Council, he served as a mentor and councilor to Henry, while ably sidelining other advisors. Now I know it's hard to imagine anyone counseling- or guiding- Henry the 8th, but keep in mind, this is not Henry of later years; The one who will break centuries of precedent, and spark a religious schism, over a divorce. No, this is Henry in his mid 20s, handsome and vigorous He wants nothing more than to be seen as a glorious Renaissance prince, Patron of the arts, holder of banquets, master of 3 languages, avid athlete, and a man of learning and style. A conquering hero in love and war. The result of which, was that in the early years of Henry's reign, there existed an unofficial division of power Wolsey handled the bureaucracy, domestic policies, diplomacy, and a series of reforms targeting taxation, the judicial system, land use, and the church. Meanwhile Henry handled all of the hunting, feasting, banqueting, jousting, tennis, seducing, and drinking with the boys
So the middle east one is over?
I don't know if it was the Yaoi fan in me but the way the two kings were trying to one up each other I did at one point shout "JUST KISS ALREADY!"