The Field of the Cloth of Gold

The Field of the Cloth of Gold

500 years ago this week marked the start of one of the most extraordinary diplomatic gatherings in history: The Field of the Cloth of Gold. In 1520, England and France - traditionally bitter rivals - sought to bring conflict to an end in a magnificent show of opulence and pageantry. Henry VIII of England and Francis I of France agreed to meet in a show of conviviality, to reinforce the European-wide 'Universal Peace.' Of course, they didn't pack light. Both kings brought a hefty entourage of almost their entire political nations. My guest this week is Glenn Richardson, who took me to the heart of this rich tapestry of Renaissance diplomacy. He explained the spectacle of sporting competitions and flowing fountains of wine, the care taken to ensure rivalries would not erupt again, and the important role played by women in managing the rivals courts.


Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekly quizzes where you can win prizes, and exclusive subscriber only articles. It's the ultimate history package. Just go to historyhit.tv to subscribe. Use code 'pod1' at checkout for your first month free and the following month for just £/€/$1.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Avsnitt(1496)

Isambard Kingdom Brunel

Isambard Kingdom Brunel

He was responsible for the fastest trains in history. He built innovative new hospitals for Florence Nightingale. His vessels shattered records for crossing the Atlantic and he enabled the laying of t...

26 Mars 202530min

THE LEADERS: Hirohito

THE LEADERS: Hirohito

Was Hirohito really as passive as history has painted him? Emperor Hirohito stood at the head of Japan’s war machine, yet after 1945, both the Japanese and the Americans painted him as a powerless obs...

24 Mars 202553min

The Rise & Fall of The Moors in Spain

The Rise & Fall of The Moors in Spain

In 711 an Arab and Berber army crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and invaded the Iberian Peninsula. Seven years later, their conquests had birthed the Muslim kingdom of al-Andalus. This marked the begin...

21 Mars 202542min

THE LEADERS: Stalin

THE LEADERS: Stalin

Was WWII actually Stalin's War? He's a man whose name is synonymous with absolute power, the epitome of ruthless ambition, his story is one of both triumph and unspeakable cruelty. A man whose brutali...

19 Mars 20251h 1min

Babylon: The Most Important City of Antiquity

Babylon: The Most Important City of Antiquity

The urban cultures of ancient Mesopotamia formed the foundation for so much of our modern world. Nowhere exemplifies this better than the city of Babylon, which was the cultural seedbed for the Greek ...

17 Mars 202534min

THE LEADERS: Mussolini

THE LEADERS: Mussolini

Once a political heavyweight with dreams of a new Roman Empire, Mussolini's journey from a rebellious socialist youth to the fascist leader of Italy is a story of ego, brutality and ultimately incompe...

14 Mars 20251h 2min

The Origins of Jim Crow

The Origins of Jim Crow

The Jim Crow era is one of the darkest periods in American history. The country was divided by laws, customs and etiquettes that demeaned African Americans and segregated them from white Americans. Bu...

12 Mars 202535min

The Sphinx

The Sphinx

The Great Sphinx of Giza is probably the most recognisable statue in the world but it’s also one of the most mysterious...with conflicting stories about who built it and why have circulated since anci...

10 Mars 202549min

Populärt inom Historia

massmordarpodden
kod-katastrof
motiv
p3-historia
historiska-brott
olosta-mord
rss-historien-om
historiepodden-se
rss-seriemordarpodden
historianu-med-urban-lindstedt
rss-brottsligt
rss-massmordarpodden
rss-historiska-brottslingar
krigshistoriepodden
militarhistoriepodden
rss-arkiv-stieg
palmemordet
nu-blir-det-historia
harrisons-dramatiska-historia
oppet-fall