Fashion Diplomacy at the Court of Henry VIII

Abstract

While dress historians have long recognised clothing as an essential feature of court life in sixteenth-century Europe, its value to other areas of scholarly inquiry has often been overlooked. The ephemeral nature of medieval and early modern dress, and the moralised and gendered assessments of fashion in modern society created the perception that dress studies were an intellectually superficial pursuit. The material turn in historical scholarship, however, has resulted in growing scholarly appreciation for the semiotics and application of dress. This has resulted in work that explores fashion’s interaction with, and functions within, culture, religion, economics and politics. The material turn also gradually permeated the traditionally held state-centric field of diplomacy. Diplomacy is now recognised as a highly material practice. Each new study advances scholarly understanding of the individual and collective significances of objects and things. Attention to the material complexities of sixteenth-century European affairs has contributed to a broader understanding of sixteenth-century diplomacy as a socio-cultural and trans-cultural practice. This thesis advances scholarship on sixteenth-century diplomacy and dress by illustrating the extensive functions of clothing within diplomacy during the life and reign of Henry VIII (1491-1547). It posits that dress informed, and was informed by, the everchanging political environment of sixteenth-century Europe. As a tool of diplomacy, apparel crossed cultural boundaries, involved an array of diplomatic actors and performed key functions within diplomatic practices which were themselves rooted in socio-cultural norms of gender, hierarchy, ceremony, ritual and protocol. This thesis will define the workings and significances of fashion for participants engaging in these practices. It reveals new intricacies and nuances in the complex and enterprising nature of sixteenth-century European relations. It asserts greater attention should be paid to the significance of clothing in politics, diplomacy and everyday court life in early modern Europe.