The Field of the Cloth of Gold

On this day, at Balinghem in France, King Henry VIII of England and King Francis I of France held a summit meeting to increase their bond of friendship following the Anglo-French treaty of 1514. Both Henry and Francis wished to be seen as Renaissance princes and the meeting was designed to show the magnificence of each court and how this could be a basis for mutual respect and peace between states that were traditional enemies. Each king tried to outshine the other, with dazzling tents and clothes, huge feasts, music, jousting and games. The tents and the costumes displayed so much cloth of gold, an expensive fabric of silk and gold thread, that the site of the meeting was named the ‘Field of the Cloth of Gold‘.

Author: Tony

Born and raised in Malaysia between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Educated at Wycliffe College in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, England. Living in the foothills of Mount Etna since 1982 and teaching English at Catania University since 1987. View all posts by Tony