The kings of Europe's past owned suits of armor whether they ever participated in battle or not. England's king Henry VIII had several over his reign, what with the weight gain and all. The rest of the suit of armor that went with the helmet shown above is no longer, but you have to wonder if it was as strange as the surviving helmet. This whole-head helmet, or armet, would not have been any good in battle. The horns and spectacles would have caught on anything, especially an enemy's lance. And the intricate eye design would have obstructed his vision. It actually more resembles a court jester than a warrior. So why did Henry want such a mask?
It wasn't Henry's choice. This was a diplomatic gift bestowed upon the king by Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I in 1514. The meaning behind the gift has been the subject of much debate in the 500 years since, but you can read more about what we do know at Amusing Planet.
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so true
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that would explain why he never tossed it out
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Except this happened twenty years before Henry started a new church so he could get a divorce.
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Great gift for current WH administration.
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Henry & the pope had a problem about the church of england. The pope was undoubtedly mocking him as a stubborn fool. Maybe Henry was also a member of the oculist society, at least the pope thought he was.
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