All the Queen’s Jewels, 1445–1548: Power, Majesty and Display

360 Pages·2022·10.635 MB·English

by  Nicola Tallis

‘This study offers a fresh interpretation of queenship and the ways in
which queens wielded power in late Medieval and early modern society.
Jewellery is often dismissed as a trivial topic when in fact it is at the
heart of politics. Tallis remarkably reveals its true importance in defn-
ing and challenging power – especially when it came to queens. Thor-
oughly researched and with an accessible prose, this book is undeniably
a signifcant contribution to the feld and is going to be a great resource
for students, scholars, and members of the public alike who have an
interest in queens and power.’
Estelle Paranque, New College
of the Humanities, UK
‘This exciting new work is an excellent example of innovative new
work in queenship studies, tracing the evolution of the queen’s jewel
collection during a particularly turbulent period from the Wars of the
Roses to the last of Henry VIII’s six wives. This engaging read demon-
strates the importance of the queen’s jewels in underpinning her role
by projecting majesty as well as enhancing her networks through gift
exchange.’
Elena Woodacre, University of Winchester, UK
‘This study of the jewel collections of the queens consort of England
between 1445 and 1548 offers a fuent, engaging, and very informa-
tive account of an important aspect of female royalty. Nicola Tallis’s
book contributes original research to a generation of scholarship into
the material history of late-medieval European queenship, drawing
on evidence from inventories, wills, portraiture, commissions to arti-
sans, and correspondence. The book presents a comprehensive account
of the production, acquisition and care of the queens’ jewels and their
use as personal adornment and gifts in a wide range of contexts. It ably
demonstrates how the deployment of the queens’ jewels was an integral
part of the magnifcence of Plantagenet and Tudor monarchy.’
Glenn Richardson, St Mary’s University, UK
All the Queen’s Jewels,
1445–1548
From Margaret of Anjou to Kateryn Parr, All the Queen’s Jewels
examines the jewellery collections of the ten queen consorts of
England between 1445 and 1548 and investigates the collections
of jewels a queen had access to, as well as the varying contexts
in which queens used and wore jewels.
The jewellery worn by queens refected both their gender and
their status as the frst lady of the realm. Jewels were more than
decorative adornments; they were an explicit display of wealth,
majesty and authority. They were often given to queens by
those who wished to seek her favour or infuence and were also
associated with key moments in their lifecycle. These included
courtship and marriage, successfully negotiating childbirth
(and thus providing dynastic continuity) and their elevation to
queenly status or coronation. This book explores the way that
queens acquired jewels, whether via their predecessor, their own
commission or through gift giving. It underscores that jewels
were a vital tool that enabled queens to shape their identities as
consorts and to fashion images of power that could be seen by
their households, court and contemporaries.
This book is perfect for anyone interested in medieval and Tudor
history, queenship, jewellery and the history of material culture.
Nicola Tallis is an independent historian, whose interests are
sixteenth-century queenship and jewellery. She is the author of
Crown of Blood: The Deadly Inheritance of Lady Jane Grey
(2016), Elizabeth’s Rival: The Tumultuous Tale of Lettice
Knollys, Countess of Leicester (2017) and Uncrowned Queen:
The Fateful Life of Margaret Beaufort, Tudor Matriarch (2019).

All the Queen’s Jewels,
1445–1548
Power, Majesty and Display
Nicola Tallis
Designed cover image: Portrait of the sixth wife of King Henry
VIII of England, Catherine Parr (1512–1548) by unknown
artist, oil on panel, late 16th century © IanDagnall Computing/
Alamy Stock Photo
First published 2023
by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an
informa business
© 2023 Nicola Tallis
The right of Nicola Tallis to be identifed as author of this
work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78
of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
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retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be
trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for
identifcation and explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British
Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Tallis, Nicola, author.
Title: All the queen’s jewels, 1445-1548 : power, majesty and display /
Nicola Tallis.
Description: Abingdon, Oxon : Routledge, 2023. | Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Identifers: LCCN 2022025184 (print) | LCCN 2022025185 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781032065014 (hardback) | ISBN 9781032065021 (paperback) |
ISBN 9781003202592 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Jewelry—Great Britain—History—To 1500. |
Jewelry—Great Britain—History—16th century. |
Queens—Great Britain—History. |
Great Britain—History—Tudors, 1485-1603.
Classifcation: LCC NK7343 .T35 2023 (print) | LCC NK7343 (ebook) |
DDC 739.270941—dc23/eng/20220719
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022025184
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022025185
ISBN: 978-1-032-06501-4 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-06502-1 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-20259-2 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003202592
Typeset in Sabon
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
All the Queen’s Jewels, 1445–1548 is dedicated
to my Dad, who inspired my love of jewels in
the frst place. With much love and gratitude.

Contents
List of Figures xi
List of Tables xii
Acknowledgements xiii
List of Abbreviations xv
Explanatory Notes xvii
Introduction 1
1 An Introduction to Jewellery and the
Queenly Use of Jewels 26
2 The Wills of the Queens of England, 1445–1548 48
3 The Jewel Inventories of Jane Seymour,
Katherine Howard and Kateryn Parr 76
4 Portraiture 109
5 Goldsmiths and Commissioning Jewels 160
6 Gifts of Jewels 191
7 The Crown Jewels 233