King Henry VIII and York

Posted on 23 September 2019

Dr John Cooper from the Department of History and CREMS is involved with a new research network investigating the royal progresses and palaces of Henry VIII, including his visit to the city of York in 1541.

‘Henry VIII on Tour’ is an AHRC-funded collaboration between Historic Royal Palaces and the History department at York. Co-Investigator Dr John Cooper writes: ‘Progresses of the royal court were a magnificent feature of Henry VIII’s kingship, but surprisingly little has been written about them. Working with partners including the National Trust and English Heritage, we want to reconnect the houses, towns and palaces visited by Henry with the political and religious history of his reign.’

A key focus will be Henry VIII’s 1541 visit to York, when he stayed at the former Abbot’s house – renamed King’s Manor. A series of workshops will be held at Hampton Court Palace, Greys Court (Oxfordshire) and York, building up to a conference in summer 2020 marking the five hundredth anniversary of the Field of Cloth of Gold progress to Calais. A digital resource illustrating Henry’s progresses will be trialled with York schools.