Canterbury has been the perfect place for hosting the Black Prince Conference. Not only is it the site of his Chantry but he is entombed here, at his own request, which was a departure from the precedent of entombing royals at Westminster.
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| BP Achievements: Surcoat, shield, helm, gauntlets. |
His tomb is unique: not only did he specify he was to be stylized wearing his military regalia contrary to the fashion of the time but also that his effigy be made of gilded copper, instead of carved alabaster. From recent x-ray analysis, it was determined that a mixture of gold and mercury was applied to the surface of the effigy, a very hazardous substance for the craftsmen to work with. Unlike effigy's of alabaster where the body lies on a slab, the BP's effigy was created in 3D and reflects him exactly as he would have looked had he been dressed for battle. Underneath his quartered surcoat he is most likely wearing something called a 'coat of plates' vs. a full armor breastplate. The clue for this is the way in which the surcoat flows softly over his body instead of having sharp angles that would be caused by full plate armor. Full plate was not yet a standard at the time of the BP's death but it is uncertain exactly when his tomb was commissioned.
The gauntlets on his hands are exact replicas of the ones hanging above him. Such is the exacting nature of the effigy that his spurs actually spin!
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| Tomb w/Achievements |
His "achievements" now on display above his tomb are replicas; the originals, as you might imagine are severely deteriorated and undergoing significant restoration at this time.
The original embroidery on the BP's surcoat consisted of three layers of silk fabric outlined in black silk thread with the fleur de lis and lions embroidered separately, padded, and then applied to the garment. The lions were incredibly detailed including iridescent red eyes and blue claws and tongues which were symbolic to royals.
Just beyond the prince's tomb is the Corona Chapel and the tomb of Henry IV. The Cathedral is so immense and so awe-inspiring I'd have to post about 50 pictures to provide a fair approximation of the splendor of the place!
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| Corona Shrine |
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| Henry IV - Joan of Navarre |
So ... did you get the kind of detail from the conference that you can use in your novel? Today is Saturday. Tomorrow I lead another History Tour Downtown. Looks like we will have 10-12 guests. Karen is getting the casita ready for guests ... daughter Julie and husband from Hawaii. Tucson over & out.
ReplyDeleteWhat a marvellous tomb, and the detail on his surcoat is just amazing! I wonder how long it took to make something like that, completely by hand? I wonder if they would’ve had more than one person working on different parts of it, or not? I didn’t realise Henry IV was buried in the same place! I’m currently reading Henry IV, The Righteous King by Ian Mortimer and I find him fascinating as well. The BP seems such an upstanding guy, especially now that we know the truth about Castile, that I wonder how Richard II would’ve turned out had he had some real guidance before he became King? I wonder why he was buried with Joan of Navarre, as it’s my understanding that they weren’t close, and I don’t believe Henry V got along with her. It’s not certain, but there’s much circumstantial evidence to suggest his marriage to Mary de Bohun was a love match. Anyway, I’m loving your blog! Thank you for sharing this journey!
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