1 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:11,480 Some 700 years ago, at the Tower of London, 2 00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:15,000 amidst the usual screams of terror, you might have heard 3 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:17,200 the sighs of an amorous Frenchman. 4 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:24,400 Charles, Duke of Orleans, had been captured in battle at Agincourt. 5 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:31,320 His 24 years as a prisoner were whiled away writing love poems. 6 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:34,160 "Strengthen, my love, this castle of my heart, 7 00:00:34,160 --> 00:00:38,640 "And with some store of pleasure, give me aid." 8 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:42,680 The poems were well known among the European elite of the day. 9 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:46,640 This edition was hand-made for England's Royal Library 10 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:48,440 in the 1470s. 11 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:54,320 What's most interesting is how these French poems 12 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:57,480 have been presented for an English audience. 13 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:02,160 'The author is pictured at his "noble" work, 14 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:04,000 'but step back a little, 15 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:07,280 'and it's clear he's the captive of English troops. 16 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:14,680 'He's imprisoned in the dazzling whiteness of the Tower. 17 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:17,640 'And he's engulfed by the splendour of London. 18 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:22,040 'This is the very first topographically accurate image 19 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:24,080 'of the city.' 20 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:27,960 All this celebrates not the work of a French poet, 21 00:01:27,960 --> 00:01:30,400 but the power of the English nation. 22 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:33,840 This manuscript is sending out a clear message. 23 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:36,920 England is once again a force to be reckoned with, 24 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:41,120 and its kings want to be players on the world stage. 25 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:44,760 'And their weapon of choice, when competing with European rivals 26 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:49,240 'to be the most magnificent of monarchs, was the manuscript.' 27 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:53,960 'For this series, 28 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:58,960 'I've been given unrivalled access to the Crown Jewels of illumination, 29 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:02,960 'the royal Manuscripts Collection at the British Library. 30 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:07,760 'Few people have ever seen these miraculous survivors, 31 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:11,240 'except for the monarchs who owned them. 32 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:14,560 They were custom made for kings, they were about kings, 33 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:16,800 and they were read by kings. 34 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:21,000 'I've been exploring the world which created these manuscripts. 35 00:02:25,640 --> 00:02:28,440 'And going to the places where they were made. 36 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:34,520 'It's a journey that's taken me from the Anglo Saxons, 37 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:36,960 'who first united England, 38 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:40,640 'through centuries of conquest and conflict with France. 39 00:02:42,920 --> 00:02:46,920 'In this episode, the story of the Royal Manuscripts 40 00:02:46,920 --> 00:02:48,600 'draws to its conclusion, 41 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:51,240 'with the last great flowering of illumination, 42 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:54,760 'and the role books played for the Tudors. 43 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:58,560 'I'm on the trail of three kings who led England 44 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:03,640 'out of the Medieval world and into its Renaissance. 45 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:23,080 'In 1476, William Caxton began printing in England.' 46 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:33,240 'One of his patrons was Margaret of York, the sister of King Edward IV.' 47 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:49,840 'Yet, surprisingly, the arrival of this modern technology 48 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:54,200 'didn't mean the death of handwritten, hand-painted books. 49 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:02,040 'In fact, some of the great achievements of the Renaissance 50 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:04,760 'would take place in a medieval art form, 51 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:07,800 'which proved remarkably durable.' 52 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:12,360 Of course, the arrival of cheaper, more easily produced printed books 53 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:16,120 had an effect on the market for illuminated manuscripts. 54 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:19,560 These bespoke artworks became even more of a luxury good. 55 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:25,160 'Now, the illuminator's art was only an option 56 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:27,720 'for the very wealthiest of elites. 57 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:29,920 'Chief among them, royalty. 58 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:34,840 'One of the biggest collectors of all in the late 15th century 59 00:04:34,840 --> 00:04:38,280 'was Edward of York, the King of England. 60 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:45,640 'And in a highly secure inner sanctum of the British Library, 61 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:48,400 'the collection which this king built up 62 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:51,640 'still remains largely intact. 63 00:04:58,120 --> 00:05:02,760 'This is just one of up to 50 books Edward is believed to have had made. 64 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:07,280 'The first thing that strikes you is the choice of language. 65 00:05:07,280 --> 00:05:10,760 'At a time when books were being printed in English, 66 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:13,680 'the ruling classes still favoured handwritten French. 67 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:16,920 'It was the language of the elite, 68 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:20,480 'as exclusive as the manuscript itself had become.' 69 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:27,640 Nearly all the manuscripts Edward commissioned 70 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:31,120 have something in common. They were histories. 71 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:35,960 'This book's title is Miroir Historial, which is one reason why 72 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:40,520 'its author, Vincent de Beauvais, is pictured with a looking glass. 73 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:45,480 'The subject reflects the interests and tastes of its royal reader.' 74 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:47,360 Edward personally led his army 75 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:50,760 into some of the most important battles in the War of the Roses. 76 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:56,760 He was sent away into foreign exile, and he even deposed Henry VI twice. 77 00:05:56,760 --> 00:05:58,520 Edward's life WAS history. 78 00:05:59,880 --> 00:06:04,480 'There's something else which Edward would have identified with here. 79 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:06,840 'The number of books on display. 80 00:06:06,840 --> 00:06:12,120 'A library has become something to aspire to.' 81 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:16,640 And of course, Edward IV is building up a collection like this himself, 82 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:19,280 so this image would have flattered the King, 83 00:06:19,280 --> 00:06:22,240 by implying that he too was a great scholar. 84 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:26,800 'But scholarship wasn't the King's only motive 85 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:29,600 'for building his library. 86 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:33,640 'And that becomes clear when you see the book's original home. 87 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:39,360 'When first completed, 88 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:44,280 'they would have been carried in wooden chests across this bridge. 89 00:06:44,280 --> 00:06:49,680 'It led to the King's favourite palace, Eltham, in South London. 90 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:53,800 'The only Medieval section still to survive was created by Edward, 91 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:58,640 'and it shows how different he was from his royal predecessor.' 92 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:00,920 During the chaotic reign of Henry VI, 93 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:04,720 the Crown lost virtually all its territories in France. 94 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:07,000 The land was corrupt and lawless, 95 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:10,840 and the King himself for a time was a raving lunatic. 96 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:14,920 Edward's mission was to rebuild the reputation of the monarchy. 97 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:18,120 And to do that, he built this great hall. 98 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:35,920 'Although the stunning hammerbeam ceiling looks just as it did 99 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:37,960 'when completed in 1480, 100 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:43,120 'the walls lack the ornate tapestries which once hung here. 101 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:45,760 'There's some sense of what they looked like 102 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:49,920 'in this portrait of Edward, from one of his manuscripts.' 103 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:56,120 Edward IV is a king with a strong sense of style. 104 00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:58,800 When he has this built, he is creating for himself 105 00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:03,280 a stage at which the spectacle of monarchy will be able to be enacted. 106 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:05,640 There's a strong sense that this is to do with 107 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:07,440 the personal image of the King. 108 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:08,960 How he will appear. 109 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:13,200 It didn't do him any damage that he was ridiculously good looking and very tall. 110 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:16,200 But he likes his clothes, he likes his jewellery, 111 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:17,760 he likes all the trappings. 112 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:20,680 The sun in splendour is his heraldic insignia, 113 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:22,520 and it's entirely appropriate. 114 00:08:22,520 --> 00:08:26,200 So, it's the look of a king. He's trying to get the look of a king. 115 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:29,640 Yes, but I wouldn't suggest there's anything frivolous about that. 116 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:32,080 The look of a king is a vital part of statecraft. 117 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:34,840 Remember, he has lived through the Wars of the Roses, 118 00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:37,760 and the disastrous reign of his predecessor Henry VI, 119 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:39,640 who no-one thought looked like a king. 120 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:43,440 Henry VI, who, when times got tough, would hide in a monastery. 121 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:45,080 That isn't Edward IV's style. 122 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:48,040 He knows that to be a king, you've got to look the part, 123 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:49,440 and he looks the part. 124 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:52,400 So, all this lavishness that you've described, 125 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:56,440 that I can see all around me, comes through in the manuscripts. 126 00:08:56,440 --> 00:09:00,480 All Edward IV's manuscripts are these large tomes. 127 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:01,920 They're big display books, 128 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:06,000 and they've got all this colour and amazing intricate detail in them. 129 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:10,080 And it's just amazing to think about these surroundings, you know, 130 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:13,080 this magnificent ceiling, the tapestries, 131 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:16,760 all that jewellery and plate, and then these beautiful bound books 132 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:18,360 in the midst of all of that. 133 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:21,400 Yeah, all these things are the props of the monarchy. 134 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:24,680 And they all have to be here for it to work as well as it did. 135 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:33,840 'Collecting fine manuscripts posed a particular challenge for Edward. 136 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:38,080 'England could no longer boast the best illuminators. 137 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:42,320 'For centuries now, royal manuscripts had been made in France. 138 00:09:42,320 --> 00:09:45,440 'But since Henry VI had lost England's territories 139 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:49,440 'on the other side of the Channel, Edward had to find another source. 140 00:09:52,520 --> 00:09:56,600 'He turned to the centre for must-have luxury goods at the time. 141 00:10:00,680 --> 00:10:02,600 'Bruges. 142 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:09,640 'In the late 15th century, the city was part of the Duchy of Burgundy, 143 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:13,800 'and one of the commercial and artistic powerhouses of Europe. 144 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:20,200 'The unique qualities of the place had a visible impact 145 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:22,120 'on the manuscripts produced here. 146 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:28,480 'Take, for example, this image, from one of Edward's books.' 147 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:31,280 How do we know it was made here in Bruges? 148 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:33,960 Well, for starters, there's a handy visual clue. 149 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:37,440 If you look through the window in the background, you can see 150 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:40,600 these red brick buildings with crenellated facades 151 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:42,280 reflected in the water. 152 00:10:42,280 --> 00:10:46,480 And even today, that's what this beautiful medieval city looks like. 153 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:51,800 'But there's more to the Bruges style 154 00:10:51,800 --> 00:10:54,040 'than a love of local landscape. 155 00:10:54,040 --> 00:10:57,080 'What's most distinctive is the whole approach to painting. 156 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:03,800 'The picture imagines the book's author, Giovanni Boccaccio, 157 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:08,080 'meeting Lady Fortune, the personification of chance. 158 00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:11,280 'But this supernatural apparition isn't really 159 00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:13,640 'the centre of attention here. 160 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:17,040 'In fact, a third character is more interested 161 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:21,200 'in what's outside the window than a woman with six arms. 162 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:25,480 'This image anticipates later Dutch painters such as Vermeer, 163 00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:29,600 'because its real subject is the natural textures of reality. 164 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:33,080 'It's all about the play of light and shade, 165 00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:36,680 'the perspective of the room, the quality of the landscape.' 166 00:11:38,560 --> 00:11:41,440 It's the realism of the images made here in Bruges 167 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:45,200 that set them apart from earlier manuscript illuminations. 168 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:47,080 They are truly exceptional, 169 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:50,520 and represent a real break from the Medieval past. 170 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:53,720 We are now firmly in the Renaissance. 171 00:11:57,440 --> 00:12:01,840 'Even in the borders of these images, there's a new realism. 172 00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:05,520 'A near-scientific observation of the natural world. 173 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:11,440 'These are achievements more usually associated with figures 174 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:15,800 'such as Van Eyck, who also worked in Bruges in the 15th century. 175 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:17,960 'At that time, 176 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:22,440 'skilled illuminators were seen as the equals of talented oil painters. 177 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:25,680 'The two worlds influenced each other, and some artists 178 00:12:25,680 --> 00:12:27,080 'worked in both forms. 179 00:12:27,080 --> 00:12:32,120 'But posterity has favoured the work which went on public display.' 180 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:36,240 There are some masterpieces of the Northern Renaissance 181 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:39,080 that remain largely unknown to this day, 182 00:12:39,080 --> 00:12:41,720 because they don't hang on the walls of museums. 183 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:45,040 They're contained within the covers of manuscripts, 184 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:47,000 and locked within libraries. 185 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:51,720 'Yet it's in books of the time that some of the innovations 186 00:12:51,720 --> 00:12:54,680 'of the artistic Renaissance first appear.' 187 00:12:54,680 --> 00:12:58,600 We see an entirely new art genre here in Bruges. 188 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:00,400 The landscape painting. 189 00:13:00,400 --> 00:13:04,440 Instead of filling illuminations with figures and narratives, 190 00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:07,000 we now get landscape for landscape's sake. 191 00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:12,800 'This is one of the very first European paintings 192 00:13:12,800 --> 00:13:15,640 'to take the countryside as its chief subject. 193 00:13:15,640 --> 00:13:19,280 'The way it captures the qualities of the natural world 194 00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:22,440 'anticipates great names such as Constable. 195 00:13:22,440 --> 00:13:24,800 'Yet it was painted not on canvas or wood, 196 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:27,040 'but on the pages of a Bruges manuscript 197 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:28,840 'called Treasure D'Histoire. 198 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:34,040 'Given their increasingly secular subjects, 199 00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:37,160 'it's apt that Bruges manuscripts were produced 200 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:41,040 'not in monastic scriptoria, but in commercial workshops. 201 00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:43,400 'Both the quality of the craftsmanship 202 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:48,240 'and the cutting edge style made Flemish workmanship fit for a king. 203 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:55,800 'But there was a further reason why Edward was familiar 204 00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:57,680 'with the art of Bruges. 205 00:13:57,680 --> 00:13:59,760 'When exiled from England by Henry VI, 206 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:02,320 'he had lived here in this mansion, 207 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:05,000 'which belonged to a noble friend.' 208 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:10,240 I can imagine Edward IV would have been impressed when he stayed here. 209 00:14:10,240 --> 00:14:13,120 Bruges was a very wealthy city at this point, 210 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:15,960 stuffed full of craftspeople and artisans, 211 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:21,000 producing the very finest clothing, jewellery and of course manuscripts. 212 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:26,720 'The court Edward created on his return to England 213 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:31,080 'was a deliberate attempt to compete with the magnificence he'd witnessed 214 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:32,600 'in the Duchy of Burgundy. 215 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:38,520 'He succeeded not only in rebuilding the image of the English monarchy, 216 00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:41,360 'but also restoring its strength. 217 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:44,200 'His reign was a long and peaceful one. 218 00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:47,640 'Just how well Edward had managed to hold England together 219 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:51,680 'became obvious when he died in 1483. 220 00:14:55,360 --> 00:14:58,400 'The Wars of the Roses erupted once more. 221 00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:04,720 'They were only settled for good when the usurping Richard III 222 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:08,760 'was defeated in the Battle of Bosworth Field by the founder 223 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:12,200 'of one of the greatest royal dynasties, Henry Tudor. 224 00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:17,120 'It was said he plucked Richard's discarded crown 225 00:15:17,120 --> 00:15:22,320 'from a hawthorne bush, and his heraldry often incorporated this, 226 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:26,040 'along with the red dragon, which was on his standard at Bosworth, 227 00:15:26,040 --> 00:15:27,800 'and the white greyhound 228 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:30,120 'of his Lancastrian ancestors. 229 00:15:30,120 --> 00:15:34,320 'Though Henry and his descendants changed English history, 230 00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:36,000 'at the start of his reign, 231 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:38,880 'it wasn't certain he could survive in the job. 232 00:15:38,880 --> 00:15:42,520 'His claim to the throne was weak, depending on a female line 233 00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:45,320 'and an illegitimate ancestor. 234 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:48,760 'So the image he sought to portray was different from the glamour 235 00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:50,800 'favoured by Edward IV. 236 00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:54,480 'And the mission for manuscripts in Henry's reign is to prove 237 00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:58,120 'both his right to rule and his nobility.' 238 00:15:59,960 --> 00:16:02,800 In order to bolster his claim to the throne, 239 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:06,440 Henry VII selects a very specific set of symbols 240 00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:10,320 that will add legitimacy and mystique to the Tudor dynasty. 241 00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:13,320 We find them throughout manuscripts associated with him, 242 00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:15,360 and this one is full of them. 243 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:19,680 'The red dragon makes another appearance. 244 00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:23,040 'It was the symbol of the last king of the ancient Britons, 245 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:25,560 'Cadwaladr, from whom Henry claimed descent. 246 00:16:27,240 --> 00:16:30,880 'And later in the book, the dragon's entwined 247 00:16:30,880 --> 00:16:34,400 'with another recurring symbol, the hawthorn bush with the crown. 248 00:16:36,120 --> 00:16:40,360 'Other imagery reminds readers that Henry had united 249 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:42,840 'the warring houses of Lancaster and York.' 250 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:45,280 Here in the borders, 251 00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:49,240 we can see that the War of the Roses has reached its symbolic conclusion. 252 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:52,360 Red and white roses intertwine to symbolise 253 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:56,400 the marriage between Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. 254 00:16:57,680 --> 00:17:01,240 'On the same page, we have an image of the Tudor court. 255 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:03,800 'The King inspects this very book. 256 00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:07,240 'What the figures of state have gathered to see is something 257 00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:12,280 'very different to the history texts Edward IV would have shown them. 258 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:16,560 'At the front are pages of dense data. 259 00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:19,440 'These are calculations of planetary movements 260 00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:22,040 'by an Oxford academic, John Killingworth.' 261 00:17:24,320 --> 00:17:27,720 What's interesting about this manuscript is that 262 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:31,120 these pages of mathematical information have been given 263 00:17:31,120 --> 00:17:34,560 the royal treatment with the inclusion of these gold columns. 264 00:17:34,560 --> 00:17:38,200 At Henry's court, science and scholarship more generally, 265 00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:42,800 were held in the highest esteem, and Henry wanted to be their patron. 266 00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:48,440 'Sponsoring learning was one way Henry could prove his worth, 267 00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:53,680 'and compensate for the lowly status of some of his ancestors. 268 00:17:53,680 --> 00:17:55,280 'These days, however, 269 00:17:55,280 --> 00:17:58,960 'the manuscript wouldn't be classified as scientific. 270 00:18:01,840 --> 00:18:06,320 'In modern terms, its subject is not astronomy, but astrology. 271 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:11,760 'Though at the time, the distinction between the two was less clear. 272 00:18:11,760 --> 00:18:14,040 'Constellations have been plotted 273 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:17,440 'to divine what's written in the stars for the reader.' 274 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:21,720 'Later in the book, there's even a collection of ancient prophecies 275 00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:24,160 'about the future of the English monarchy. 276 00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:26,240 'Some attributed to Merlin! 277 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:30,320 'You can understand why the king this was all created for 278 00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:32,840 'might have been anxious about his future.' 279 00:18:34,360 --> 00:18:38,400 Henry was all too aware that his hold on the throne was vulnerable. 280 00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:40,800 By the time this manuscript was made, 281 00:18:40,800 --> 00:18:43,080 he'd already put down a rebellion. 282 00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:47,120 So I can imagine a collection of texts that prophesises 283 00:18:47,120 --> 00:18:50,640 the success of his family and the length of his reign 284 00:18:50,640 --> 00:18:55,200 must have been quite appealing. And actually quite reassuring. 285 00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:02,560 'But it's still a little strange to find science and magic 286 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:06,000 'jumbled up together in the library of a Christian king. 287 00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:11,920 'To try to understand these apparent contradictions, 288 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:15,560 'I've come to Merton College in Oxford. 289 00:19:18,600 --> 00:19:20,840 'This was where the mathematician 290 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:23,600 'who wrote some of the manuscript was a tutor. 291 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:28,560 'And the warden here at the time was one of Henry's closest courtiers, 292 00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:31,000 'a bishop called Richard Fitzjames. 293 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:34,760 'He commissioned some sculpture which resembles 294 00:19:34,760 --> 00:19:38,920 'the manuscript in both style and subject.' 295 00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:44,800 We're looking at astrological symbols, 296 00:19:44,800 --> 00:19:48,200 and they're all here. The spring ones starting with Aries, 297 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:52,600 the summer ones starting with Cancer, 298 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:57,080 then the autumn ones starting with Libra, the scales over there, 299 00:19:57,080 --> 00:20:01,480 and then we've got the winter ones ending with Pisces. 300 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:04,760 Right next to the Royal Arms of Henry VII. 301 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:07,880 Yes, cos that's what's right here in the centre, isn't it? 302 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:11,840 It's dominating the whole composition. Absolutely. 303 00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:15,520 And I think you'd have to say that Henry VII is ruling the cosmos. 304 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:17,880 It's as powerful a statement as that. 305 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:24,280 And they've been put here by a bishop. You see, that surprises me. 306 00:20:24,280 --> 00:20:27,960 It might seem a bit strange to us today to imagine that a bishop 307 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:31,920 would be interested in this, but you mustn't think about it like that. 308 00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:37,040 Remember, it's 1497, it's the height of the Northern Renaissance, 309 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:41,040 and astrology isn't a kind of thing for people in Sunday magazines. 310 00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:42,960 We're here in Merton College, 311 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:46,120 so some of the most famous astrologers were trained here, 312 00:20:46,120 --> 00:20:49,360 like John Ashenden, who was thought to have predicted the Plague. 313 00:20:49,360 --> 00:20:52,680 So, astrology was part of the science of the day. 314 00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:01,880 'During Henry's reign, 315 00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:07,080 'this beautiful oak-panelled roof was built for Merton's library. 316 00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:10,320 'Once again, there's Henry VII's coat of arms 317 00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:12,200 'alongside other Tudor insignia. 318 00:21:14,800 --> 00:21:20,280 'And in 1502, exactly when the ceiling was constructed, 319 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:24,680 'another astrological manuscript was presented to Henry VII.' 320 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:31,440 OK, so, what have we got here, then? 321 00:21:31,440 --> 00:21:34,920 Well, now it's time to introduce you to William Parron. 322 00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:38,560 Now, William Parron is an Italian astrologer, 323 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:42,640 and he is the first court astrologer that any English king takes on. 324 00:21:42,640 --> 00:21:47,720 What he's done here is cast a chart for Prince Henry of York, 325 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:49,560 who's the future King Henry VIII. 326 00:21:49,560 --> 00:21:53,400 It's a personal horoscope. Absolutely. This is special. 327 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:55,680 Astrology in this period is a royal art, 328 00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:58,000 something you pay a specialist to do for you. 329 00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:01,920 You can't just pick up a newspaper and have a reading done. 330 00:22:01,920 --> 00:22:04,160 It has to be done for you by someone who's got 331 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:06,200 the nous and the professionalism to do it. 332 00:22:06,200 --> 00:22:11,240 Overall, what have we got? We've got the classic horoscope diagram, 333 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:14,360 which is a square within a square. 334 00:22:14,360 --> 00:22:17,800 You'd get your astronomical data, OK, here's the planets and so on, 335 00:22:17,800 --> 00:22:23,480 that's the data there. And then you would discuss it theme by theme. 336 00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:30,120 So, life, wealth, death, and in the centre, 337 00:22:30,120 --> 00:22:32,600 what is in the centre? Of course, the Earth! 338 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:37,920 We've in fact got what was called a "mappa mundi," a map of the world. 339 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:40,200 It makes more sense round that way. 340 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:43,800 It sure does. Clearly, this is the north, cos there's Greenland. 341 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:49,040 And fascinatingly, this strange sort of nodule here says "Angland". 342 00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:52,320 Angland, yeah. We can see Europa. 343 00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:55,360 There seems to be a lot of detail here, 344 00:22:55,360 --> 00:22:58,000 layer upon layer of meaning. What does this tell us, 345 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:02,320 do you think, about the mindset of Henry at this stage? 346 00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:05,080 Well, I think Henry was impressed by the magnificence 347 00:23:05,080 --> 00:23:06,880 and glamour of astrology. 348 00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:10,440 It was the most sophisticated stuff. 349 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:15,440 Other princes might have been able to send explorers around Africa. 350 00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:19,680 Henry was interested in bringing to his court Italian humanists. 351 00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:23,600 He was interested in educating his children, giving them 352 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:27,480 a very sophisticated grasp of languages. 353 00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:29,400 And I think that's what we see here, 354 00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:33,360 that astrology was a window into a way of looking at the world. 355 00:23:33,360 --> 00:23:36,360 It was a scientific and modern way of looking at the world too. 356 00:23:39,440 --> 00:23:43,520 'There is, however, an obvious problem when astrology is 357 00:23:43,520 --> 00:23:47,360 'treated as a science, which this manuscript demonstrates.' 358 00:23:47,360 --> 00:23:50,000 In the text following the birth chart, 359 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:52,240 Parron makes a number of predictions. 360 00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:56,520 One is that the future Henry VIII will be a loyal Catholic 361 00:23:56,520 --> 00:23:59,160 and happily married father to many sons. 362 00:24:00,520 --> 00:24:01,960 'And for Henry VII, 363 00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:05,240 'what must have raised doubts is a prediction that his queen, 364 00:24:05,240 --> 00:24:09,360 'Elizabeth of York, would live to at least to the age of 80.' 365 00:24:09,360 --> 00:24:15,720 Elizabeth died within a year of this book being written, aged just 37. 366 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:19,600 William Parron disappeared soon after from the English court, 367 00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:21,800 and from historical records. 368 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:28,360 'Fortunately, the scholarship that Henry VII sponsored 369 00:24:28,360 --> 00:24:30,280 'wasn't confined to stargazing. 370 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:35,320 'Here, he's being presented with a work of Greek history, 371 00:24:35,320 --> 00:24:37,080 'Xenophon's Anabasis. 372 00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:42,360 'The Frenchman who translated it, Claude de Seyssel, visited England 373 00:24:42,360 --> 00:24:47,840 'in 1506, and noted an intriguing detail about the English King.' 374 00:24:50,480 --> 00:24:55,120 De Seyssel has been shown Henry's newly constructed library. 375 00:24:55,120 --> 00:24:59,120 He writes that it is "tres belle et tres bien acoustree." 376 00:24:59,120 --> 00:25:02,000 Very beautiful and very well appointed. 377 00:25:03,920 --> 00:25:06,960 'That room was probably at Henry's palace in Richmond, 378 00:25:06,960 --> 00:25:08,480 'long since demolished. 379 00:25:09,760 --> 00:25:13,080 'But there are other accounts of it. 380 00:25:13,080 --> 00:25:17,680 'One involves Catherine of Aragon, who'd come to England in 1502.' 381 00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:23,240 When Catherine's entourage returned to Spain, she needed cheering up, 382 00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:27,240 so Henry took her and her ladies-in-waiting to his library. 383 00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:29,320 We've got an account of this visit. 384 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:32,960 Apparently, he "showed unto her many goodly pleasant books, 385 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:34,760 "of works full delightful. 386 00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:37,840 "Sage, merry and also reet cunning." 387 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:40,440 He clearly knew how to show a girl a good time. 388 00:25:42,960 --> 00:25:45,880 'A library at this time appears to have been 389 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:47,760 'something rare and exciting.' 390 00:25:50,200 --> 00:25:53,440 It's hard to imagine the novelty, in the 16th century, 391 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:58,800 of seeing a whole room exclusively dedicated to the display of books. 392 00:25:58,800 --> 00:26:00,600 In fact, we simply don't know 393 00:26:00,600 --> 00:26:03,440 what this royal library looked like at all. 394 00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:09,280 'Previously, only religious and academic institutions 395 00:26:09,280 --> 00:26:14,640 'kept large collections of books. Merton College was one of them. 396 00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:17,560 'But back in 1502, the books in this library 397 00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:19,680 'wouldn't have been on shelves. 398 00:26:21,240 --> 00:26:23,760 'They were kept in chests. 399 00:26:23,760 --> 00:26:26,880 'This one was used by the university at that time. 400 00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:31,240 'Records suggest Edward IV stored his books in something similar. 401 00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:37,960 'Although no Tudor palace libraries survive, 402 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:42,640 'something still remains which helps us imagine their splendour.' 403 00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:55,040 This is an incredibly rare survival. This is an original Tudor binding. 404 00:26:56,200 --> 00:26:58,720 'This book, a guide to the Holy Land, 405 00:26:58,720 --> 00:27:02,360 'was noted in an inventory of 1547 as being covered 406 00:27:02,360 --> 00:27:05,400 'with the same embroidered velvet we can still see today. 407 00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:12,520 'Once, hundreds of books in the royal library 408 00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:15,760 'were bound as magnificently as this. 409 00:27:15,760 --> 00:27:19,360 'But the covers have fared far worse than the contents. 410 00:27:19,360 --> 00:27:21,600 'Now, just a handful of them remain.' 411 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:27,320 It's only when you see this binding that you can fully appreciate 412 00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:30,360 the impact that a royal manuscript once had. 413 00:27:30,360 --> 00:27:33,400 Even before you glimpse the wonderful artwork within, 414 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:36,720 this impresses and dazzles. 415 00:27:36,720 --> 00:27:39,040 They say you can't judge a book by its cover, 416 00:27:39,040 --> 00:27:41,600 but it's clear that many people did. 417 00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:46,280 'That means we're in danger of misunderstanding these objects, 418 00:27:46,280 --> 00:27:49,640 'because so few of them retain their intended appearance. 419 00:27:53,120 --> 00:27:56,400 'Which is why I've come to a place where the traditions 420 00:27:56,400 --> 00:28:00,720 'so valued by Medieval kings are still being followed.' 421 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:07,800 'James Brockman has been re-binding historic books for 45 years, 422 00:28:07,800 --> 00:28:12,640 'and now his son Stuart has joined him in the family business. 423 00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:16,480 'To repair and preserve ancient books, James and Stuart 424 00:28:16,480 --> 00:28:20,600 'have learned the same processes used by their original creators.' 425 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:25,560 We'd like to think that if a binder from 800 years ago came here, 426 00:28:25,560 --> 00:28:28,000 he would recognise what we're doing, 427 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:30,720 because we're using all the original techniques. 428 00:28:30,720 --> 00:28:34,280 'Just as they were in royal manuscripts, 429 00:28:34,280 --> 00:28:37,800 'the pages of these books are sewn together by hand.' 430 00:28:37,800 --> 00:28:42,200 Effectively, you're stitching the pages above to the ones below. 431 00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:45,320 That's right. We're locking one section to the previous one. 432 00:28:46,400 --> 00:28:50,400 'The quires, three or four pages folded inside each other, 433 00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:54,680 'are bound together by tying the thread round tougher cords, 434 00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:57,520 'then passing it through the pages.' 435 00:28:57,520 --> 00:28:59,320 Is that right? That's it, yeah. 436 00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:01,720 I've seen pictures of this. 437 00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:04,760 I never thought I'd actually have a chance to do it myself. 438 00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:08,880 How old is this book again? Er, it's a printed book from about 1480. 439 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:12,120 No pressure, then? No pressure at all, none at all. 440 00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:13,600 And how long does it take? 441 00:29:13,600 --> 00:29:16,400 A book of this size probably takes around a day's work. 442 00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:18,320 A whole day. But it's worth it. 443 00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:20,880 The strength of the structure will last 300 years. 444 00:29:22,720 --> 00:29:25,720 'When all the pages are stitched together, 445 00:29:25,720 --> 00:29:28,000 'a manuscript is knocked into shape, 446 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:32,240 'before being clamped into a laying press to treat the edges.' 447 00:29:33,520 --> 00:29:35,480 And this is actual gold? 448 00:29:35,480 --> 00:29:37,000 Yes, it's almost pure. 449 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:38,800 Pure gold. 450 00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:42,800 Gosh, it's so light, it's just floating as you move it. 451 00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:44,760 And then you cut the gold... 452 00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:47,680 into strips. 453 00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:49,920 And then these are gilders tips. 454 00:29:49,920 --> 00:29:53,720 Right. Oh, wow, yes, almost like cat hair or something. 455 00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:56,640 Yes. I'm not sure what it is. Really, really soft. Very fine. 456 00:29:56,640 --> 00:29:59,400 Then you need a bit of grease from your hair, like this. 457 00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:06,800 And then you can pick the gold up on the gilders tip. Wow. 458 00:30:06,800 --> 00:30:10,240 I love the idea that this was being done 300 years ago. 459 00:30:10,240 --> 00:30:12,680 People wiping their hair! 460 00:30:12,680 --> 00:30:18,160 'The Royal Accounts of 1480 record the King's books being gilded 461 00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:21,360 'in just this way, and covered and garnished, 462 00:30:21,360 --> 00:30:25,680 'at a cost of thousands of pounds each in today's money.' 463 00:30:25,680 --> 00:30:28,920 I like that, it's like the illumination inside's 464 00:30:28,920 --> 00:30:31,360 being brought out. Yes, exactly. 465 00:30:31,360 --> 00:30:34,200 This burnishing gives us the brilliant gold gilt edges 466 00:30:34,200 --> 00:30:37,280 that we get on early manuscripts, and here's an example. 467 00:30:37,280 --> 00:30:39,480 See, this really excites me. 468 00:30:39,480 --> 00:30:42,760 As a kid, I used to love the gold edges on things like diaries 469 00:30:42,760 --> 00:30:47,000 and books, but it is an insight for me into the mind 470 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:49,840 of the kings that commissioned these manuscripts. 471 00:30:49,840 --> 00:30:53,520 They clearly want these things to look good from the outside. 472 00:30:53,520 --> 00:30:56,960 It's not just what's inside. No. The gold really dresses the edges. 473 00:30:56,960 --> 00:31:00,200 It turns the book into a treasure, doesn't it? It does. 474 00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:06,440 'The next stage is to give the book its hard covers. 475 00:31:06,440 --> 00:31:10,600 'Stuart and James plane these solid wooden boards from oak. 476 00:31:10,600 --> 00:31:13,360 'Then comes the gift wrapping.' 477 00:31:15,160 --> 00:31:18,280 We're thinking of maybe using this wonderful purple here 478 00:31:18,280 --> 00:31:20,520 for covering this little manuscript. 479 00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:25,200 'Many ancient books were rebound in leather during the 19th century. 480 00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:30,880 'But the Brockmans use the fabrics favoured by Medieval monarchs. 481 00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:33,720 'Crimson velvet was the most luxurious. 482 00:31:33,720 --> 00:31:38,280 'One yard cost as much as 60 days of a mason's labour.' 483 00:31:39,800 --> 00:31:42,840 And I cut it plenty generous, so there's plenty of turning, 484 00:31:42,840 --> 00:31:44,200 top and bottom. 485 00:31:44,200 --> 00:31:49,560 Every aspect of the process you've shown me seems so time consuming. 486 00:31:49,560 --> 00:31:52,000 How long would it take to complete a binding? 487 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:55,680 I suppose a manuscript like this would probably take around 100 hours. 488 00:31:55,680 --> 00:31:58,480 100 hours of actual labour, working? Yes, yes. 489 00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:05,200 'When you add on the months of skilled craft put in by the scribes 490 00:32:05,200 --> 00:32:09,640 'and illuminators, and the months required to make fine vellum, 491 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:13,960 'you realise how labour intensive the production of manuscripts was. 492 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:19,200 'And why kings were among the few people who could ever afford them. 493 00:32:24,080 --> 00:32:26,520 'And here's one the Tudors made earlier.' 494 00:32:28,440 --> 00:32:31,600 This is a manuscript that makes me go weak at the knees. 495 00:32:31,600 --> 00:32:36,240 Probably the most magnificent binding to survive from Tudor times. 496 00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:38,480 And it's clear it's from 497 00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:39,960 the court of Henry VII 498 00:32:39,960 --> 00:32:42,680 because it's got his coat of arms here in the middle, 499 00:32:42,680 --> 00:32:47,840 and his livery, the portcullis with the green and white background. 500 00:32:47,840 --> 00:32:51,720 We haven't entered the manuscript yet and it screams magnificence. 501 00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:55,600 You can see the velvet, burgundy velvet. 502 00:32:55,600 --> 00:32:59,880 And over here, you can see how the binding was originally stitched. 503 00:32:59,880 --> 00:33:02,840 These are the ropes, just showing through on the velvet. 504 00:33:04,320 --> 00:33:08,680 And the clasps are breathtaking in their detail. 505 00:33:08,680 --> 00:33:11,840 They're silver, they look like they've been gilded, 506 00:33:11,840 --> 00:33:15,680 with a rose in the middle and these amazing angels 507 00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:21,560 that attach to these threads, with the gold woven all the way through. 508 00:33:21,560 --> 00:33:24,880 There's even the original tassel here. 509 00:33:24,880 --> 00:33:27,640 It's just amazing that this has survived 510 00:33:27,640 --> 00:33:29,280 in such remarkable condition. 511 00:33:31,120 --> 00:33:33,840 'The antique velvet is now so delicate, 512 00:33:33,840 --> 00:33:36,600 'the edges can no longer be safely tucked in, 513 00:33:36,600 --> 00:33:39,200 'and the book requires assistance to open. 514 00:33:39,200 --> 00:33:41,280 'I'm wearing gloves for once, 515 00:33:41,280 --> 00:33:45,160 'because contact with the metal clasps could corrode them. 516 00:33:45,160 --> 00:33:49,080 'And what's inside the covers is no less impressive.' 517 00:33:49,080 --> 00:33:52,240 There's this beautiful pink damask on the inside, 518 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:54,240 and down here, these silver tins 519 00:33:54,240 --> 00:33:57,520 attached to the manuscript. 520 00:33:57,520 --> 00:34:01,440 They've got the King's rose and crown on them. 521 00:34:01,440 --> 00:34:03,200 And if I open one up... 522 00:34:05,040 --> 00:34:10,120 ..like this...inside, there's another image. 523 00:34:10,120 --> 00:34:16,240 Here we have the King enthroned in this architectural setting, 524 00:34:16,240 --> 00:34:19,720 wielding the regalia, the orb and sceptre. 525 00:34:21,160 --> 00:34:23,800 These are wax seals. 526 00:34:25,800 --> 00:34:29,200 'They're required because this manuscript is actually 527 00:34:29,200 --> 00:34:30,440 'a legal contract. 528 00:34:30,440 --> 00:34:35,320 'It's an agreement between Henry and Westminster Abbey. 529 00:34:35,320 --> 00:34:40,440 'The King is depicted giving the monks this very manuscript.' 530 00:34:40,440 --> 00:34:45,280 More usually, legal documents, even royal ones, would take the form 531 00:34:45,280 --> 00:34:49,320 of a single piece of parchment, so the fact that this is in book form, 532 00:34:49,320 --> 00:34:53,960 and it's so lavishly coloured, means it must be something pretty special. 533 00:34:57,040 --> 00:35:01,160 'This is Henry VII making plans for his afterlife. 534 00:35:02,560 --> 00:35:07,160 'He's specifying the exact rituals he expects to be performed for him.' 535 00:35:11,640 --> 00:35:16,080 So here, he's put in arrangements for the souls of him and his family 536 00:35:16,080 --> 00:35:18,160 to be prayed for in perpetuity. 537 00:35:18,160 --> 00:35:22,120 It says here, "Shall endure daily mass 538 00:35:22,120 --> 00:35:25,600 "and divine service for the good and prosperous estate 539 00:35:25,600 --> 00:35:29,720 "of our said sovereign Lord, the King, and the souls of his family." 540 00:35:31,360 --> 00:35:34,800 'This isn't just a wish list, it's a binding contract, 541 00:35:34,800 --> 00:35:37,920 'which was hand-made in duplicate. 542 00:35:37,920 --> 00:35:42,760 'One copy was with the King, and the other with the Abbey.' 543 00:35:42,760 --> 00:35:45,760 You can see here, there's a wavy line that's been cut into 544 00:35:45,760 --> 00:35:47,040 the top of the book. 545 00:35:47,040 --> 00:35:50,640 If we had the other copy, the two would fit together 546 00:35:50,640 --> 00:35:52,720 and the wavy lines would interlock. 547 00:35:52,720 --> 00:35:56,320 That's why this kind of legal document is called an indenture. 548 00:35:56,320 --> 00:35:58,760 That's the French for "toothed". 549 00:36:00,600 --> 00:36:04,080 This document doesn't just detail the prayers that are to be said 550 00:36:04,080 --> 00:36:06,920 for the souls of the King and his family after death. 551 00:36:06,920 --> 00:36:09,760 It also gives detailed information about his tomb. 552 00:36:09,760 --> 00:36:11,000 It says here, 553 00:36:11,000 --> 00:36:14,400 "A tomb there shall be made for the interment of the body 554 00:36:14,400 --> 00:36:17,480 "of our said sovereign Lord, the King, 555 00:36:17,480 --> 00:36:20,920 "and a chapel of metal made thereabouts." 556 00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:29,080 'When Henry VIII broke away from the Catholic Church, 557 00:36:29,080 --> 00:36:32,080 'Westminster lost the monks his father imagined 558 00:36:32,080 --> 00:36:34,320 'would still be praying for him today. 559 00:36:36,320 --> 00:36:38,440 'But Henry VII's chapel 560 00:36:38,440 --> 00:36:42,280 'is preserved just as the manuscript specified. 561 00:36:45,600 --> 00:36:50,360 'It's one of the finest late-Gothic buildings in Europe. 562 00:36:54,640 --> 00:36:58,920 'Around the walls are 95 original statues of saints. 563 00:36:58,920 --> 00:37:02,400 'It's one of the most visibly Catholic spaces 564 00:37:02,400 --> 00:37:05,920 'still remaining from this period of English history. 565 00:37:05,920 --> 00:37:09,920 'It was intended not just as a royal resting place, 566 00:37:09,920 --> 00:37:12,920 'but also a shrine to the Virgin Mary. 567 00:37:12,920 --> 00:37:18,440 'Henry was a supporter of the cult of the Immaculate Conception.' 568 00:37:18,440 --> 00:37:22,800 It's hard to believe that imagery like this, a generation later, 569 00:37:22,800 --> 00:37:27,120 was being destroyed at the behest of Henry's own son. 570 00:37:37,520 --> 00:37:42,200 'Only a few decades before the break with Rome, it's clear that England 571 00:37:42,200 --> 00:37:46,240 'was a deeply Catholic nation, and its King shared that faith. 572 00:37:49,480 --> 00:37:52,720 'Henry's tomb remains the centrepiece of the chapel. 573 00:38:00,280 --> 00:38:02,520 'As one contemporary wrote, 574 00:38:02,520 --> 00:38:08,400 '"He dwelleth more richly dead than he did at any of his palaces."' 575 00:38:08,400 --> 00:38:12,440 As a statement of the permanence of your family's position, 576 00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:14,640 this mausoleum's hard to argue with. 577 00:38:17,520 --> 00:38:21,720 'By the time he'd died, on the 21st of April 1509, 578 00:38:21,720 --> 00:38:26,080 'Henry had successfully transformed the shaky Tudor claim to the throne 579 00:38:26,080 --> 00:38:29,920 'into what looked like a permanent hold on kingship. 580 00:38:36,440 --> 00:38:40,840 'His son and heir was determined to build on that inheritance. 581 00:38:41,920 --> 00:38:44,360 'Henry VIII marks the culmination 582 00:38:44,360 --> 00:38:47,600 'of the English royal manuscript tradition. 583 00:38:47,600 --> 00:38:51,120 'The imagery of monarchy is never more complex, 584 00:38:51,120 --> 00:38:54,240 'revealing or magnificent than in his reign.' 585 00:38:56,120 --> 00:39:01,400 'This manuscript dates from when Henry was just 25 years old, 586 00:39:01,400 --> 00:39:03,640 'but already in the seventh year of his rule. 587 00:39:03,640 --> 00:39:06,760 'It was a gift from an Antwerp merchant, 588 00:39:06,760 --> 00:39:10,600 'and begins with a long poem praising the King.' 589 00:39:10,600 --> 00:39:13,800 And here is Henry's name, 590 00:39:13,800 --> 00:39:15,400 highlighted in gold. 591 00:39:18,080 --> 00:39:21,720 'The artwork is stuffed with symbols of England and the Tudors. 592 00:39:21,720 --> 00:39:24,200 'Everything in this image has a meaning.' 593 00:39:27,200 --> 00:39:29,840 Henry was a famously accomplished individual. 594 00:39:29,840 --> 00:39:33,560 He was very well educated, he spoke several languages. 595 00:39:33,560 --> 00:39:37,760 He wrote books and he was also an excellent sportsman. 596 00:39:37,760 --> 00:39:39,640 And this is clearly a gift 597 00:39:39,640 --> 00:39:42,400 intended for a Renaissance prince. 598 00:39:42,400 --> 00:39:44,640 In many ways, this frontispiece 599 00:39:44,640 --> 00:39:46,480 is an intellectual game 600 00:39:46,480 --> 00:39:49,320 or challenge, where these complex 601 00:39:49,320 --> 00:39:51,560 visual symbols wrap around 602 00:39:51,560 --> 00:39:53,200 and intertwine with 603 00:39:53,200 --> 00:39:55,600 the allegorical poem within. 604 00:39:57,280 --> 00:39:59,920 'The verse describes how a single root 605 00:39:59,920 --> 00:40:02,560 'here produces different flowers. 606 00:40:02,560 --> 00:40:05,000 'Since the blooms are clearly Tudor roses, 607 00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:10,880 'they can be identified as Henry and his sisters, Margaret and Mary. 608 00:40:10,880 --> 00:40:14,880 'The King, of course, is the tallest. 609 00:40:14,880 --> 00:40:18,120 'Growing by the side of the English rosebush 610 00:40:18,120 --> 00:40:22,640 'is an exotic pomegranate tree, symbol of Henry's Queen at the time, 611 00:40:22,640 --> 00:40:24,800 'Catherine of Aragon.' 612 00:40:24,800 --> 00:40:29,640 It's heavy with fruit that's literally bursting open, 613 00:40:29,640 --> 00:40:33,000 and it reflects Henry's desire for a male heir. 614 00:40:34,840 --> 00:40:38,560 'All of this grows, naturally enough, in a garden. 615 00:40:38,560 --> 00:40:41,720 'And because it's the garden of England, it's on an island, 616 00:40:41,720 --> 00:40:44,560 'and heavily defended.' 617 00:40:44,560 --> 00:40:46,840 This is fortress England. 618 00:40:46,840 --> 00:40:51,280 It's strong and secure under Henry, and even though it's a garden, 619 00:40:51,280 --> 00:40:53,560 it's protected by warships. 620 00:40:58,080 --> 00:41:02,120 'The shape of the rosebush is also significant. 621 00:41:02,120 --> 00:41:05,920 'It's the outline of a musical instrument, a lyre.' 622 00:41:07,760 --> 00:41:10,720 Alongside the specially produced 623 00:41:10,720 --> 00:41:12,040 poetry and art, 624 00:41:12,040 --> 00:41:15,440 this manuscript is full of music, 625 00:41:15,440 --> 00:41:16,840 composed to delight the King. 626 00:41:18,880 --> 00:41:22,040 'The first piece is written in this novel, circular form, 627 00:41:22,040 --> 00:41:27,000 'and turns the previous pages' poetry into song.' 628 00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:32,400 The way that the notation spirals around the rose inside 629 00:41:32,400 --> 00:41:36,880 reinforces this idea of the fortress on the frontispiece. 630 00:41:36,880 --> 00:41:41,200 Henry is probably the most musical monarch England's ever produced. 631 00:41:41,200 --> 00:41:45,160 From the time of his coronation, he kept at least 25 musicians at court, 632 00:41:45,160 --> 00:41:47,080 and he composed music himself. 633 00:41:47,080 --> 00:41:50,600 So, of course, he'd be able to read this notation, 634 00:41:50,600 --> 00:41:53,880 but he'd also be able to read the symbolism. 635 00:41:53,880 --> 00:41:58,800 'Presumably, this piece was once performed in Henry's court, 636 00:41:58,800 --> 00:42:01,800 'but because it wasn't published elsewhere, it never reached 637 00:42:01,800 --> 00:42:03,520 'a wider audience.' 638 00:42:03,520 --> 00:42:07,240 It's sad to think that so much creativity has been 639 00:42:07,240 --> 00:42:09,480 poured into this gift for the King, 640 00:42:09,480 --> 00:42:15,080 and yet it went unheard for centuries, locked away in a library. 641 00:42:16,960 --> 00:42:19,640 CHOIR SINGS 642 00:42:34,280 --> 00:42:38,000 'In recent years, however, the piece has been rediscovered 643 00:42:38,000 --> 00:42:41,760 'by early music specialists, such as the Brabant Ensemble.' 644 00:42:56,120 --> 00:42:59,080 This is such evocative music. 645 00:42:59,080 --> 00:43:02,120 It's so strange to think that this was written 646 00:43:02,120 --> 00:43:04,560 for the ears of the King 500 years ago. 647 00:43:19,000 --> 00:43:22,440 It almost sounds odd or discordant in places, 648 00:43:22,440 --> 00:43:26,680 and I think that's because I can hear the spiralling notes, 649 00:43:26,680 --> 00:43:29,960 the voices overlapping with each other and the pitch changing, 650 00:43:29,960 --> 00:43:33,560 just like we see it depicted in the manuscript. 651 00:43:46,120 --> 00:43:48,600 Out of all the manuscripts I've encountered, 652 00:43:48,600 --> 00:43:50,680 this is the most multi-dimensional. 653 00:43:50,680 --> 00:43:53,720 I can read the words, I can see the notes 654 00:43:53,720 --> 00:43:57,200 and the beautiful illuminations, and I can hear it. 655 00:44:12,800 --> 00:44:16,840 'There are several other pieces of music written for the manuscript. 656 00:44:18,120 --> 00:44:21,080 'And nearly all of them share a particular theme.' 657 00:44:27,160 --> 00:44:30,520 They're singing praise for the Virgin Mary, 658 00:44:30,520 --> 00:44:33,920 and this reminds me that, before his divorce, 659 00:44:33,920 --> 00:44:37,760 of course, Henry was a famously devout Catholic. 660 00:44:37,760 --> 00:44:41,040 But specifically, they're referring to her 661 00:44:41,040 --> 00:44:44,560 as "magnificent channel, excellent vessel." 662 00:44:44,560 --> 00:44:48,720 This is a song glorifying childbirth. 663 00:44:53,800 --> 00:44:56,480 'It was a subject close to Henry's heart. 664 00:44:56,480 --> 00:44:59,720 'Anyone hearing this in 1516 would have thought 665 00:44:59,720 --> 00:45:02,720 'of Catherine of Aragon, and the expectation that 666 00:45:02,720 --> 00:45:07,040 'she would soon produce a male heir to the Tudor line. 667 00:45:07,040 --> 00:45:10,440 'Of course, the consequences when she failed to do so 668 00:45:10,440 --> 00:45:12,480 'changed England's history.' 669 00:45:17,600 --> 00:45:20,640 'In the British Library, there's evidence of the woman 670 00:45:20,640 --> 00:45:24,720 'who replaced Catherine in Henry's affection, and inspired him 671 00:45:24,720 --> 00:45:29,000 'to seek first divorce and then a break with the Roman church.' 672 00:45:31,320 --> 00:45:35,040 This is a personal prayer book that was in use 673 00:45:35,040 --> 00:45:37,080 within the royal household. 674 00:45:37,080 --> 00:45:38,680 Inside it, we can find evidence 675 00:45:38,680 --> 00:45:40,480 that the early readers' minds 676 00:45:40,480 --> 00:45:44,120 weren't always on the sacred contents. 677 00:45:45,840 --> 00:45:49,640 'Turning the pages, we find an image of the Man of Sorrows, 678 00:45:49,640 --> 00:45:50,920 'from the Book of Isaiah. 679 00:45:50,920 --> 00:45:54,880 'It's a sacred work of art, but King Henry had no qualms 680 00:45:54,880 --> 00:45:58,640 'about making use of it as part of a love letter to Anne Boleyn.' 681 00:46:00,160 --> 00:46:02,880 This is the handwriting of Henry VIII, 682 00:46:02,880 --> 00:46:05,320 and he's written here in French, 683 00:46:05,320 --> 00:46:08,160 "If you remember me in your prayers, 684 00:46:08,160 --> 00:46:10,360 "as strongly as I adore you, 685 00:46:10,360 --> 00:46:14,160 "I shall hardly be forgotten, for I am yours. Henry R." 686 00:46:15,280 --> 00:46:20,200 It's such a personal note to find written in the King's own hand, 687 00:46:20,200 --> 00:46:23,240 and it really gives this sense of 688 00:46:23,240 --> 00:46:25,520 the lovesick individual. 689 00:46:27,320 --> 00:46:31,320 'Like a schoolboy sending a note round the classroom, the King 690 00:46:31,320 --> 00:46:33,920 'must have then passed on the manuscript to his beloved, 691 00:46:33,920 --> 00:46:37,160 'because on another page, there's some different handwriting.' 692 00:46:38,280 --> 00:46:41,640 Here is Anne Boleyn's response. 693 00:46:41,640 --> 00:46:43,280 She's written, 694 00:46:43,280 --> 00:46:46,200 "Be daily proof you shall me find, 695 00:46:46,200 --> 00:46:49,680 "to be to you both loving and kind." 696 00:46:49,680 --> 00:46:52,280 And it's interesting, the image she's chosen 697 00:46:52,280 --> 00:46:53,600 to write this underneath, 698 00:46:53,600 --> 00:46:55,360 it's the Annunciation. 699 00:46:55,360 --> 00:47:00,320 The Angel Gabriel is telling Mary that she will conceive a son. 700 00:47:00,320 --> 00:47:04,440 And given that a son is the thing Henry most wants in the world, 701 00:47:04,440 --> 00:47:07,280 Anne is clearly saying what the King wants to hear. 702 00:47:15,000 --> 00:47:18,400 'Henry's determination to wed Anne led, of course, 703 00:47:18,400 --> 00:47:21,920 'to England's break with the Roman Catholic Church. 704 00:47:21,920 --> 00:47:25,960 'The Reformation caused the destruction not just of monasteries 705 00:47:25,960 --> 00:47:31,360 'across the country, but also many of their illuminated manuscripts.' 706 00:47:33,040 --> 00:47:37,720 'The act that established the Book of Common Prayer specifically called 707 00:47:37,720 --> 00:47:42,840 'for the abolishing and putting away of diverse books and images. 708 00:47:42,840 --> 00:47:47,040 'Anything which seemed too redolent of the old religion.' 709 00:47:48,320 --> 00:47:51,160 "All books used for the service of the Church, 710 00:47:51,160 --> 00:47:55,720 "by the King's majesty, shall be clearly and utterly abolished, 711 00:47:55,720 --> 00:48:00,920 "extinguished and forbidden forever to be used or kept in this realm." 712 00:48:00,920 --> 00:48:04,960 I feel real sorrow at these words, when I think about the thousands 713 00:48:04,960 --> 00:48:09,080 of beautiful manuscripts that must have been lost. 714 00:48:14,320 --> 00:48:18,320 'Not even royal manuscripts escaped the destruction. 715 00:48:19,800 --> 00:48:23,640 'This is the only page that survives from a choir book, 716 00:48:23,640 --> 00:48:26,880 'commissioned in the 1470s by Margaret of York, 717 00:48:26,880 --> 00:48:28,600 'the sister of Edward IV. 718 00:48:28,600 --> 00:48:32,680 'The royal family sponsored the house of friars in Greenwich, 719 00:48:32,680 --> 00:48:35,280 'who were thought to have used this in worship, 720 00:48:35,280 --> 00:48:38,280 'until they were abolished by the Reformation.' 721 00:48:40,120 --> 00:48:43,160 The quality of this single leaf is exquisite. 722 00:48:43,160 --> 00:48:45,600 You can really tell it was a royal commission. 723 00:48:45,600 --> 00:48:49,760 The details on the leaves, the flowers with shadows underneath, 724 00:48:49,760 --> 00:48:53,480 and then this amazing miniature showing King David. 725 00:48:53,480 --> 00:48:57,000 Really beautiful treatment of his hair and his face. 726 00:48:58,200 --> 00:49:01,120 But even something as beautiful as this 727 00:49:01,120 --> 00:49:05,520 wasn't exempt from the purges of the Reformation. 728 00:49:05,520 --> 00:49:10,360 The rest of the book that this page was a part of has been destroyed. 729 00:49:10,360 --> 00:49:15,440 This is the only page that remains. It's survived by accident, really. 730 00:49:15,440 --> 00:49:18,000 It's been re-used as some sort of a wrapper. 731 00:49:18,000 --> 00:49:20,320 It's been folded down the middle, 732 00:49:20,320 --> 00:49:22,760 and people have even been practising their handwriting 733 00:49:22,760 --> 00:49:25,200 in-between the notation. 734 00:49:25,200 --> 00:49:29,480 To me, it's quite tragic that this is all that's left 735 00:49:29,480 --> 00:49:32,800 of what was previously a magnificent Catholic manuscript. 736 00:49:45,080 --> 00:49:49,200 'While the art of England's old religion was being destroyed, 737 00:49:49,200 --> 00:49:52,280 'a very special prayer book had been made 738 00:49:52,280 --> 00:49:54,840 'for the head of its new church.' 739 00:49:56,160 --> 00:49:59,160 'This is a Psalter, an edition of the Book of Psalms. 740 00:50:00,360 --> 00:50:04,480 'Many English monarchs before Henry had owned personal Psalters, 741 00:50:04,480 --> 00:50:07,640 'because the Biblical ruler they feature, David, 742 00:50:07,640 --> 00:50:09,640 'was seen as a model of kingship. 743 00:50:09,640 --> 00:50:11,600 'Following tradition, 744 00:50:11,600 --> 00:50:16,280 'King David is depicted in various scenes from the psalms. 745 00:50:16,280 --> 00:50:19,240 'Whenever he turns up in this Psalter, however, 746 00:50:19,240 --> 00:50:23,000 'he's a dead ringer for another monarch. 747 00:50:23,000 --> 00:50:26,120 'You could argue that Henry VIII is being encouraged 748 00:50:26,120 --> 00:50:30,400 'to see the relevance of Biblical teachings for his own life.' 749 00:50:30,400 --> 00:50:34,480 Or you could say Henry is a megalomaniac. 750 00:50:34,480 --> 00:50:37,680 Not only has he made himself head of the Church, 751 00:50:37,680 --> 00:50:42,560 he's now imagining himself as the most important Biblical King. 752 00:50:44,760 --> 00:50:47,480 'It's a very literal reading of the Bible, 753 00:50:47,480 --> 00:50:51,120 'as if it had all been written about 16th-century England. 754 00:50:51,120 --> 00:50:54,560 'So, when the psalmist warns, "The fool says in his heart, 755 00:50:54,560 --> 00:50:55,880 '"There is no God," 756 00:50:55,880 --> 00:51:00,640 'we see a portrait of Henry's fool, the Tudor court jester Will Somers. 757 00:51:01,880 --> 00:51:08,000 'Everywhere the King looked, he'd see himself reflected back.' 758 00:51:08,000 --> 00:51:11,800 For me, this is an intensely intimate scene 759 00:51:11,800 --> 00:51:14,640 of one man alone with his books. 760 00:51:14,640 --> 00:51:19,280 Henry has had himself inserted into this sacred text. 761 00:51:19,280 --> 00:51:22,280 And here he is, reading the same text 762 00:51:22,280 --> 00:51:25,840 and meditating on himself within the book. 763 00:51:27,760 --> 00:51:31,240 'It must have felt like being in a hall of mirrors. 764 00:51:32,520 --> 00:51:36,200 'And the self-references continue in the margins, 765 00:51:36,200 --> 00:51:38,760 'where Henry's written a running commentary.' 766 00:51:40,680 --> 00:51:42,920 Next to the opening psalm, which begins, 767 00:51:42,920 --> 00:51:44,920 "Blessed is the man who has not walked 768 00:51:44,920 --> 00:51:46,680 "in the counsel of the ungodly," 769 00:51:46,680 --> 00:51:51,840 Henry has written, in his own hand, "Nota quis sit beatus." 770 00:51:51,840 --> 00:51:54,480 "Note who is blessed." 771 00:51:54,480 --> 00:51:57,600 And in a book full of images of Henry himself, 772 00:51:57,600 --> 00:52:01,600 the implication is that it's HE who is blessed. 773 00:52:01,600 --> 00:52:04,040 'Throughout the book, 774 00:52:04,040 --> 00:52:08,320 'Henry's notes reveal a man convinced he was serving God's will, 775 00:52:08,320 --> 00:52:12,280 'his confidence undimmed by his rejection of the Catholic Church. 776 00:52:12,280 --> 00:52:16,160 'But there's one moment where the self-justification 777 00:52:16,160 --> 00:52:18,240 'gives way to a note of frailty.' 778 00:52:19,680 --> 00:52:24,280 In the margins of Psalm 36, where it says, "I have been young, 779 00:52:24,280 --> 00:52:26,560 "and now I am old," Henry has written, 780 00:52:26,560 --> 00:52:29,320 "Dolens dictum." 781 00:52:29,320 --> 00:52:31,480 "A sad saying." 782 00:52:31,480 --> 00:52:37,320 And so we get this glimpse into how Henry viewed his own mortality. 783 00:52:39,000 --> 00:52:42,440 This is such a strange experience for me. 784 00:52:42,440 --> 00:52:47,720 I'm touching the very pages that Henry VIII himself touched, 785 00:52:47,720 --> 00:52:52,480 and he didn't just read this book, he read it again and again, 786 00:52:52,480 --> 00:52:55,640 and he invested part of himself in it. 787 00:52:55,640 --> 00:52:58,040 More than any other manuscript I've encountered, 788 00:52:58,040 --> 00:53:02,520 I really get a sense of the real man coming out of these pages. 789 00:53:05,560 --> 00:53:09,840 'The earliest English royal books had told a different story. 790 00:53:09,840 --> 00:53:14,280 'Manuscripts in Anglo-Saxon times were largely public objects, 791 00:53:14,280 --> 00:53:15,720 'displayed on altars. 792 00:53:16,880 --> 00:53:20,560 'Their power came from the Church, as did the King's. 793 00:53:21,960 --> 00:53:23,880 'Six centuries later, 794 00:53:23,880 --> 00:53:28,920 'the King controls the institution his predecessors had depended upon. 795 00:53:28,920 --> 00:53:34,040 'He now relies on no-one else in his relationship with God or England. 796 00:53:34,040 --> 00:53:38,240 'So he's shown alone, in a book for his private use. 797 00:53:38,240 --> 00:53:40,520 'For the English royal manuscript, 798 00:53:40,520 --> 00:53:42,560 'it was pretty much the end of the line. 799 00:53:44,600 --> 00:53:50,360 'By the later 16th century, changes in technology, in fashion and in art 800 00:53:50,360 --> 00:53:54,720 'meant the manuscript was finally displaced by the printed book. 801 00:53:54,720 --> 00:53:56,680 'Even among royalty.' 802 00:53:58,800 --> 00:54:02,320 But the illuminated manuscript had a clear descendant 803 00:54:02,320 --> 00:54:03,880 as a royal art form. 804 00:54:03,880 --> 00:54:06,360 Something else that would continue the work 805 00:54:06,360 --> 00:54:08,680 the manuscript had done for centuries, 806 00:54:08,680 --> 00:54:12,080 and that could communicate and symbolise the King's power. 807 00:54:13,200 --> 00:54:15,760 The royal portrait. 808 00:54:22,160 --> 00:54:26,440 'When production of the illuminated manuscript was declining, 809 00:54:26,440 --> 00:54:28,280 'in the 15th and 16th centuries, 810 00:54:28,280 --> 00:54:31,240 'the painted portrait had become more popular, 811 00:54:31,240 --> 00:54:36,800 'and the medium of choice for some of the greatest Renaissance artists. 812 00:54:36,800 --> 00:54:40,040 'It would prove particularly suitable 813 00:54:40,040 --> 00:54:44,360 'for the new challenges faced by England's monarchy.' 814 00:54:44,360 --> 00:54:47,880 Now the King is the head of the Church, he had to be more visible 815 00:54:47,880 --> 00:54:51,880 to the nation, not just a figurehead tucked away in his palaces. 816 00:54:51,880 --> 00:54:55,520 While printing was the best way of spreading the royal word, 817 00:54:55,520 --> 00:55:00,360 the portrait was perfect for disseminating the royal image. 818 00:55:00,360 --> 00:55:05,440 'Take, for example, Hans Holbein's iconic picture of Henry VIII, 819 00:55:05,440 --> 00:55:08,840 'for which this was the preparatory sketch.' 820 00:55:08,840 --> 00:55:12,360 Even as an outline, you can tell who this is, 821 00:55:12,360 --> 00:55:14,360 and that's entirely deliberate. 822 00:55:14,360 --> 00:55:17,200 This is powerful propaganda. 823 00:55:18,640 --> 00:55:21,840 'Portraits were intended to be seen by a wider public than 824 00:55:21,840 --> 00:55:26,360 'the select few who would glimpse the pages of a royal manuscript. 825 00:55:26,360 --> 00:55:30,200 'And the production of authorised copies could make the monarch 826 00:55:30,200 --> 00:55:33,040 'more visible across their kingdom.' 827 00:55:33,040 --> 00:55:36,240 The large-scale royal portrait might seem a world away 828 00:55:36,240 --> 00:55:38,960 from the miniatures of illuminated manuscripts, 829 00:55:38,960 --> 00:55:41,960 but early in his career, Holbein worked in book design, 830 00:55:41,960 --> 00:55:43,520 and he wasn't alone either. 831 00:55:43,520 --> 00:55:48,640 Other portraitists drew inspiration from the traditions of manuscripts. 832 00:55:49,920 --> 00:55:52,880 'Some portraits were still painted on vellum, 833 00:55:52,880 --> 00:55:55,560 'such as this one of Elizabeth I. 834 00:55:55,560 --> 00:55:57,840 'It's the work of Nicholas Hilliard, 835 00:55:57,840 --> 00:56:02,720 'who was most likely trained by a descendant of a Bruges illuminator. 836 00:56:02,720 --> 00:56:05,960 'And it's only a couple of inches high, 837 00:56:05,960 --> 00:56:09,960 'the small scale used for centuries in manuscripts. 838 00:56:13,680 --> 00:56:17,720 'Portraiture could also draw on a well-established language 839 00:56:17,720 --> 00:56:19,520 'for depicting royal power. 840 00:56:21,400 --> 00:56:24,800 'The iconography of monarchy, which feels so familiar 841 00:56:24,800 --> 00:56:28,320 'when we see portraits such as these, had first been developed 842 00:56:28,320 --> 00:56:29,680 'in the pages of books. 843 00:56:32,800 --> 00:56:37,240 'And that's not the manuscript's only legacy. 844 00:56:39,000 --> 00:56:42,880 'Objects which had seemed redundant after the invention of printing 845 00:56:42,880 --> 00:56:48,360 'have a renewed value now when the dominance of the printed book 846 00:56:48,360 --> 00:56:50,360 'is in turn being challenged.' 847 00:56:53,280 --> 00:56:57,160 We live in a world where, thanks to the digital revolution, 848 00:56:57,160 --> 00:57:00,880 ideas and images can be shared across the globe in an instant. 849 00:57:00,880 --> 00:57:05,080 Many millions of people can share the same things at the same time. 850 00:57:05,080 --> 00:57:07,120 And this is of course incredibly powerful. 851 00:57:07,120 --> 00:57:11,560 An illuminated manuscript was almost the exact opposite. 852 00:57:11,560 --> 00:57:15,000 It was designed to be seen by just a handful of people 853 00:57:15,000 --> 00:57:17,800 as an entirely bespoke artefact. 854 00:57:17,800 --> 00:57:22,120 And from this exclusivity and uniqueness came its power. 855 00:57:28,440 --> 00:57:32,720 'Precisely because they were never mass-produced, 856 00:57:32,720 --> 00:57:35,800 'manuscripts have a specific historical weight and meaning, 857 00:57:35,800 --> 00:57:38,200 'which it's hard to imagine being equalled 858 00:57:38,200 --> 00:57:40,360 'by the sophisticated technology of today.' 859 00:57:47,800 --> 00:57:52,400 'It's not just that they so beautifully picture that past, 860 00:57:52,400 --> 00:57:55,640 'its religious fervour and its political manoeuvring, 861 00:57:55,640 --> 00:57:58,600 'it's that they do so in such a tangible form. 862 00:57:58,600 --> 00:58:05,480 'In an object that exists now in the same way as it did then.' 863 00:58:05,480 --> 00:58:09,760 The thing that's really struck me about handling these manuscripts 864 00:58:09,760 --> 00:58:12,080 is the intimacy of the experience. 865 00:58:12,080 --> 00:58:14,720 By turning the pages, I feel as if I've sat down 866 00:58:14,720 --> 00:58:16,360 next to their royal owners 867 00:58:16,360 --> 00:58:19,840 and read over their shoulder, sharing in their insights. 868 00:58:19,840 --> 00:58:23,160 These magnificent objects were once created 869 00:58:23,160 --> 00:58:27,560 as pieces of propaganda or patronage, but now they offer us 870 00:58:27,560 --> 00:58:32,600 a unique insight into the private lives of long dead kings. 871 00:58:36,680 --> 00:58:39,680 Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd 872 00:58:39,680 --> 00:58:41,680 E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk