Emblems of Monarchy. Royal Portraiture in Yorkist and Early Tudor England

Edward IV, Richard III, Henry VII and Henry VIII: four kings whose reigns spanned a pivotal period in English history, from the Wars of the Roses to the Reformation. It is well recognized that, in this era of personal monarchy, kings used visual means, chiefly heraldry and pageantry, to represent themselves in the eyes of their subjects. This book focuses on the use of portraits as 'emblems' designed to function in a similar way in the elite circles of court and government. Frederick Hepburn explores the distinctive iconography of the portrait images that were devised to represent each of these four kings. In so doing he adds a fascinating new dimension to the study of these monarchs, and in particular sheds unexpected light on the character of the first of the Tudors, Henry VII. Here too is in-depth consideration of the portraits of other members of the early Tudor royal family - Prince Arthur and his sisters the princesses Margaret and Mary, Lady Margaret Beaufort and Katherine of Aragon. The author also looks at the occurrence of royal portraits in media other than painting in order to present as complete a picture as possible of the role played by such images during this period of transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance.