Which French king did Henry the Eighth meet at the Field of the Cloth of Gold in 1520?
Field of the Cloth of Gold Field of the Cloth of Gold The Field of the Cloth of Gold () was a site in Balinghem between Ardres in France and Guînes in the then-English Pale of Calais that hosted a summit from 7 to 24 June 1520, between King Henry VIII of England and King Francis I of France. The summit was arranged to increase the bond of friendship between the two kings following the Anglo-French treaty of 1514. These two monarchs would meet again in 1532 to arrange Francis's assistance in pressuring Pope Clement VII to pronounce Henry's first marriage as illegitimate. Under the guidance
Field of the Cloth of Gold splendour and pageantry was comparable to the later Field of Cloth of Gold meeting held on the same site in 1520. Each king tried to outshine the other, with dazzling tents and clothes, huge feasts, music, jousting and games. The tents and the costumes displayed so much cloth of gold, an expensive fabric woven with silk and gold thread, that the site of the meeting was named after it. The most elaborate arrangements were made for the accommodation of the two monarchs and their large retinues; and on Henry's part especially no efforts were spared to make a great impression