Christmas in the Tudor royal court

Christmas, Tudor-style

By Tudor times, Christmas had become the most highly-anticipated festival in the court calendar. Preparations for the yuletide season often began weeks in advance.  

The Church encouraged people to fast during Advent (the period just before Christmas). This meant that by the time 25 December arrived, everyone was even more eager to begin the feasting and revelry. 

Even those who were not fortunate enough to be at court enjoyed a rare holiday from the daily toil and a richer than usual diet. This might include pork and whatever birds they could catch, as well as honey to sweeten dishes and fresh seasonal berries.

Henry VIII was praised for keeping Christmas with ‘much nobleness and open court’, along with ‘great plenty of viands’. Greenwich Palace (the place of his birth in 1491) was the traditional location for the yuletide festivities. More than a thousand courtiers would flock there to eat, drink and be merry – and warm themselves by the huge yule log that was lit on Christmas Eve.

Twelve days of festivities would follow – all of equal excess and magnificence, with games, carols and even an appearance by Father (or ‘Captain’) Christmas. 

But the star of the show was always Henry, decked out in sumptuous new clothes every year. And he didn’t stint on the expense. The records show that for the first Christmas of his reign in 1509, the 18-year-old King laid out the equivalent of £13.5 million.

‘Oh bring us a figgy pudding’ (and boar, lark, quail and goose…)

Spare a thought for the Tudor royal cooks, who were obliged to prepare not just one Christmas dinner, but a whole host of sumptuous feasts on each of the 12 days. 

After an appetiser of plum porridge or figgy pudding, a boar’s head would be carried in smeared with mustard and with a roasted apple in its mouth. 

Next came a variety of rich meats, including larks, quails, capons, soused veal and – the favourite for all classes – brawn, which comprised fatty cuts of richly spiced boar meat or pork. Turkey also made an appearance in the later Tudor period, but the most popular Christmas bird was goose. 

For dessert, there was Christmas pudding (similar to suet pudding) or ‘frumenty’, made with eggs, fruit, spices, almond milk and cream. Also popular were jellies moulded into castles or animals, or spectacular sugar sculptures, sometimes carved into suggestive shapes to excite lust!

Mince pies were also served, but were savoury rather than sweet and contained shredded leftover meats. All of this was washed down with French wine or specially brewed Christmas ale.

A new king at court… the ‘Lord of Misrule’

The Master of Revels devised a whole series of entertainments for each of the 12 days, including masques, plays, music, disguisings, jousts and hunting. Board games ranged from chess and backgammon to guessing games, hide and seek, and blind man’s buff. Dice and cards were also popular. 

All of this revelry was presided over not by the King, but the ‘Lord of Misrule’. Even Henry had to bow to his authority. In the first year of his reign, the role was filled by Will Wynesbury, who cheekily asked the King for £5 towards his expenses. Fortunately, his royal master appreciated the joke.

Even though the court was full to bursting, the public were often allowed in to watch the ‘goodly and gorgeous’ displays. 

Towards the end of his reign, Henry VIII passed a law that all craftsmen, labourers, mariners, fishermen, servants and apprentices could only play cards, dice, football, bowls, tennis, ninepins and other popular games at Christmas. They were to abstain from any other sport or activity except archery during the rest of the year to maintain England’s military strength.  

What do you get the king who has everything?

Festive royal gifting in the Tudor period

Gifts were exchanged on New Year’s Day. Henry VIII encouraged his courtiers to come bearing lavish gifts, which would be given to him during a special ceremony in his presence chamber. His nobles would vie with each other to give the most valuable or admired present. Cardinal Thomas Wolsey once gave his master a gold cup worth £100 (more than £50,000 in today’s money). 

Some of the more unusual gifts that Henry received included dog collars, six cheeses from Suffolk and a marmoset monkey. His most treasured present, though, was Hans Holbein’s exquisite portrait of the King’s ‘precious jewel’ (his son Edward – the future Edward VI), which was given to him on New Year’s Day 1539. 

Gift giving scaled new heights during the reign of Henry’s youngest daughter, Elizabeth I, who regularly received thousands of lavish gifts each year – everything from jewellery to toothpicks made of gold!

But the true message of Christmas was never lost. All of the Tudor monarchs prided themselves on being devout and pious. Elizabeth I paid particular attention to the religious aspects of the festival and would spend most of Christmas Day in prayer.  Their courtiers were also required to attend a series of solemn ceremonies, and throughout Tudor England everyone went to church on Christmas morning.

All's well that ends well

All good things must come to an end, but the Tudors made sure that Christmas went out with a bang. On 6 January they celebrated Epiphany with a day of processions, feasts and fun. Spicy foods (representing the Wise Men) were served as part of the menu and the yule log was kept burning until midnight.

Every year at Hampton Court Palace, the spirit of a Tudor Christmas returns to the palace. Henry VIII’s Kitchens are alive with the sounds and smells of Christmas once again, and music fills the halls. Christmas services in the Chapel Royal continue under Henry VIII’s beautiful vaulted ceiling. So now everyone can enjoy a Hampton Court Christmas, without feeling obliged to compliment Henry on his festive new clothes!

Tracy Borman 
Chief Historian, Historic Royal Palaces