Horned helmet of Henry VIII

The horned helmet of Henry VIII (more properly called the parade armet) is the surviving part of a full suit of armour made by Konrad Seusenhofer between 1511 and 1514.

The armour was a gift from the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I to the English king Henry VIII, following their alliance in the War of the League of Cambrai.

It is possible that the armour was designed to include interchangeable pieces to be swapped to suit different forms of tournament contests.

The rest of the armour is presumed to have been sold for scrap after the English Civil War; it is thought that the helmet was saved from this fate on account of its bizarre appearance.

[2] The face includes fine detail such as crow's feet around the eyes and a drip beneath the nose.

During the 16th century horns were associated with cuckolds or the devil, rendering the armour unsuitable for a royal person, but it might have been worn by Henry as a jest.

During the 17th century the helmet was displayed at the Tower of London and attributed to Will Sommers, one of Henry's fools, but he did not join the royal court until 1525.

[8] The design of the mask closely matches a face found on a playing card dating from the 1st half of the 16th century.