Magnificence

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How do you recognise a medieval king when you see one? For those who followed the Roman emperors, the special status of royalty was asserted by their display of kingly grandeur, or 'magnificence'. This was applied to everything: his person, his courtiers, the artists, the garments he wore, the musicians and architects he employed. Above all, it was on show in his public appearances, his feasts and ceremonies. The 'magnificent' collections of jewels, manuscripts and holy relics were displayed to a handful of favoured visitors. Those visitors also had to be entertained, and royal feasts developed into an amazing form of performance art. All this is explored in this wide-ranging survey, covering the whole of western Europe, but centring on France, the wealthiest of the kingdoms, members of whose extended royal family were at different times kings of Poland, Hungary, Naples, Jerusalem, England, and, most spectacularly, dukes of Burgundy. Based on records from many archival sources, and on the latest scholarship in several languages, the narrative also portrays the individuals who helped to create magnificence. The wealth of pictures is a museum of the extraordinary objects that still survive, many of them unfamiliar. Pageantry and displays of splendour always catch our attention, and medieval feasts and tournaments are among the most popular forms of historical re-enactment today. Magnificence celebrates many of the high points of the medieval world, drawing them together in a sumptuous volume which is at least an echo of the wonderful illuminated manuscripts which these kings collected. RICHARD BARBER is the author of numerous books on medieval history and Arthurian legend. The Holy Grail: Imagination and Belief (2004) and Henry II (2015) were published by PenguinBooks. He was visiting Professor at the University of York until 2016 and was awarded an honorary doctorate there in 2015.