QUEENS OF BLING

When Henry VIII's wives sought to project messages about themselves to the watching world, they often did so via jewellery. Using six portraits, Nicola Tallis reveals how the consorts' choice of pendants, rubies and brooches shaped their public images

- Nicola Tallis

1 SYMBOLS OF SALVATION

Catherine of Aragon's choice of necklace and brooch enabled her to make a very public display of her piety

The jewels worn by Henry VIII's first wife not only say a great deal about her status but, more significantly, her character and values. In keeping with the fashion for low-cut gowns, Catherine's is lined with pearls and diamonds set in goldsmith's work. But it is her necklace and brooch- shown in this c1525 painting by Lucas Horenbout - that draw the most interest. Attached to the necklace of gold beads and clusters of pearls is an ornate tau cross - a T-shaped cross symbolic of salvation. Interestingly, Catherine's daughter, Mary, was later painted wearing a similar cross, as were Jane Seymour and Katherine Parr, reflecting each queen's piety.

Queens were expected to be pious, but Catherine's faith was personal too. Her jewels reflect a genuine and heartfelt devotion to God, and the tau cross was also associated with her favourite religious order, the Observant Franciscans. Her commitment to the Franciscans was reinforced by her choice of the IHS brooch pinned to her chest (IHS is an abbreviation of the Greek word for Jesus). IHS had been employed as a peace symbol since the 15th century, and by Catherine's time, it had become an integral marker of Catholic identity.

Catherine of Aragon is well known for being a principled woman with a strong religious faith. Her choices of jewellery reinforced this image by providing a platform from which she could make her piety public - and enduring.

2 THE A TO B OF STYLE

Anne Boleyn used jewellery to cultivate the image of a fiercely independent woman at the cutting edge of fashion