Hyde Park, Its History and Romance

by Mrs. Alec-Tweedie

The expenses of Henry VIII.’s Court were prodigious, including the salaries and expenses of such people as the officers of State, prelates, esquires, physicians, astrologers, astronomers, secretaries, ushers, cupbearers, carvers, servers, madrigal singers, and choir boys, virginal players, Italian singers, and a complete orchestra of musicians who played upon the rebeck, the lute, the sackbut, and all manners of musical instruments. There were three battalions of pages, all dressed in the most gorgeous costumes; in fact, it is said that Henry’s retinue numbered over a thousand persons, for which the State paid £56,000 per annum, a sum equivalent to a much larger amount in these days.

All this sounds rather appalling, but still the beauty of the costumes and gorgeous pageantry must have added to the beautification of London.

HENRY VIII.

Henry stopped at nothing. His Yeomen of the Guard were even more magnificent than the rest. They rode immediately behind the King, and their horse-cloths, made of cloth-of-gold, cost £5 a yard.

One of the prettiest sights in London to-day is that of the Guards riding through Hyde Park to Buckingham Palace for a Court, or some other grand festival. The sunlight on their clothes looks almost as if their uniforms were made of gold as they glint in the rays; and I well remember as a child being puzzled as to how the golden men carrying the big drums ever managed to guide their horses with the reins attached to their feet.

The wild freedom of the Park continued under Henry’s youthful son, Edward VI., who there entertained foreigners of distinction with hunts and banquets. A special banqueting house was erected for the French Ambassador, Marshal St. André, who was received with Royal distinction. Through the kindness of the Marquis of Salisbury, I am able to give the description of this building, preserved in the MSS. at Hatfield:

“The Charges and the proporcyon as well of the banketing howse newlye erected in hyde parcke agaynste the commyng of marchiall Sainte Androwes wᵗʰ all thinges longynge to the same as also for the makyng of dyvers Stondynges in the said hide parcke and also in Marybone parke as it shall appere here after begynnyng the vjth Daye of Julie and endyng the xxviiith of the same in Anᵒ vᵗᵒ RRs Edward vjᵗⁱ as yt Apperith by the bookes of particulers for the same.”

Hide Parke		Imprimis the banketing howse inhid parke conteynyng in lengthlxij foote in wydeth xxj foote/ theStayers cont one waye lx footeand thother waye xxxᵗⁱ wᵗʰ agreate towrett over the halpase. Item made there three Rangesif bryke for Rosting and Furnecesfor boylyng. Item All kynde of Tabulles formesTrestelles dressers Russhis Floʳˢ wᵗʰsuche lyke for the Furnyshing ofthe banketyng howse and bankett. Item in the said parke were madethree small standynges of a footethone waye and viij foote thotherwaye of every of them.		cccxxxvˡⁱ xijˢ ixᵈ.
Maribon Parke		Item made in Marybone parkeone standing conteynyng in Lengthxl foote and in bredth xviij foote/The flowre is jestide and boordedand the Reste is Skaffold poles. Item in the said park three smallstandinges of x foote long and viijfoote wyde every of them.
Charges		The hole charges of the sad banketinghouse and standynged in bothethe said parkes wᵗʰ all thinges tothem belongyng Amontith to cccclˡⁱixˢ viiᵈ wherof Recevyd the vijthof Julie ij dayes before the proclymacyon uppon preste after theRate then cxxxiijˡⁱ vj viijᵈ, whichwase sence payd at sondrye tymesfor cxiiijˡⁱ xvjˢ xᵈ And so Remaynithto be Recevid.