500 years ago, in the summer of 1520, Henry VIII of England met François I of France near Calais, for an astonishingly grand European festival, designed to improve relations between the two great rival kingdoms. The competing royal dynasties, along with thousands of their courtiers, enjoyed a lavish 18 days of feasts, tournaments, masquerades and religious services set amidst a sea of specially built - and incredibly elaborate - tents, banqueting houses and ‘portable palaces’. So magnificent was the occasion that it became known as ‘The Field of Cloth of Gold’.

Contrasting the regal pageantry with the story of those who toiled behind the scenes to make this grand vision a reality, the exhibition will also feature a treasure trove of precious objects from the rival courts of Tudor England and Valois France – renowned throughout Europe for their opulence and sophistication – and will unite priceless artworks, the finest armour, richly decorated textiles and surviving examples of the lavish gifts exchanged by the two courts. Key items will include the spectacular Stonyhurst vestments – woven from luxurious cloth of gold and selected by Henry VIII for use at the religious services held near Calais – and another of only a handful of the remaining depictions of the meeting produced in the 16th century: a famous painting entitled The Field of the Cloth of Gold, on loan from the Royal Collection.