Family members and political allies: the portrait collection of Margaret of Austria

The Tudors: Political Allies

One of the most striking features of the Premiere Chambre was the inclusion of the Tudor family, which was not directly related to the Hapsburg-Burgundian line. Diplomatic contacts between Henry VII and the Hapsburgs increased in the first years of the sixteenth century. There must have been an exchange of membership of their respective orders, as in 1502 Philip the Handsome was given the order of the Garter by Henry VII.(81) The portrait of Henry VII [ILLUSTRATION FOR FIGURE 13 OMITTED] shows him wearing the order of the Golden Fleece, signaling his role as a major political ally.(82) In this context it is important to stress that membership of an order as exclusive as that of the Golden Fleece was not just an honor, but also represented a form of political alliance which had its obligations.(83) For example, when Charles the Bold accepted the order of the Garter from the York family, the French king, Louis XI, interpreted this correctly as the formation of an alliance between England and Burgundy against him.(84) The importance of the order of the Golden Fleece is attested to by those taking the inventory, as in some instances it is the only or the most significant attribute mentioned in relation to a painting.

In this portrait Henry VII is also shown holding a carnation, the traditional symbol of marriage. Marriage negotiations concerning Margaret of Austria began between Philip the Handsome and Henry in 1505. Philip bought a portrait of Margaret from Pieter van Coninxloo in October of that year to be sent to the king of England.(85) The portrait of Henry by Michiel Sittow in Margaret of Austria's collection seems to have been the other painting in this ritual exchange.(86) The marriage negotiations never advanced beyond this point, as Margaret ultimately refused to marry again, preferring to return to Mechelen. The proposed marriage may explain why the portrait entered Margaret's collection in the first place. It does not, however, fully account for the representation of the Tudor family in the Premiere Chambre.

Apart from the image of Henry VII, there was also a portrait of "la fille du roy Henry d'Aingleterre moderne,"(87) and one of "Madame Mairie d'Angleterre."(88) These appear to have been pictures of Henry VIII's daughter Mary I and of his sister, Mary Rose, respectively. The latter was linked in marriage negotiations with Charles V from as early as 1512 and may have stayed at the court of Mechelen around 1509-10.(89) In addition, a terra-cotta portrait of her was on display in the library.(90)

In total at least seven portraits of the Tudors were distributed throughout the palace, confirming their status as highly valued political allies rather than as family members, although their exclusion from the latter category was not for want of trying on both sides. The close contact between the Tudors and the Burgundian Hapsburgs was expressed not only through marriage negotiations but also through trade and defense agreements. In 1513, for example, Maximilian and Henry VIII, who succeeded his father in 1509, waged a joint campaign, the Tournai campaign, against France.(91) While Henry VIII was not depicted in the Premiere Chambre, his portrait was added to the library display during Margaret's lifetime. His collection at Windsor Castle equally demonstrated the strong diplomatic ties between the two houses through its complementary collection of portraits, including as it did representations of Philip the Good, Philip the Handsome, Margaret of Austria, and Joanna of Aragon-Castile.(92)