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Primary sourceArtifact1290 (repainted for Henry VIII)

Winchester Round Table

1290 (repainted for Henry VIII)

A giant medieval table repainted on Henry VIII's orders to show him as King Arthur, used as royal propaganda.

Henry VIII had this medieval table repainted with his own image as King Arthur, using it as royal propaganda.

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Large circular wooden table top mounted vertically on a stone wall, painted with alternating green and cream radial segments, a red and white Tudor rose at the centre, a painted figure of a crowned king with sword at the top, and black-letter inscriptions around the rim.
Winchester Round Table, repainted for Henry VIII, 1290s/1520s. Winchester Castle.

About this source

What it is

This is a huge circular tabletop hung on a wall at Winchester Castle. It was made in the 1200s, but the painted decoration seen today — a Tudor rose at the centre and a crowned king at the top — was added later for Henry VIII.

Henry had the old table repainted with his own image as King Arthur, surrounded by the names of Arthur's knights.

Why it matters

Henry wanted to link his own rule to the legendary King Arthur, suggesting his kingship was ancient, glorious and destined. This kind of image-making helped strengthen his authority and that of the Tudor dynasty.

Look closer

  • Why might a king want to be shown as a legendary hero?
  • What symbols on the table point to the Tudor family?
  • What does this tell you about how rulers used art to send messages?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Henry VIII on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Black-and-white photograph of a painting: a crowned king in ornate robes sits on a throne holding a scepter, with a line of men in dark robes and caps standing to the right, beneath a leaded window.Painting

Secondary source

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Stipple engraving of a group of five people in Tudor-style dress standing or seated behind a table draped with a curtain. On the left, a heavyset man in a fur-trimmed robe and jeweled cap holds a staff. Behind him, a man peers from the shadows. Three young people sit at the table: a boy in a dark cap and two young women in lace collars and hoods. Signed Hans Holbein Del. and F. Bartolozzi R.A. Sculpt.Painting

Secondary source

Henry VIII and His Three Children with Will Summers

F. Bartolozzi after Hans Holbein the Younger · c. 1800

Hand-coloured woodcut print of a bearded man in a black hat with white feather plume, wearing a fur-trimmed black and gold robe over a pink doublet, holding a gold-hilted dagger. A crowned coat of arms with a Latin motto and a Dutch-language inscription at top are visible against a green backdrop.Painting

Secondary source

Portrait of Henry VIII of England

1547

Scanned black-and-white page of an early printed book in dense black-letter type, headed 'SERENISSIMO INVICTISSIMOQUE ANGLIAE' with a small woodcut decorative initial at left. The text is a Latin dedication, and a handwritten marginal note appears at the bottom left.Document

Primary source

Dedication to Henry VIII in Compendiosa Anatomiae

Thomas Geminus · 1545

Engraved astrological birth chart in an oval frame. Central oval portrait of a man in a feathered cap and high collar, labeled HENRY VIII King of England, Born June 28.10 H.40 m.A.M. 1491. Zodiac signs and planetary symbols with numbers surround the portrait.Artifact

Primary source

Astrological Birth Chart for Henry VIII

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