Henry VIII's Foot Combat Armour

There is no other armour like this in Britain.

This unusual suit of armour is a wonderful example of armour design and technical innovation. It was designed to leave no gaps in its protection and covers 100% of the body. The whole armour flexes on hundreds of overlapping plates, and weighs 42.6kg (6.7 stone); double the normal weight of armour. It was only intended for short periods of use, as you would quickly overheat.

This suit of armour, however, was never completed. When the armour was abandoned, only the right neck guard still needed to be attached, and the decoration upon the armour was never completed. For centuries, it remained unpolished.

It was intended to be worn in a foot combat event by Henry VIII. Once the French found out about this glorious invention they acted quickly and the rules were changed, just 3 months before the event. Instead, Henry was forced to wear the Tonlet armour which is opposite the Foot Combat armour.