Renowned armourer Jacob Halder made the elaborate suit for Sir George
This elegant suit of armour was commissioned for Sir George Clifford, Third Earl of Cumberland and favourite to Elizabeth I. A roguish and extravagant courtier, Clifford was also a daring sailor, and during the campaign against the Spanish Armada he was in command of the ship Elizabeth Bonaventure.
The Tudor Champion armour is part of the collections of the Department of Arms and Armor at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. For more information visit:
Constructed in Greenwich by armourer Jacob Halder in around 1587, the armour is decorated with the Tudor rose and the Fleur de Lis, and also features two E’s back to back signifying Clifford’s close relationship with the crown. The complete set of armour also features removable pieces for use during a jousting tournament, including a grandguard for the lower face and upper-left torso to deflect lance blows, as well as vamplates that would have been affixed to the lance to protect the hand. Stirrups and even armour for Clifford’s mount were also part of the original designs, similarly decorated with the royal symbols.