According to Herbert Norris in his Medieval Costume and Fashion (1927), Henry II is shown wearing a crimson silk dalmatic, with grey gloves and chocolate mantle. Under the dalmatic is a blue tunic with gold trim and under that is a white alb, a plain white gown. He also wears green shoes and white hose.

Henry was a red-head with a strong temper. He was of medium height with a boxer's arms, broad chest and leonine head. He was often moving about, rarely sitting, whether at Mass, in counsels or other public function, often wearing out his attendants. He preferred to hunt and read.

Although he is shown here with gloves, it was unusual for Henry to wear them. According to Peter of Blois who wrote about Henry's appearance, Henry wore gloves generally only when hunting with his birds. He rarely attended to his hands much to Peter's consternation.

To see each of the full-scale paper doll, click on the image at right.

The paper doll figure of Henry Plantagenet is based on a Romanesque drawing by The Master of the Apocrypha Drawings from Terence's Comedies, in Latin, comprising the latest version of the Late Antique cycle of scene-illustrations, St. Albans Abbey, mid 12th century.

Henry's head is copied from a contemporary illustration of the king.

Click picture to learn about Henry's queen, Alienor d'Aquitaine [Eleanor of Aquitaine]

©2004 David Claudon