Thomas More’s Livery Collar, a Sign of Allegiance and Sanctity
Hablot, Laurent
Thomas More’s Livery Collar, a Sign of Allegiance and Sanctity - 2025.
26
The best-known image of Thomas More is his famous portrait by Hans Holbein the Younger. The main attribute of the then Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is the wide gold collar on his broad torso. If this ornament has indeed been identified as the livery collar of the House of Lancaster, the history of this collar and the precise meaning of this display deserve to be questioned. What was the significance of wearing such a badge in the early 16th century ? What is the precise meaning of the associated emblems – the letters S, the portcullis and the rose? In what capacity did Thomas More wear it ? What significance does this sign of loyalty to a king, by whose power his life ended, still have in More’s iconography ?
Thomas More’s Livery Collar, a Sign of Allegiance and Sanctity - 2025.
26
The best-known image of Thomas More is his famous portrait by Hans Holbein the Younger. The main attribute of the then Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is the wide gold collar on his broad torso. If this ornament has indeed been identified as the livery collar of the House of Lancaster, the history of this collar and the precise meaning of this display deserve to be questioned. What was the significance of wearing such a badge in the early 16th century ? What is the precise meaning of the associated emblems – the letters S, the portcullis and the rose? In what capacity did Thomas More wear it ? What significance does this sign of loyalty to a king, by whose power his life ended, still have in More’s iconography ?
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