The Extraordinary Art of Tudor Embroidery

Embroidery was a staple at the Tudor Court. It decorated the huge halls of palaces like Hampton Court, and adorned the clothes of Kings, Queens, and aristocrats. The Bacton Altar Cloth is an incredible surviving example of the embroidery techniques used by Elizabethan embroiderers, which may have once been part of a dress worn by Elizabeth I.

In this video, Tudor fashion historian Eleri Lynn talks to Curator Charles Farris about the place of embroidery at court, and how Elizabeth I both produced and wore elaborately decorated textiles.

For most of history, embroidery was largely a pastime of wealthy women. Today, the craft is still practiced and taught at the Royal School of Needlework. Tutor Sarah Smith demonstrates some embroidery techniques present in the Bacton Altar Cloth, which you can recreate at home!

Image credits:
The Family of Henry VIII. © Royal Collection Enterprises Ltd 2025 | Royal Collection Trust
Prayers and Meditations of Queen Katherine Parr. From the British Library archive.
The Rainbow Portrait, c.1600. © Hatfield House

The Bacton Altar Cloth is no longer on display at Hampton Court Palace. Used with kind permission from St Faith's Church.