Historical Figures

Challengers and Answerers

The knights organising the event were called 'challengers', and those who accepted the challenge were called 'answerers'. Before a tournament, the personal heralds of a king or nobleman were often sent to chosen courts and towns to issue their master's challenge to combat. They gave details of the time and place, forms of combat and the weapons to be used. Challenges could also be made and accepted on the day of the tournament itself.

The Chivalrous 'Green Count'

One tournament, held at Bourg-en-Bresse in 1352, featured the 'Green Count', Amedeo VI of Savoy. As the trumpets announced his arrival, the Count headed a procession of eleven of his noblest knights, all dressed in green. Each knight was then led into the arena by a lady, also in green, who held her champion 'captive' on a long green cord attached to the bridle of their horse.

When the ladies released their knights, the tournament began - and at the end of the day they 'recaptured' them, leading them back into the castle for a banquet and ball. The ladies presented prizes of gold rings and kisses to the victors. As part of the ritual, each knight, when awarded the gold ring, would say he preferred the kisses.

Lady Judges

Some royal ladies were experts on jousting, and were occasionially asked to help the heralds with the judging. They were very keen spectators - in the 14th century, John of Bohemia was said to have married his second wife, Beatrice, because of her love of tournaments.

Female Influence

In 1465, Edward IV's brother-in-law, Lord Scales, issued a challenge to Anthony, Bastard of Burgundy. This attracted much attention, and the preparations for the tournament took two years. According to the chroniclers of the time, it was the ladies of the English court who imposed the challenge on Lord Scales - they had surrounded him and tied a gold band to his thigh containing a 'flower of remembrance'.

The Most Important Lady Spectator:
Queen Elizabeth 1

In 1575, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, held a tournament in honour of Queen Elizabeth I at his castle in Kenilworth. In the Tournament Gallery at the Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds, you can see the special armour he had made for the occasion. He created a magnificent spectacle to entertain the Queen, including a firework display, a play and a water pageant.