King Henry of Windsor; Henry VI

Pilgrim badge from the shrine of Henry VI in St George’s Chapel, Windsor. This lozenge-shaped badge is decorated with a full-length figure of the king holding an orb and sceptre. The king is flanked by the letters ‘R’ and ‘H’ (standing for ‘Rex Henricus’, meaning ‘King Henry’); the ‘R’ is backwards. There is a line of beading around the edge of the badge. King Henry VI was a very pious man but an unsuccessful king. He was kept prisoner in the Tower of London for five years during the Wars of the Roses. In 1471 he was put to death and buried at Chertsey Abbey. A spontaneous pilgrimage sprang up from people who remembered his pious nature and saw his death as a martyrdom. In 1485, Richard III ordered Henry’s remains to be moved to the Chapel of St George, Windsor, so they could be more closely supervised. Various relics of King Henry were displayed, including his cap, which cured headaches if worn. The cult flourished, encouraged by the Tudor kings and pilgrims travelled to the shrine at Windsor until it was dismantled in 1543 due to the Reformation.