The Incredible Art of Subtleties | Tudor Feasts at Hampton Court Palace

Описание: The royal courts of Tudor England and 16th century Europe loved showing off with spectacular feasts and show-stopping foods. Sugar sculptures and subtleties were a display of wealth, excess and skill. From sugar playing cards to mountain ranges, the art of crafting in sugar and marzipan reached its peak in this century. In this video, Curator Charles Farris visits the Tudor Kitchens at Hampton Court Palace to find out more. Plus, stayed tuned for a demonstration of how to create a subtlety.

Image credits:
A leaf from the "Brussels Album", the wedding of the Duke of Parma Alessandro Farnese and Princess Maria of Portugal in Brussels, 1565. Warsaw University Library.
Table with sugar figures for the marriage of Johann Wilhelm, Duke of Jülich, Frans Hogenberg, 1587. From Theodor Graminaeus, Beschreibung derer fürstlicher güligscher &c. Hochzeit (Cologne, 1587), pl. 7. Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, 86-B22668
Philip the Good and Isabella at the Feast of the Pheasant in Lille in 1454, c. 1500 - c. 1599. Rijksmuseum
The Invention of Sugar Refinery, Netherlandish, 16th century. The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949. Met Museum.
Elizabeth I (1533-1603) c.1580-5 © Royal Collection Enterprises Ltd 2026 | Royal Collection Trust