Two sorts of pastimes Henry loved especially: tournaments, and masks, followed by dancing. Sometimes in the middle of a banquet the King and some of his companions would disappear, and presently a party of Turks or Moors or Germans in glittering disguise would intrude upon the company, with one towering, especially resplendent figure in their midst, demanding to dance with the ladies, and expecting to astonish them.
Once when the court was at Greenwich, a party of masked outlaws, all in Kendal green, burst into the Queen’s apartments, conveniently followed by a band of music. The Queen and her ladies, the chronicler assures us, were surprised and terrified by the invasion, but courteously danced with the outlaws instead of calling the guards, and were duly amazed and delighted when the King and his nobles unmasked.
However often henry metamorphosed himself in quaint and gaudy raiment, Catherine never disappointed him by suspecting that the gigantic Muscovite or wild man or Saracen was really her husband, or by failing to be completely surprised when he revealed himself. Catherine herself donned no disguises. Her part in these amusements was that of audience.
tl;dr:
Henry VIII used to love to ‘disappear’ from parties, dress up as some exotic foreigner, and ‘invade’ the party he left, demanding dances from his wife and her ladies. Then he would reveal himself to be the King, and everyone would think it a delightful little prank. He especially loved to intrude on his wife in this manner, which today looks playful and romantic (and eccentric). And what’s adorable is that, no matter how often he did this, and I’m sure it became dreadfully predictable, his wife would always pretend to be surprised so as to delight her husband, whom she loved. It’s a shame their story doesn’t end as happily as it started, really.
Source:
Mattingly, Garrett. “Part II: England’s Queen (1509-1527); Chapter One, Section ii” Catherine of Aragon. New York: Quality Paperback , 1990. 129-30. Print.
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