The Field
Of The Cloth
Of Gold 2024
The Field of the Cloth of Gold
A Special Relationship between Two Royal Courts
RTC and Fontainebleau
In 1520, Henry VIII travelled to Balinghem, near Calais, to meet François I, his French counterpart, during a rare period of cordiality between their two countries.
That meeting was a festival of opulence with tournaments and presentations of every kind. Although not strongly supported historically, we like to imagine that Henry and François played tennis then.
The event featured so much fancy clothing, much of it featuring outrageously expensive gold brocade, that the event become known as the 'Field of the Cloth of Gold'.
To recognise the 500th anniversary of this event a 16-person group of RTC members visited the present-day court at Fontainebleau for a weekend of 'competitive' doubles play with the purpose of fostering our relationship, and to have some fun (delayed to 2022 due to Covid).
The 2022 match was narrowly won by RTC, who were presented with a Cloth of Gold (the Drap d’Or), alongside the historic box in which it can be stored or transported to Fontainebleau, should the 2024 match yield a victory for the French!
Twinning Agreement
In addition to the tennis, we signed a Twinning Agreement to recognise our relationship as 'twin royal courts' as well as the Twin City Relationship already in place between Richmond and Fontainebleau.
We look forward to hosting the 2024 match and hope it can come close to the spirit and hospitality we found in France.
The Trophy
The trophy itself, a 'cloth of gold' symbolised by a banner, was created thanks to the sponsoring of two prestigious houses of international renown: the Manufacture Prelle, for the fabric, and the Maison Declercq Passementiers, for the trimmings. It is preserved in a casket made circa 1600.