A 500-year-old hat believed to be King Henry VIII's is due to go on display for the first time ever at Hampton Court Palace.

The well-preserved cap made of silk and silver has undergone six years of restoration work since it was acquired by the Palace in 2015 for £12,000.

The hat was bought by the Palace from the descendants of Nicholas Bristowe, a courtier who served Henry as his Clerk of the Wardrobe.

Legend has it that Bristowe caught and kept the cap after Henry threw it in the air to celebrate English victory at the siege of Boulogne in 1544.

But while records show that Bristowe was there at the time, historians cannot be certain that this happened as the written story only dates back to the 19th century.

Indeed, an alternative story holds that the sartorially-minded courtier obtained the hat from a distinguished prisoner in the Tower of London, as one of the perks of his position.

Palace curator Polly Putnam said in a blogpost on the hat: "So far, we have been able to uncover that Nicholas received gifts of clothing from the king on more than one occasion and also inherited the clothing of prisoners attained for treason at the Tower.

"For example, Nicholas received some of Thomas Cromwell's clothes as a gift from the king at Hampton Court, the day before Cromwell was executed.

"Distributing the goods of prisoners was the King's prerogative and a common practice – it was a way of demonstrating his power and authority.

"We may never know exactly who wore it or how it came into the hands of the Bristowes.

"We do know that it's important and very rare, and that it has already opened up new questions and stories for us."

The hat and other historical artefacts from King Henry's court will go on display at the Palace's Gold and Glory exhibition, which opens next month on May 20.

The exhibition will also feature items associated with the Field of the Cloth of Gold meeting between Henry and his French rival King Francis which took place just over 500 years ago in Calais.

This includes a tapestry made in Tournai which shows a black musician at the event and is one of few depictions of a person of colour in a royal court dating from the 16th century.

For more information about the exhibition and how to book, go to the palace website here.

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