ALLOWED TO WEAR HAT BEFORE KING

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 413, 23 July 1928, Page 11

ALLOWED TO WEAR HAT BEFORE KING

CLERGYMAN’S PRIVILEGE | HOW HENRY VIII PAID HIS DEBTS The only Royal grant in existence permitting a commoner to wear his hat in the presence of his King is in the possession of the Rev. H. Copinger-Ilill rector of Buxhall. Suffolk It was presented to Mr. Hill’s ancestor, a Walter Copinger, of Buxhall, by Henry VIII. “The explanation of the privilege.” Mr. Hill said, “is that Henry borrowed large sums from my ancestor, and adopted this convenient method of repayment. Henry also borrowed heavily from another of the family. The debt was never discharged, but his Majesty graciously made his financier Lord Mayor of London. “This grant I believe to be unique

It is framed, and hangs in my study.** Below is a copy of the document: “King Harry’s Licence to Walter Copinger, Lsqr., of Buxhall, in the county of Suffolk. "Henry 8. “Henry, by grace of God King of England and France, and Lord of Ireland, to all manor our subjects as well of the spiritual pre-eminence and dignities as of the temporal auctority, these our leaders hearing or seeing, and to every of them greeting. We have by these presents licens'd our trusted and well beloved subject, Walter Copinger, to use and wear his bonet upon his head as well in our presence as elsewhere at his liberty. "Whereof we will and command every of you to permit and suffer him so to do without any your Challenge, Disturbance, or Interruption, as ye any and every of you at our pleasure. “Given under our signet at our Manor of Greenwych this 24th day of October, in the 4th year -of our