Kids kit for battle on show

Historical toys will be on display at the Leeds musem

An unusual exhibition showing a collection of armour and weapons designed for children is to open in Leeds.

The display will show items such as the armour made for Prince Henry, the elder son of James I and his brother who became Charles I in 1626.

The display of more than 40 weapons and armouries will go on show in Leeds on 28 September.

It will also have a display of toys for children from the past, including tiny armours with moving parts.

These were wealthy children

Karen Watts, senior curator

Including the "ultimate" in designer clothing - made-to-measure, fashionable armour - there will also be a chance to see Oriental as well as European items.

Karen Watts, the senior curator, said the exhibition would give children the chance to dress up and have their photographs taken in armour.

She said by the age of 16, children would have been trained how to use weapons, how to ride a horse and how to joust.

"The closest thing I can get to this is if you gave a modern child today a mini version of a fully-working Formula One car.

"It's like that - these were wealthy children."

The collection includes pieces made for children from the 16th Century right up to the end of the 19th Century.

The exhibition is called The Knight is Young: Princely Armours and Weapons of Childhood and is held at the Royal Armouries Museum.

The museum in Leeds was opened in 1996 as the new home for the national collection of arms and armour.