One of the first general histories of Italy in English by Sir William Thomas (c.1507-1554) was published in 1549. His ‘The History of Italy: A Book exceedingly profitable to be read…’ concerned itself with the governance of Italy and with providing favourable comment on Italian wealth, cultivation and political structures and processes for English readers. It did not, however, dwell upon the rule of the Lombard kings in the north and the centre of the peninsula between 568 and 774, save to present a rather thin catalogue of rulers. Such details as Thomas does supply appear to be entirely dependent upon the text of Paul the Deacon's (c.730-c.796) Historia Langobardorum. The activities of the Lombard kings and the nature of their kingship is the principal strand that operates throughout Paul's HL. Consideration of and commentary on the organic functions of the Lombard Kingdom continue to depend upon Paul's narrative and are often affected by his anecdotal approach to events at the centre of the Lombard regnum. If one seeks to get to grips with the elusive reality of Lombard kingship one must exercise caution in adopting Paul's comments at face value. Yet the aim of this chapter, notwithstanding the murky quality of the operation and experience of power in Lombard Italy, is to consider one aspect of those mechanisms that affected the capacity and governance of the Regnum.