The final podcast for 2006 is now up!

The letter that I mentioned back in October sold for $156,000 (about £80,000). The letter was from Catherine of Aragon to her nephew, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, asking him to plead to the pope on her behalf. It was purchased by a private American buyer.

For those of you with access to BBC2:

A FEAST of a boar’s head, peacock complete with flaming beak and a salad in the design of the family coat of arms may not sound like a typical family Christmas lunch but back in Tudor days it was all part of the traditional festive atmosphere for the lords and ladies of the time, all eaten in full costume whilst musicians provided in-house entertainment.
This scene was recreated in the stately setting of Haddon Hall to bring the magic of a Tudor banqueting hall to life for a BBC2 documentary to be shown over Christmas.

A Tudor Feast at Christmas was filmed earlier this year as a follow up to the Tales from the Green Valley and will be shown at 9pm on Friday December 22.

Full article here

From the BBC:

A pair of late 15th Century altar paintings are going on display in London after a 450-year absence.
The panels, thought to have furnished a chapel at Westminster Abbey, passed intact through the upheavals of the Reformation.
…
They are now on display at the Museum of London.

They are thought to have been removed from Westminster Abbey either in 1536, when it was stripped of its shrines and images, in 1540, when it briefly converted into a cathedral, or in around 1547 during the strict Protestantism of Edward VI.

Full article

24 Hour Museum also has an article: Museum of London Aquires Rare Medieval Altar Panels

Both articles have pictures of the panels.

You can now see a trailer and brochure for next years “The Tudors” series at the PeaceArch Entertainment website here.

Sort of in line with my initial impressions, it looks like it is going to be a mix of true history and “sexy” history, but it looks entertaining!

From the 24 Hour Museum, via Cronaca:

The Victoria and Albert Museum has announced that it will no longer charge academics and scholars for using its digital images – a move that could have major implications for art publishing.

The new policy comes into place in order to bolster the museum’s commitment to providing access to its collections, but it will mean that some revenue is lost (possibly over £100,000 a year). It may also put pressure on other major institutions to end charging for image downloads, a practice up to now jealously guarded by many of the big UK galleries.

Full article

I don’t have a lot to add in the way of commentary… Like I said above, I think it is definitely a step in the right direction.