Yet another neat collectible that I’m going to have to get… although my Elizabeth I coin is still back-ordered from the Royal Mint (pout).

From the Royal Mail website:

This issue has one of the earliest known images of King Henry IV in 1399, who will adorn one of the 1st Class Stamps, whilst his son, Henry V is shown in profile on the other. Son and heir Henry VI was swiftly followed by Edward IV from the rival House of York and his ill–fated son Edward V. Richard III is the final monarch in this exquisite Houses of Lancaster and York collection.

You can see and order them here

Since some folks have been catching advanced screenings and reviews are coming out in the news, I figured it was time to start an open thread. I may get a chance to catch it on Saturday, so I’ll post any thoughts I have then, if I do indeed get to see it.

I’m not sure how wide-spread these are, but Snickers candy bars have had a series of commercials, featuring our famously feasting Tudor king, Henry VIII. You can see a lot of them on the Snickersfeast You Tube channel. Embedded below is my favorite of the bunch, for reasons that will be obvious once you watch it.

Just in a follow-up to the Academy Awards nominations I mentioned about a month ago, Elizabeth The Golden Age picked up the Oscar for Best Costumes last night. Congrats!

You can see the full list of winners on the official Oscars site.

If you’re in the NYC area and are willing to talk about why you’re a fan of the Tudor era, then there is a reporter who would like to talk to you! If you’re interested, drop me a line at lara@tudorhistory.org and I’ll put you in touch with the reporter.

Update – I’ve heard from a few people now and passed on the addresses, so I think the reporter has enough people to talk with. Thanks to everyone who emailed!

The first up is the next fictional work from Alison Weir, this time about Elizabeth I in the years before she became Queen. Personally, I find that to be the most intriguing part of Elizabeth’s life, so I’m looking forward to this. I really enjoyed “Innocent Traitor”, so my hopes are high! Below are the pre-order links to my affiliate stores at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. It will be out on April 29 in the US and April 3 in the UK.

The next is one that Foose brought to my attention. I haven’t been able to really find out much about it, but below are the Amazon links. The book is another on Catherine Parr by Susan James, but I don’t know if it is an update to her previous work (from the late 1990s) or something new. It has been published, but neither store has it in stock yet. The Amazon.uk link mentions that it is being published to coincide with this year’s celebrations of the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII’s succession to the throne.

Foose, a regular commenter over on the Q&A blog, has requested an open thread to discuss the new book on Blanche Parry and I am more than happy to oblige. Here is a link to a website for the book. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to read it myself one of these days, but given the size of the pile next to my bed it isn’t likely to be anytime soon…

From Reuters:

The Church of England has bought the only surviving copy of the warrant which Queen Elizabeth I reluctantly signed in 1587, authorising the execution of her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots.

The warrant, one of the most dramatic documents in British history, will go on display at the Lambeth Palace Library.
…

The manuscript instructed Henry Grey, the sixth Earl of Kent and one of two commissioners tasked with the execution, to “repair to our Castle of Fotheringhaye where the said queene of Scottes is in custodie and cause by your commaundement execution to be don uppon her person.”

Full article (with picture)

[Update 10 April 2008 - The Daily Record is reporting that the document will be going on display at the Blairs Museum in Scotland]

[Update 17 November 2008 - According to the BBC, the document is now on display]

I’ve seen a few articles come through my Google alerts about a Tudor influence on the catwalks at recent fashion shows, but these two take the cake:

The first is from Sonja Marie: Henry VIII hotpants star at Betty Jackson show

and this one from Foose: Who’s ready to wear this season’s hot designers?

Apparently this year’s new fashions including wearing Tudor portraits on your knickers!

A week after the big screen version debuts here in the States, the made-for-television version from 2003 will be released on DVD here. Below is the US Amazon link and a link to Amazon.co.uk for the UK version, which has been out for a while.