And here’s a link to the YouTube page where you can see larger versions (including HD).

* Not exactly Tudor related, but cool: SepiaTown – mapped historical photos from around the world.

* Shakespeare’s Kings and Westminster Abbey – RSC actors performing excerpts from the history plays in the coronation ‘theater’ of the Abbey. I wish I could attend some of these!

* Presentation on objects from Tudor and Stuart playhouses at the Museum of London on April 24

* Henry VIII to be staged this season at the Globe (from the BBC). Let’s hope history doesn’t repeat itself with this production! They will also have two new productions this year: one a play about Anne Boleyn and another that will be the first play performed at the Globe from a woman playwright (from The Guardian).

* History Today has an article by Linda Porter – Katherine Parr: An Ideal Stepmother. Porter has a new biography on Parr due out in March in the UK (you can sign up to be notified for the US release at the link below).

* There are several upcoming Tudor Events at Hampton Court Palace that look interesting. As always, if anyone gets a chance to go to any of these, I’d love to hear about it!

* A new book on the death of Amy Robsart Dudley is out in the UK (article from The Times Online). UK Amazon link below (and another US “sign up to be notified”)

I posted when Deborah Kerr died in 2007 about how I came across “Young Bess” early in my early teens, so I of course have to mention it again with the news that Jean Simmons died yesterday. And as with Deborah Kerr, Jean Simmons is probably mostly known for other roles, but it’s always “Young Bess” that I think of. She’ll always be a young Queen Elizabeth I to me!

Jean Simmons’ Obituary from The Telegraph and The New York Times

Oh, and for my fellow geeks who are also fans of Felicia Day, why did it take me so long to realize that it was a young Jean Simmons that she reminded me of? Geez I’m thick sometimes. (See this photo if you don’t know who I’m talking about. And then watch The Guild!)

Yeah…. I’m not so sure how I feel about this. I’m not a Mary “fan” by any stretch of the imagination, but I really hate to see people of history reduced to stereotypes. I know the job of The London Dungeon is to entertain through horror, but this just kind of rubs me the wrong way.

The London Dungeon is turning the temperature up this February half term with a flaming new experience – Bloody Mary: Killer Queen featuring one of England’s most feared rulers – Mary Tudor, the deadliest daughter of Henry VIII . This Killer Queen was nicknamed Bloody Mary for ordering around 300 horrifying murders in her brief but brutal five year reign (1553-1558). Guests are transported back to London in 1556 where the fanatically Catholic Queen is burning Protestants at the stake. Special effects conjure up the sights, screams and overwhelming stench of fiery execution as another helpless “heretic” endures one of the most painful deaths known to man – being slowly burnt alive.

(Above text excerpted from a press release at Travel Daily)

Before I could write up a post about this, one showed up at the Mary Tudor: Renaissance Queen blog so head over there for more intelligent commentary than I can offer right now.

First up is a time lapse of the initial building work on the new museum for The Mary Rose. I love how the ships in the port go up and down on the tide – it makes them look like toys in a bathtub!

And Adieu from Henry 8.0

I had to shudder at Henry’s treatment of Catherine’s iPod nano though! I got a green one for Christmas and I love it… I’d hate to see it shoved into a jar of chocolate spread.

Sorry to do another “link dump” post so close on the heels of the last one but it’s just a lot quicker this way (and I’m sure you all don’t want to be bombarded with a bunch of posts at once).

* National Portrait Gallery on the Iconography of Lady Jane Grey

Here’s the article from Art Daily about it and here’s a little information from the National Portrait Gallery’s website. And just a reminder that Painting History – Delaroche and Lady Jane Grey will be opening at the National Gallery (around the corner from the NPG) at the end of February.

* Large medieval waterwheel uncovered at Greenwich

It’s a little before the Tudors, but I’m a sucker for medieval archaeological finds. Here’s an article (with a few pictures) from Medieval News.

* Showtime picks up a series on The Borgias

According to Variety Showtime is looking to continue playing in the Renaissance with a new series about The Borgias. Jeremy Irons will be starring so I’ll probably be watching!

I’m clearing out all the articles that I have saved over the past couple of weeks and dumping them all into this post:

* Debunking the Myth of Lady Jane Grey

Thought-provoking article by Leanda de Lisle at Intelligent Life (a lifestyle and culture magazine from The Economist)

* Mary Rose Trust photos on Wikipedia

Mary Rose Trust releases photographs onto Wikipedia
Unseen Mary Rose pictures revealed in groundbreaking Wikipedia deal

* Exhibition features documents suggesting Shakespeare was Catholic

Shakespeare was a ’secret Catholic’ new exhibition shows

* Greenwich to become a Royal Borough in 2012

This honors its long connection with the English and British monarchy (lots of Tudor connections there!). The other Royal Boroughs are Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames, and Windsor and Maidenhead.

Greenwich Becomes Royal Borough
Queen to grant Greenwich Royal Borough status for Diamond Jubilee

* Catch up on “The Tudors”

Season Three is now available on iTunes (this link goes to the Showtime site, which has a link to the iTunes store)
Unfortunately I didn’t see it in time for the first episode, but Showtime is replaying all of the previous seasons in a lead-up to the season 4 premiere in April. Here’s a link to the schedule.

And finally…

* 2010 sees the 450th anniversary of the refoundation of Westminster Abbey

The history of Westminster Abbey, London – The coming year is the 450th anniversary of Elizabeth I’s refoundation of Westminster Abbey as the collegiate church we know today

[I caught a few errors in the first paragraph after the ad in the middle of the article. I'm going to post a comment on the article and hopefully someone will see it and correct it.]

I’m recycling the image from the past couple of years, but here they are again, our favorite family decked out in holiday cheer:

And here’s Henry 8.0 trying to order Christmas puddings:

Henry in that hat looks kind of like the version in the “family photo” up top. And Henry going on about The Stig – love it! (Yes, I’m a Top Gear fan.)

And last but not least, here’s an article about how Henry VIII really celebrated the holidays, from the Mail Online:

Stuffed peacock, fake snow and lashings of dancing girls… Henry VIII had a VERY merry Christmas indeed!

Five hundred years ago this Christmas, there was a new king on the throne of England. He was 18 years old, as handsome as a prince in a fairytale, sporty and over 6ft.

He spoke elegant French and Italian – and Latin, of course, like all educated people – wrote his own songs and sang them himself.
He was credited with a sweet nature and was in love with his wife. So, what would you give the young Henry VIII for Christmas? What was there left for him to want?

Full article

I’ve blogged about Philip Sheppard’s wonderful soundtrack to the Starkey series “Henry VIII: Mind of a Tyrant” several times before and now I’m pleased to write that it is available on iTunes!

Here’s the link to the album in the UK iTunes store and here’s the link for the US iTunes store.

What would happen if Henry VIII were to find himself in 21st century suburbia? Possibly a little something like this:

There are already two more videos in the series and a blog post, which you can find here. Stay tuned to the BBC Comedy Blog for more from Henry 8.0 and become a fan on Facebook!

I’m only a few days behind on this one! Showtime announced last week that the fourth and final season of The Tudors will premiere in the US on Sunday April 11, 2010.

Showtime has created a video game based on The Tudors series. The trailer is embedded below and you can learn more about the game at this link. There is a flash-based demo on that page, as well as a link to a download demo (it appears to be Windows-only).

Historic Royal Palaces will be broadcasting the installation of General Sir Richard Dannatt as the 159th Constable of the Tower of London. Tune in to the website October 7!

I promise some real blog posts this weekend, but I couldn’t pass this by:

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Season 3 of “The Tudors” is due out on December 7th in the UK and a week later on the 15th in the US. As always, Amazon affiliate store pre-order links below!

For those of you lucky enough to be in the area!

Here’s more information at the Historic Royal Palaces website

Click for a larger version.

And if you have no idea what this is about, go here first, then here, and here is where you can make these yourself. Enjoy!

From The BBC:

The Starstruck exhibition features up to 100 costumes, many of which have been worn by stars in Oscar-winning films and major television series.

The event will raise money for the cathedral, its mission and outreach work, a spokeswoman said.

The three-week exhibition will run until 6 September, but will not be open on Saturday 22 August.

The costumes include those worn by Dame Judi Dench, Dame Helen Mirren and Cate Blanchett for their individual portrayals of Elizabeth I.

Full article

Another article (with more pictures) from Berrow’s Worcester Journal

The official site for Worcester Cathedral and more on the exhibition