I first blogged about this project back in October 2007 and have been following the progress ever since (now at the Thistle Threads blog after the original project funding ran out). The project recreated an embroidered lady’s jacket from just after the Elizabethan period. You may remember a similar jacket in the Victoria and Albert Museum that I featured as a Picture of the Week back in July.

Scroll back through the last few posts at the Thistle Threads blog for more photos of the jacket from the big reveal. The photos in candlelight are particularly captivating.

Here’s more information at the Historic Royal Palaces website

* The celebrations that I blogged about back in February took place this weekend. Here is an article with some photos and I’ve embedded a You Tube video of the pageant passing Blackfriars Pier:

* Just a reminder that the Royal Mint has some special commemorative coins out this year for the Henry 500 celebrations. I posted about them back in December, but here is the link to the page on the Royal Mint website. (I have several of their less-expensive collectible coins, including the one for Henry, so if you’re in to those kinds of things I’d recommend them.)

* BBC 4 is showing the program Henry VIII: Patron or Plunderer? with Jonathan Foyle about cultural artifacts from the reign of Henry VIII.

* And finally (thanks to Kathy for sending this one in!) The Forme of Cury, a medieval cookbook, has been digitized and put online by the John Rylands Library in Manchester. Here is the BBC article and here is a link to the Rylands Medieval Collection at the library.

Additional articles:

The Guardian: Kenilworth Castle garden reopens

The Independent: Recreated, the Tudor garden where an ambitious earl wooed the Virgin Queen

The Historic Royal Palaces, the independent charity that cares for Hampton Court Palace and the Tower of London, will send its followers updates on the events in the run-up to Henry VIII’s coronation at Westminster Abbey on June 24 – exactly 500 years after they happened.

It is believed to be the first time the website has been able to engage users in historical events from the first person perspective, and in real time over the actual period they took place, a spokesman for the charity said.

Full article

And here is the Twitter profile page for Henry/HRP

And some of you may have already seen over in the sidebar that I’m on Twitter too, although I’ll warn people now that I mostly post about science, tech and everyday life stuff, not much Tudor history. But if you’re interested – here’s my profile.

I follow Cooking the Books (an unofficial blog of the kitchens at Hampton Court, which would be of interest to anyone interested in Tudor food) and I just had to feature a link to this Flickr photoset with pictures of a snowy Hampton Court. So beautiful!!

And since I’m still not completely thinking clearly, I totally forgot to link to my guest blog post at Executed Today for February 13 on Kathryn Howard. I wish I had more time and concentration to make it longer and work in more primary sources, but I was trying to put it together while I was still sick. So if there are any egregious errors, blame it on the cold medicine.

And from The Edinburgh News, a short article about an upcoming celebration at Linlithgow Palace that will feature the marriage of Margaret Tudor and James IV of Scotland.
Information on the event from Historic Scotland

Check out the Historic Royal Palaces’ YouTube Channel for more videos
(Tip of the Tudor flat cap to Tim for the link)

And from me, a repeat of last year’s Christmas image (sorry, I didn’t get a chance to make a new one this year!). I’m not traveling this year so I won’t be taking any lengthy breaks from the site or blogs during my time off.

(click for a larger view)

No matter what you celebrate at this time of year, all the best from me to you!

Past Pleasures Ltd needs you to be Henry VIII.

Hampton Court Palace is on the lookout for a couple of men with the stature and regal posture to play England’s most famous king, Henry VIII, as part of the 2009 celebrations at the historic royal palace.

Candidates need to be over six feet tall with a large frame, a playing age between 40-50 and be able to grow a beard. They also need to live within an easy commute of Hampton Court Palace.
…

The company, which supplies costumed interpreters for Hampton Court, Tower of London and other properties, have had young, middle aged and old Henrys on their books over the years. However the plan is that from March 1 2009, every visitor to Hampton Court Palace will be able to take part in the wedding of a decidedly ageing and grouchy Henry VIII and his last wife Catherine Parr.

The wedding will be part of Hampton Court’s celebrations marking the 500 years since Henry VIII took the throne in 1509.

Full article

Past Pleasures website

From the BBC:

Seven horse riders in period costume are aiming to retrace the route taken by Henry Tudor more than 500 years ago from Pembrokeshire to Leicestershire.

On Sunday they started the journey taken by Henry Tudor which culminated in the defeat of Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.

Setting off from Dale near Milford Haven, the riders plan to take six days to travel more than 100 miles.

The Henry Tudor Ride aims to raise over £50,000 for the Army Benevolent Fund.

Full article (with photos)

And here’s a second article with a larger photo of the riders in costume.