Long overdue! Some of these date back over a month, but in my defense, most of February was a blur so it feels like we just went from January straight to March.

* The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries to open on 11th June – A date has been announced for the opening of Westminster Abbey’s new galleries up in the medieval Triforium. I can’t wait to visit this (someday)!

* Blanche Parry’s life at the side of Queen Elizabeth I – Blanche Parry is one of history’s most influential Welsh women, yet few know the name and only a handful know her story.

* Victoria Art Gallery’s Henry VIII portrait confirmed as original Tudor painting – A painting of Henry VIII belonging to Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Victoria Art Gallery has been confirmed as an original Tudor work.

* Dedication Is What You Need – Seemingly inconsequential, dedicating books to royalty was a vital part of Tudor publishing.

* How Americans Preserved British English – Americans today pronounce some words more like Shakespeare than Brits do… but it’s in 18th-Century England where they’d really feel at home.

* Tulip Procession held at Bradgate Park to mark anniversary of Lady Jane Grey’s execution – Bradgate Park hosted the event, which is the first of several happening this year

* X-ray probe to save Mary Rose cannonballs – Researchers are using powerful X-rays to look inside cannonballs found on the famous Tudor ship, the Mary Rose. They are trying to find a way of preserving the shot, which will corrode if it is put on display.

And finally –

Here’s another talk by Leanda de Lisle, this time on the Tudor family story. From the video description:

In June 1485, Richard III issued a warning. England faced an invader, ‘one Henry Tudor who usurps the title of this realm as every man knows’. So who was Henry Tudor? Leanda de Lisle tells his family story, and unravels the murder mystery of the lost princes in the Tower.