Category: Picture of the Week

Arms of Marie de Guise at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland. Photo May 2000.

For ages I thought that this was a symbol of Mary Queen of Scots, but when I went to post it today I realized that didn’t make any sense and it eventually dawned on me that it had to be of Marie de Guise. This panel is facing one belonging to James V on the same part of the Palace (visible to the left end in Picture of the Week #34) so I realized the MR was probably his wife, not his daughter. I did a little digging and turned up an entry for it on the database of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland and sure enough, it was Marie de Guise!

Queen Elizabeth’s Oak, Greenwich Park. Photo May 1998.

The oak was thought to have been planted in the 12th century and got the name “Queen Elizabeth’s Oak” due to a tradition linking it to her parents, Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. This seemed an appropriate pick for the anniversary of Elizabeth’s birth at Greenwich Palace.

Walking up to the tourist entrance of Windsor Castle. Photo May 1998.

Hall’s Croft in Stratford-upon-Avon. Photo May 1998.

Hall’s Croft was the home of William Shakespeare’s daughter Susanna and her husband Dr. John Hall.

Axe and block in the Tower of London. Photo May 2003.

The block seen here is made of oak and weighs 56.75 kg (125 lbs) and probably dates from the 18th century. The axe is thought to be one of the four noted in the Tower inventory from the 17th century, but may date from the 16th century.

Tree-lined path at Penshurst Castle. Photo May 2003.

Since we’re in the midst of the hottest and driest summer ever in Texas, I’ve found myself longing for things GREEN…

Gold medal from 1545 with image of Henry VIII. Photo May 1998.

This is one of a number of Tudor coins and medals on display in the British Museum (as of 2003 – the last time I was there). The text around the edge is Latin that translates to: “Henry VIII, King of England, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, and under Christ the supreme head on earth of the Church of England and Ireland.”. The same text is written in Hebrew and Greek on the other side.

Walking up the entrance path to Kenilworth Castle. Photo May 1998.

Along a remaining section of Richmond Palace that has been made into private residences. Photo May 2000.

You can see the other side of the Gatehouse (from Picture of the Week #109) in the distance, which was joined up to the section you see here.

Tudor royal arms from the gatehouse section of the remains of Richmond Palace. Photo May 2000.

The supporters – the dragon and the greyhound – were those used by Henry VII, who is responsible for building Richmond Palace after the older medieval palace of Sheen burned in 1497.

Plaque in the wall of one of the remaining sections of Richmond Palace. Photo May 2000.

This is the small blue rectangle that is off to the right in Picture of the Week #109.

Outside Westminster Hall, one of the few remaining parts of Westminster Palace. Photo May 1998.

Stained glass of John Knox at the John Knox House in Edinburgh, Scotland. Photo May 2000.

Although the place is known as “John Knox House”, he probably never even visited the house. It is a late-15th century mansion along the Royal Mile in Edinburgh and in the 16th century it was owned by goldsmiths who refashioned the Scottish crown for James V. Sadly, I didn’t take any other photos inside the house since it was pretty dark and I was shooting on film (I can’t wait to get back to a bunch of these places now that I use a DSLR!), but some of the interiors are amazing. I have a thing for uneven wood plank floors and wood-panelled rooms and it was full of them!

Front of Hever Castle. Photo May 1998.

The keep of Dover Castle. Photo May 2003.

Along the walls of Pembroke Castle. Photo May 2003.

The cloisters of Canterbury Cathedral. Photo May 2003.

This is the view of the other direction from the spot as this photo, posted last year.

The Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula at The Tower of London. Photo May 2003.

St. Mary’s Church at Sudeley Castle. Photo May 1998.

Statue of Henry VIII at outside the Mary Rose Museum at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Photo June 2000.