Here’s a link to the article from the New York Post on the current popularity of the Tudors that I was interviewed for and a few of you responded to the call for NY Tudor fans. It’s short, but kind of funny, since it sounds like a lot of us gave some of the same answers to why we think the Tudors remain popular today.
Category: Tudor History news and events
Royal Mail “Houses of Lancaster and York” Stamp Set
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
Mary Queen of Scots’ death warrant purchased
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]
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The Mary Rose gets funding for a new museum
From the BBC:
The world’s last surviving 16th Century warship has been awarded a
Royal Mint special Elizabeth I coin
From the Royal Mint website:
The Royal Mint has struck a new commemorative
Results of Hair Clipping auction
Via the BBC:
An almost 500-year-old lock of hair thought to have come from one of Henry VIII’s wives has sold for
Want to own Katherine Parr’s hair?
Well, a lock of it at least? If so, it will be up for auction, with a collection of other interesting things, in a couple of weeks. Here’s the AP article, but a Google news search will turn up more.
Tudor “fast” food
Here’s a neat time-lapse of the set-up and demonstration of a Tudor dinner at Hampton Court Palace. Be sure to check out the other Tudor foodie videos from the same person!
Tip of the gable food to Gillian at the Food History blog
Tudor Christmas with the BBC Singers
The BBC Singers will be performing a Tudor Christmas concert to be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Friday December 21. And you can listen to it online with their iPlayer (which worked fine on my Mac, so I’ll assume that it works on PCs).
Here’s the program description and the main BBC Radio 3 website.
(Tip of the French hood to Kathy for the email!)
Robert Dudley’s inventory published
From 24 Hour Museum:
A chessboard of black ebony, the tusk of a sea bear, curtains of crimson satin with gold and silver lace
Executed Today blog… now killing in the Tudor period!
Ack! I missed posting this ahead of time, so you’ll probably have to scroll down, but the Dec. 1 entry at Executed Today is about Catholic Martyrs in the reign of Elizabeth I. Of course as we all know, there were a lot of people executed in the Tudor period, so keep an eye out for more entries in the future!
Smashed Tudor rose window restored
There is only a short article about this on the Daily Post site, but it’s good to hear that the window has been restored. Unfortunately only three small fragments from the original window were able to be incorporated into the new one.
Original blog post on the vandalism
The Great Squirt
I got a huge kick out of this.
From The Daily Mail:
The instruction booklet was a little worse for wear. But then it does date back to 1577.
That didn’t stop a group of gardening enthusiasts using it to recreate an Elizabethan watering contraption known as the “Great Squirt”.
Full article, complete with a drawing of the original and a photo of the recreation.
First female Beefeater takes up her post
As a follow-up to the article that I posted back in January, the first female Beefeater has now begun her work at the Tower of London.
Just a couple of articles:
Obituary for Alison Plowden
From The Telegraph:
Alison Plowden , who died on August 17 aged 75, worked as a secretary at the BBC before before becoming the author of skilfully written historical studies, principally of the Tudor and Stuart periods.
Who is England’s Greatest Monarch?
Two of the three in the contest are Tudors!
From the BBC:
British history is blessed by skilled and charismatic monarchs, but also tainted by incompetent and even murderous ones.
The argument over which king or queen was the greatest will never be settled – history is about interpretation, after all.
But here a trio of leading contenders are championed by three historians, ahead of a public discussion at the weekend organised by English Heritage.
The merits of King Henry VIII are outlined by Alison Weir, Queen Elizabeth I is endorsed by Sarah Gristwood and Queen Victoria is supported by Martyn Downer.
Go to the BBC article to read more of the debate and to cast your vote!
Happy Birthday King Hal!
Happy 516th! You barely look a day over 450.
Here’s a post from the Oxford University Press blog for the occasion.
North Wales Church with Tudor ancestral connections vandalized
This is just sickening:
A church’s Elizabethan Tudor Rose window has been smashed to bits by thieves just a fortnight after clergymen proudly showed it off to the Prince of Wales.
They climbed in through the remains of the stained glass window at St Gredifael Church in Penymynydd, Anglesey, seized an ancient cannonball and hurled it through another Elizabethan window.
This is the window that was smashed, which some of you might recognize as the image that used to be on the front page of the website:
Click on the image to go to a page with a little bit more about the window and a link to the full sized picture. I’ve also got a few other pictures of the church itself, which I visited in 2000. (I’m in the process of re-doing all my photos from the negatives, so at some point I’ll have some nicer and bigger versions of the church photos up.)
Couple of short news items
Sixteenth Century Falconry tag to be auctioned
A rare silver varvel, or falcon’s tag, that belonged to the powerful and oppressive lawyer, Richard Rich, is to be sold at auction in July.
…
This silver tag is of shield form with one side engraved “Lord Rich” above a na
Elizabethan tapestry re-discovered
… and up for sale. Got a spare
