A few follow-ups

A bit more on the DNA testing of Mary Tudor’s hair (including a picture of the locket):

HOPES that a lock of royal hair kept in west Suffolk could solve the centuries-old mystery of what befell the Princes in the Tower appear to have been quashed by a leading cleric.
…
It is thought these [bones] might belong to the two princes which, using modern DNA testing techniques, could have been checked against the lock of hair in Bury, because Mary Tudor, the sister of Henry VIII, would have the same mitochondrial DNA as the princes.

Such a possibility has now been ruled out by the Dean of Westminster Abbey who said:

More on “The Tudors” series coming to Showtime

If you can, check out the Showtime webpage for the upcoming “The Tudors” series. These are two of my favorite photos from the batches I’ve seen so far. They also have downloads for desktop wallpaper and chat icons, more photos and videos. I’m not expecting 100% historical accuracy from the series (and I’m one of those who isn’t quite as picky about it, within reason) and am looking forward to it. I think it’s going to be a fun, sexy romp with some of our favorite kings and queens.

This is one of the new previews, set to “Lacrymosa” by Evanescence (I’m a big fan … love their lead singer’s voice)

DNA testing and The Princes in the Tower

A fascinating article that reader Linda passed along…

The hair that could unlock the riddle of the Princes in the Tower

The mystery of what happened to the Princes in the Tower is one of the most enduring in English history.

But an academic hopes that a locket of hair and the latest DNA testing techniques could at least reveal whether the skeletons of two children found in Westminster Abbey really are Edward V and his younger brother Richard.

…

But John Ashdown-Hill, a 56-yearold PhD student at Essex University, hopes that DNA analysis of a locket of hair believed to belong to the boys’ niece, Mary Tudor, could reveal the answer.

Full article

I’d love to see some real results come of this, although I’d like to see some additional comparisons done. Unfortunately it all will ultimately boil down to being able to test bones that are currently in Westminster Abbey, and they have been reluctant to give permission in the past. Since the technology just keeps getting better and the amount of material needed to get a sample can be small, perhaps they will allow testing now or soon?

Update on Jane Miniature

This is the image in question in the article that I linked to last night. There was an article in the Telegraph today that included the picture. When I first read the description in the article, this is the one that I was picturing, so I was delighted to see that was indeed it. The scan that I put in above came from a catalog of an exhibition called “Artists of the Tudor Court – The Portrait Miniature Rediscovered” by Roy Strong. I don’t have the book with me right now, but I’ll check it tonight if I get a chance and post the information that the book has on the miniature.

Here’s the article from the Telegraph

Another possible portrait of Lady Jane Grey

From The Independent:

Brooch identifies portrait as Lady Jane Grey, the girl who reigned for nine days

By Louise Jury, Arts Correspondent
Published: 05 March 2007

For decades, the female sitter in this 16th-century miniature painting remained unidentified. But after investigating the woman’s jewellery, the historian David Starkey is now convinced this is the only known portrait of Lady Jane Grey painted during her lifetime to have survived.

Full article

I’ll update if I find some links to more articles or images

Update: (link died… so I’ve removed it)

Plus, I forgot to mention it last week, but Alison Weir’s first novel, Innocent Traitor, came out in the US last week. Here are links to Amazon.com and Amazon.uk for the book:


Special Edition “A Man For All Seasons” (1966) DVD

This week in the US a special edition of the Academy Award-winning “A Man for All Seasons” movie from 1966 was released on DVD. The UK version was released last week. The links below goes to my Amazon affiliate stores. The US is on the left and the UK is on the right. If you order, be sure to get the correct one if you don’t have a region-free DVD player.

TudorCast #8 – January 2007

Here it is, finally! Yes, I know I said I’d have it posted yesterday but anyone who knows me should have automatically translated this into “oh, it will be up maybe by the end of next week…”.

Featured website: http://hrp.org.uk/

Music from Magnatune.com by the groups La Primavera and the Dufay Collective

Episode transcript

Direct mp3 download

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January episode coming soon!

Hello all! I’m hoping to finally get the January podcast recorded tonight, so I’ll get it posted tomorrow. Sorry for the delay!

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First Female Beefeater

While I guess this isn’t strictly Tudor related (not like that has stopped me before), I was pleased to see that the first woman has been selected to the ranks of the Yeoman Warders at the Tower of London. Actually, I guess there is a Tudor connection, since they were started by Henry VII…

From the Times Online:

A woman has been appointed to the ranks of the Tower of London