Bench and wisteria in the gardens at Blickling Hall, Norfolk. Photo May 2015.
Yes, I sat on that bench for a little while on my visit. 🙂
Books
Elizabeth Norton’s The Hidden Lives of Tudor Women: A Social History (US title) has been out for a while in the UK and will be out at the beginning of July in the US.
One book I missed a couple of months ago was Houses of Power: The Places that Shaped the Tudor World by Simon Thurley, which was released in the UK in April. I haven’t found any US publishing info yet, but I’ll add it if I do.
In new releases, Owen Tudor: Founding Father of the Tudor Dynasty by Terry Breverton will be out in mid-July in the UK and in October in the US.
Events
Queen of Bradgate celebrations at Bradgate Park – Bradgate Park, which holds the remains of the childhood home of Lady Jane Grey, will be honoring the Nine Days Queen from July 8 to July 16. An overview is available at the link above and at the official website for Bradgate Park.
Tudor Joust is returning to Hampton Court Palace on July 15 and 16. Events will be going on all day on both days and no extra ticketing is required (it is included in the palace admission).
New Exhibitions
Reformation – Shattered World, New Beginnings opened on June 26 (I missed this one last month!) and runs through December 15 at the Senate House Library at the University of London. A video introduction by Dr. Suzannah Lipscomb is embedded above and you can download a digital copy of the exhibition catalogue for free at the website (something I like to see more of for those of us who can’t make it to a lot of these events and don’t want to pay for the expensive shipping to the US!).
The Encounter – Drawings from Leonardo to Rembrandt opens at the National Portrait Gallery, London on July 12 and runs through October 22. Tickets can be booked at the gallery’s website linked above. More about the exhibition:
The creative encounter between individual artists and sitters is explored in this major exhibition featuring portrait drawings by some of the outstanding masters of the Renaissance and Baroque periods.
Blood Royal: Picturing the Tudor Monarchy opens on July 25 and runs through August 25 at The Society of Antiquaries of London. They don’t have a dedicated page for the exhibition yet, but I’ll update the link when they do.
Continuing Exhibitions and Displays
In conjunction with London Art Week, the Weiss Gallery will run a special exhibition Courting Favour: From Elizabeth I to James I from June 26 through July 14, 2017. You can see the catalogue here. A little more about the exhibition:
The centerpiece of the show will be a beautiful portrayal of the youthful Queen Elizabeth I, a bust-length version of the magnificent ‘Hampden’ fulllength, currently on loan to Tate Britain. Displayed either side of the Queen will be portraits of her two great favourites Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester and Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex.
Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire is Power & Portraiture: painting at the court of Elizabeth I opened on June 7 and will run through October 29, 2017 at From the website:
A special display exploring how Elizabeth I and her courtiers used portraits to fashion their public image and promote themselves in a glamorous, dangerous world.
Two spectacular panel paintings by Nicholas Hilliard will be accompanied by loans from the Royal Collection and National Portrait Gallery. Visitors will learn about the scientific and scholarly detective work that has led to this important discovery and will be able to compare it with the famous ‘Phoenix’ portrait of Elizabeth I.
Images of the queen will be flanked by those of her charismatic suitor, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, her ambassador to France, Sir Amias Paulet and the doomed nobleman, Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk.
Stained glass window in the Great Hall of Hampton Court Palace. Photo May 2015.
Featuring today’s birthday boy, Henry VIII – Happy 526th!
Castle Acre Priory, Norfolk, England. Photo May 2015.
Here’s another part of Castle Acre Priory, which was sold off to the Duke of Norfolk during the suppression of the monasteries in the reign of Henry VIII.
Fool statue in Stratford-upon-Avon. Photo May 2015.
I made a point to go back and photo all sides of this statue when I visited Stratford for the second time. I only took one photo during my visit in 1998 (when I was shooting on film) so I decided to take advantage of having a digital camera with basically unlimited photos this time!
Short round-up, but at least I won’t get way behind this way… 🙂
* Henry VII Pembroke birthplace statue put in place – I first posted about this seven years ago, so it’s nice to see it finally come to fruition!
* Sheriff Hutton Castle goes up for sale as part of £1.1m sale – Another in the long list of cool places to come up for sale.
* Tudor Calendar Photography Competition – Open Now! – Time for the annual competition to get in the next Tudor Calendar from the Anne Boleyn Files
And finally –
* I was sent this link a while back from the songwriter who is looking to connect with makers of historical documentaries. It’s a lovely song so I thought I would post it in the hopes that it might help get some exposure!
Painting of The Field of the Cloth of Gold, c. 1545 by an unknown artist or artists. Photo May, 2015.
In honor of the anniversary of the beginning of this famous meeting between Henry VIII and Francis I in 1520, here’s my photo of the painting of the event that was on display at Hampton Court Palace during my most recent visit.
Books
Just one new release this month, Elizabeth of York and Her Six Daughters-in-Law: Fashioning Tudor Queenship, 1485-1547 by Retha Warnike, another volume of the Queenship and Power series. As you may guess from the cost, this is one of the ‘academically priced’ volumes. It will be out June 24 in the UK and in July in the US.
Events
The last of the Power and Performance at Hampton Court Palace events is coming on June 8: Encounters with the Tudors: behind-the-scenes. Ticket information is at the link.
On June 30 is The real Wolfhall – A celebration of its revival and Royal Tudor history at the actual Wolfhall manor house. Click here for more information on the event and how to purchase tickets.
Exhibitions and Displays
Opening on June 7 and running through October 29, 2017 at Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire is Power & Portraiture: painting at the court of Elizabeth I. From the website:
A special display exploring how Elizabeth I and her courtiers used portraits to fashion their public image and promote themselves in a glamorous, dangerous world.
Two spectacular panel paintings by Nicholas Hilliard will be accompanied by loans from the Royal Collection and National Portrait Gallery. Visitors will learn about the scientific and scholarly detective work that has led to this important discovery and will be able to compare it with the famous ‘Phoenix’ portrait of Elizabeth I.
Images of the queen will be flanked by those of her charismatic suitor, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, her ambassador to France, Sir Amias Paulet and the doomed nobleman, Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk.
And in conjunction with London Art Week, the Weiss Gallery will run a special exhibition Courting Favour: From Elizabeth I to James I from June 26 through July 14, 2017. A little more about the exhibition:
The centerpiece of the show will be a beautiful portrayal of the youthful Queen Elizabeth I, a bust-length version of the magnificent ‘Hampden’ fulllength, currently on loan to Tate Britain. Displayed either side of the Queen will be portraits of her two great favourites Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester and Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex.
The stables at Kenilworth Castle. Photo May 2015.
The stables are one of the parts of the castle that had changed quite a bit between my 1998 and 2015 visits. When I was first there, they were mostly closed for restoration and renovation and had a tiny gift shop squeezed in between the areas of construction if I remember correctly. When I visited again two years ago, all of the renovations were finished and it now houses a cafe and a collection of artifacts.
The stables are thought to have been built during the short time that John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland held the castle in the mid-16th century. They were later put to good use by his son Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, when he owned the castle. Dudley had, of course, been the Master of the Horse to Queen Elizabeth I.
Yes, finally, another long-overdue news round-up! I thought that I would be able to stay on top of things a lot better after the four major things at work were done, but of course everything that got put off during that time had to be dealt with after. But now I’m in the middle of a two-week stay-at-home vacation to start making a dent in the comp time and vacation hours I have to use before the end of August and I have finally recovered some of my energy.
On to the news!
* ‘Incredibly rare’ William Caxton print discovered – Pages printed more than 500 years ago by William Caxton, who brought printing to England, have been discovered by the University of Reading.
* Did Thomas Seymour sexually abuse the teenage Princess Elizabeth? – In a new series for Channel Five, Suzannah Lipscomb and Dan Jones examine the allegation that the teenage Princess Elizabeth was sexually abused by her stepfather, Thomas Seymour. Here, Suzannah Lipscomb considers the evidence…
* Anne Boleyn as ‘The Lady of the Garter’: A Rediscovered Image of Henry VIII’s Second Queen – Fascinating work by Roland Hui (be sure to see his follow-up: Debating Anne Boleyn as ‘The Lady of the Garter’)
* In his pursuit of Anne Boleyn, Thomas Cromwell was guided by a prophecy foretelling treason.
* Peter Vannes, Henry VIII and early modern marriage – Peter Vannes (c.1488-1563) was a diplomat and collector of papal taxes in England under four successive Tudor monarchs: Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I. – from the UK National Archives Blog
* Fettercairn Jewel bought by National Museums Scotland – A 16th Century Scottish jewel has been bought at auction by National Museums Scotland for more than £200,000.
* Katherine Parr, Henry VIII’s last wife, wrote the words to this newly discovered piece of music – Includes a clip from a rehearsal of the piece
And finally:
The First State Bed of Henry VII & Elizabeth of York from InHouseFilms on Vimeo.
Rochester Castle and Cathedral. Photo May 2015.
Medieval wall painting preserved at Norwich Cathedral. Photo May 2015.
Maybe not the most stunning photo I’ve ever taken, but I loved the scrolling vine pattern of this painting. I’d love to embroider this along the bottom of a skirt or something (note to self: find time to start sewing and stitching again…)
Crossing of St. Edmundsbury Cathedral, Bury St. Edmunds. Photo May 2015.
Gardens at Blickling Hall, Norfolk. Photo May 2015.
How can it already be time for the May round-up?!?
Books
Everyday Life in Tudor London: Life in the City of Thomas Cromwell, William Shakespeare & Anne Boleyn by Stephen Porter was released last fall in the UK and on Kindle, but the US hardcover is out on May 1.
Next up is Colouring History: The Tudors by author Natalie Grueninger of On the Tudor Trail and artist Kathryn Holeman is out May 1 in the UK and will be out later this year in the US.
And finally, Tudor Monarchs: Lives in Letters by Andrea Clarke is out on May 11 in the UK and later this summer in the US.
Events
Tudor Queens Day at Gainsborough Old Hall to be held on May 13, 2017 – join authors Alison Weir and Nicola Tallis and local historian Marilyn Roberts for talks on the wives of Henry VIII and Lady Jane Grey. (This is another that I’m posting a month early in case tickets sell out!) PDF flyer with more information, including how to get tickets
This has a listing of a number of events between March and June – Power and Performance at Hampton Court Palace – Join author and historian Lauren Johnson as she hosts an impressive line-up of speakers to explore ideas of power and performance in the lively Tudor court. The next talk is May 10 on “Sacred music and the Reformation”, followed by “Playing the fool” on May 23 by Suzannah Lipscomb. Ticket information is at the link.
Coming up at the end of June is The real Wolfhall – A celebration of its revival and Royal Tudor history at the actual Wolfhall manor house. Click here for more information on the event and how to purchase tickets.
Shakespeare’s Birthplace in Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon. Photo May 2015.
The Garrick Inn, Stratford-upon-Avon. Photo May 2015.
The Garrick Inn is right next to Harvard House in Stratford-upon-Avon and dates back to at least Elizabethan times, but some parts may be older. I didn’t stop in for a pint on my last visit but I’ll make sure to next time I’m in town (although who knows when that will be!).
The Pond Garden at Hampton Court Palace. Photo May 2015.
Entrance to Oxburgh Hall. Photo May 2015.
After a damp start to my visit, the skies cleared up nicely for the afternoon! Thankfully there was plenty to do inside while it was raining and a lovely cafe to enjoy some coffee and a snack.
Books
A few books that have already been out for a while in the UK will be released in April in the US:
Amy Licence’s Catherine of Aragon: An Intimate Life of Henry VIII’s True Wife is now out in the US after a release last fall in the UK.
Gareth Russell’s Young and Damned and Fair: The Life and Tragedy of Catherine Howard at the Court of Henry VIII was released in January in the UK and will be out on April 4 in the US with the slightly different title Young and Damned and Fair: The Life of Catherine Howard, Fifth Wife of King Henry VIII
Anne Boleyn in London by Lissa Chapman has been out since October in the UK and will be out later this month in the US.
And a couple of new books are out the month – it looks like the Scottish branch (i.e. descendants of Margaret Tudor) are getting some more attention these days:
Margaret Tudor’s daughter from her second marriage is the subject of So High a Blood: The Life of Margaret, Countess of Lennox by Morgan Ring is out in both the UK and US on April 6:
And Margaret Tudor’s great-granddaughter, Arbella Stuart is featured in Jill Armitage’s Arbella Stuart: The Uncrowned Queen which will be out April 15 in the UK. I don’t see a US release date yet, but I’ll update when if I get more info.
Events
Tudor Queens Day at Gainsborough Old Hall to be held on May 13, 2017 – join authors Alison Weir and Nicola Tallis and local historian Marilyn Roberts for talks on the wives of Henry VIII and Lady Jane Grey. (This is another that I’m posting a month early in case tickets sell out!) PDF flyer with more information, including how to get tickets
This has a listing of a number of events between March and June – Power and Performance at Hampton Court Palace – Join author and historian Lauren Johnson as she hosts an impressive line-up of speakers to explore ideas of power and performance in the lively Tudor court. The next talk is April 25 on “Plays of persuasion”. Ticket information is at the link.
Exhibitions
500 Years of Treasures from Oxford opened at the Washington DC’s Folger Shakespeare Library in February and will run through the end of April.
