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This interesting video outlines the work of the Tudor kitchens at Hampton court. They’re open 50 days a year to show the public how food was prepared 500 years ago, using original recipes and reconstructed furniture and equipment. I was directed to this from Henry VIII’s Twitter page…yes really! It’s run by the Historic Royal Palaces to celebrate his accession to the throne.
There’s nothing quite like a proper full-blown David Starkey series on a famous Tudor and I have been thoroughly enjoying his new 4-part documentary on Henry VIII – one of many programmes celebrating the 500th anniversary of his accession to the throne. Starkey has been approaching these programmes in just the sort of way that highlights why I love history so much, i.e. returning to the original documents, filming them and drawing conclusions from them. It’s quite a traditional style of documentary, with plenty of calligraphy and actors voicing the original letters written by the historical figures.
Henry viii and his world are long gone, or at least it can seem that way. But hidden in the world’s great libraries are magical objects that can bring that world vividly to life once more. They are the books, manuscripts, plans and letters that Henry and his contemporaries read, touched and wrote. Through them the dead can speak again
That’s the best thing about history in my opinion: that we can look at objects and documents that Henry VIII actually read and touched! For example, in the first episode, Starkey went to film a written account of Prince Henry’s Knight of the Bath ceremony and whilst looking at it, he found that Henry had actually annotated and corrected the document years later. The fact that things like this can still be found even now is incredible and shows that history is by no means a dead subject!
In the first episode, I also enjoyed Starkey’s analysis of Henry’s handwriting, concluding that his mother, Elizabeth of York, must have had a hand in teaching her son to write as their handwriting is so similar. And you can really see why he believes this, when you look at the way they each wrote their ‘y’s for example.
Left: Elizabeth of York, Right: Henry VIII
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The basic direction it seems that Starkey is coming from is that Henry grew up in a female dominated world and always loved to have women around him when King. He was more emotional than might be expected and it was this combined with his entanglement with Anne Boleyn that turned him into a tyrant.
The more I study Henry, the more I’m convinced that the answer doesn’t lie, at least to begin with in the seismic political and religious conflicts of his reign. Instead it came from closer at home. The conflicts in his own heart and family
We still have the last episode to look forward to, which is on Channel 4 next Monday.
Watch previous episodes online:
Prince (1485-1509)
Warrior (1509-1525)
Lover (1526-1536)
Elizabeth’s Hair
Elizabeth wearing her hair loose at her coronation was a big symbol of her virginity. However at this early stage in Elizabeth’s reign, it was not necessarily a sign that she wanted to stay a virgin for life as it was traditional for the coronation of Queen – Catherine of Aragon did the same at her coronation.
The Pelican
The pelican brooch she wears in the Pelican Portrait of 1572 is a sign that she was prepared to sacrifice herself for her people and the church. The idea comes from a legend of a mother pelican who fed her young on her own blood to make sure that they would live.
The Globe
The globe is a clear symbol of Elizabeth’s domination and exploration in the world. It was included in the Armada Portrait, demonstrating her strength in defending her realm from the Spanish. It could also relate to the success of the English in its exploration of the Americas in competition with Spain.
Pearls
Elizabeth wears vast numbers of pearls in most of her portraits and, apart from demonstrating her wealth and power, pearls represent chastity, which is clearly a virtue she was trying to advertise in all images of herself.
The Pheonix
As we know, the mythical pheonix was thought to rise from the ashes through fire unscathed. Elizabeth’s pheonix brooch in this portrait represents her Protestant church rising from the ashes of Catholic Mary’s reign.
Lightning
Lightning is pictured behind Elizabeth in the Ditchley Portrait of 1592 to demonstrate that she had God’s power behind her supporting her. Blue skies are painted before her, to imply the direction of the country from turmoil to peace.
Gloves
The gloves that she holds in many of her portraits show her elegance and therefore her vanity. Apparently she liked to show off her long fair hands and it could be viewed as a device to demonstrate that despite her power, she was feminine and beautiful.
The Fan of Feathers
As the exotic feathers would have been imported from the New World, they show in her portraits how successful she was at world exploration and expansion.
The Fleur-de-lis
This image is the royal emblem of France, which was still included in Elizabeth’s portraits even though the last English controlled part of France, Calais, had already been lost to the French. This symbol demonstrates that Elizabeth still felt ownership over France, with her claim to the French throne. After all, her title was still: Queen of England, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith etc.
Using digital photography, scientists have been able to reconstruct the colours in tapestries at Hampton Court. The many tapestries commissioned by King Henry VIII, particularly the ten Abraham tapestries created to celebrate the birth of Prince Edward, used to be shining with bright colours, gold and silver, but are now, as expected 500 years later, completely faded. They have been able to analyse the colours of the thread at the back of the tapestries, in order to work out the exact colour and then reapply it to a photograph so that we can see how they would have looked in the 16th century.
When Paul Hertzner, a lawyer from Germany, visited Hampton Court in 1598, he reported in amazement: “All the walls in the palace shine with gold and silver.” Now visitors amble past one of the greatest surviving sets of tapestries in the world with scarcely a glance at figures barely distinguishable against a once glowing background.
Until yesterday, when the 500-year-old tapestry shone again in crimsons, blues, yellows, greens and pinks. The magic was achieved by light, the very medium that destroyed the colour in the first place.
The tapestries have always been on display, but I haven’t been to Hampton Court for years and I don’t remember them at all. I’ve been meaning to go again for ages and now with all the celebrations for Henry VIII’s accession to the throne starting next month, I’ll make sure to go at some point.
They’re going to open an exhibition Henry VIII’s Tapestries Revealed, where lights will be shone on the tapestries to show the colours to the public. I don’t think they’ve announced when this will be, but this is what’s on the Historic Royal Palaces website:
We are developing the lightshow technology to produce a ‘virtual’ colour reconstruction of a tapestry. This technology will provide images of the scientifically-derived original appearance of a tapestry.
This will then either be projected onto large screens or – as has been successfully done in the preliminary study – on to the existing hanging tapestry. You will be able to see the tapestries in their original splendour for the first time in centuries.
Here’s an interesting article by the BBC News website’s world affairs correspondent Paul Reynolds about the possibility of taking a leaf out of Lord Palmerston’s book (Foreign Secretary 1841, Prime Minister 1855-1858 and 1859-1865) in order to solve the problem of pirates off the coast of Somalia.
“Taking a wasps’ nest… is more effective than catching the wasps one by one,” he remarked.
Palmerston, the great advocate of gunboat diplomacy, was speaking in support of a British naval officer, Joseph Denman. Denman had attacked and destroyed slave quarters on the West African coast and had been sued by the Spanish owners for damages. It was British policy to try to destroy the slave trade, but this sometimes ran into legal complications.
The British attorney general, in a gem of delicate legal advice, declared the following year that he “cannot take it upon himself to advise… that the instructions to Her Majesty’s naval officers are such as can with perfect legality be carried into execution…
With Somali piracy still threatening shipping, it sounds as if modern navies need a few Captain Joseph Denmans.
Taking 19th century advice on international affairs does seem pretty interesting, but also eccentric, considering Palmerston was responsible for the Don Pacifico Affair style of foreign policy, where he was prepared to blockade Athens in support of one British subject. Palmerston did seem to advocate actions that would boost British pride and patriotism and his popularity, but then again it’s always good to be a little more direct and if this works, then it works!
Seven 15th century skeletons have been found buried on a site that was once occupied by a Franciscan Friary in Aberdeen. The remains of the seven men have now been sent to Glasgow University for analysis. Marischal College occupied the site since the 16th century adding to its historical significance and the remains of many more burials have been found during the dig, including at least five other skulls. Walls of the various structures that existed over the centuries have been discovered, as well as fish bones, pottery and other objects. It looks like this site’s going to be extremely rich in archeological finds so I’ll look out for more information about it. There’s a video of a news report here. From Aberdeen City Council:
Walls and cobbled surfaces associated with the medieval friary have been uncovered – including parts of the early 16th century friary complex. Greyfriars Church itself survived until the early 20th century.
Walls of 17th-19th century university structures have also emerged and been recorded. Numerous objects have been found during the dig, including two complete pottery vessels dating from the 15th or 16th century.
The Franciscan Friars (known as Greyfriars because of the colour of their clothing) came to Aberdeen in the 1460s and it is likely that these burials took place not long after this date.
The graves had been cut deeply into the natural geology. The hands of the men were clasped as if in prayer and may have been bound into that posture with cloth, which has since decayed in the soil. These men were probably Franciscan friars and would have been buried in their habits, which were probably made from coarse wool cloth.
16th century propaganda is something I found particularly fascinating when looking at Tudor portraits as the number and complexity of different symbols used in the paintings is incredible, particularly in portraits of Elizabeth I. It is clear that through paintings of herself, Elizabeth wanted to portray certain characteristics and ideas to her people.
The Tudor Rose
The Tudor emblem is incorporated into many of Elizabeth’s portraits, in order to emphasise her right to the throne and her place in the line of Tudor monarchs.
The Sword
In the Ermine Portrait, Elizabeth is depicted with a sword lying by her arm to give the impression that, although she rules peacefully, she is prepared to defend her realm at all costs.
The Sieve
This is a symbol for virginity, deriving from the Ancient Roman story of the Vestal Tuccia, who carried water in a sieve to prove she was chaste.
Vesta, if I have always brought pure hands to your secret services, make it so now that with this sieve I shall be able to draw water from the Tiber and bring it to Your temple
The Serpent
A Serpent is embroidered on Elizabeth’s sleeve in the Rainbow Portrait, with a heart-shaped ruby in its mouth. The serpent is thought to represent wisdom and the ruby Elizabeth’s heart, implying that the Queen’s wisdom controls her emotions.
The Thornless Rose
Roses are depicted in many of her portraits, particularly here in the Pheonix Portrait. This symbol is associated with the Virgin Mary, implying that Elizabeth, as a virgin queen, was married to England, as Mary was married to the Church.
The Rainbow
Rainbows were meant to symbolise peace, with the old Latin Motto, ‘Non Sine Sole Iris’: ‘no rainbow without the sun’
The Book
This image was included in the portrait of Elizabeth aged only fourteen and the portrait was sent to her brother King Edward VI as a gift. The image of her finger marking the page of the small book demonstrates her pious protestantism, which must have pleased her brother.
‘For the face, I grant, I might well blush to offer, but the mind I shall never be ashamed to present. ….when you shall look on my picture you will witsafe to think that as you have but the outward shadow of the body before you, so my inward mind wisheth that the body itself were oftener in your presence.’
Eyes and Ears
The eyes and ears painted into the fabric of Elizabeth’s dress in the Rainbow Portrait clearly imply a sense of
omniscience; as queen, she was able to hear and see all. The addition is thought to refer to Hymns to Astraea by Sir John Davis.
The Ermine
This symbol emphasises Elizabeth’s purity and virtue as the ermine was thought to be willing to die to save its pure white coat as the queen was willing to die to protect her country and her chastity.
As a big fan of the BBC’s Robin Hood series, I was very excited to watch the first episode of the new series, which started last week. Friar Tuck has finally been introduced, but now he’s black, athletic and cool, marking a huge jump from the fat white balding portrayal of the friar we have been used to.
Brother Tuck, played by David Harewood, manages to encourage Robin to return to his old ways, in order to save his people from Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham. I personally love Harewood’s portrayal of Tuck and his ability to stand up to Robin, but immediately I knew I’d find plenty of criticism in the press about the historical accuracy of having a black friar. From The Times Online:
Helen Phillips, Professor of English at Cardiff University and an expert in medieval literature, said: “Sub-Saharan Africans wouldn’t have been converted by that point, they would have had other religions. North Africans would have mostly been Muslims. Also, friars came from upper-class families, as did monks. The kind of families from which friars were drawn wouldn’t have been in any sense African.”
Yes. I think most people are aware when watching Robin Hood, that historical accuracy is not a key priority. The way they dress isn’t accurate, the way they speak isn’t accurate, it’s unlikely they would have used their bows like guns, and travelling to the Holy Land in the 12th Century would have been a bigger deal than one scene change.
Normally, historical inaccuracies would annoy me too, but this series isn’t meant to be accurate, it’s meant to be fun and it is. We have to remember that Robin Hood himself was only a story in the first place, so let the BBC have poetic licence to keep us entertained, and historians: Calm Down!
