Henry VIII – Man and Monarch at British Library
Tudor Monarch's Achievements Explored From his Personal Perspective
Mar 4, 2009
The British Library (BL), the national library of the United Kingdom, is home to a richly unique and diverse collection of more than 150 million items from every period of human history. The BL is also renowned for world-class exhibitions and London is looking forward to Henry VIII: Man and Monarch, which will open in April 2009.
500th Anniversary of Henry VIII's Accession to the Throne
2009 is the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII's accession to the throne. To mark the occasion Henry VIII: Man and Monarch will explore the beliefs and reasons behind Henry's actions and address the many changes that took place during his reign.
Guest Curator — Dr David Starkey
The guest curator of this exhibition will be Tudor scholar, Dr David Starkey. The display will look beyond the accepted ideas that surround this monarch through 250 exhibits, including books, manuscripts and correspondence, some of which were either written, or annotated, by Henry VIII himself. Many of the items on display will come from the BL's own collections, while others will be loaned by major national and international museums. The exhibition will also feature original source materials supplied by Dr Starkey.
A Fresh Perspective on Henry VIII
Henry VIII: Man and Monarch will also include portraits, tapestry, armour, plate and jewellery, and will provide a fresh perspective on how England’s best-known king conducted his life, both in public, and in private.
Highlights of Henry VIII: Man and Monarch
The exhibition will feature a number of important documents including:
- The Psalter of Henry VIII — Personal Prayer Book, heavily annotated by Henry.
- A letter from Henry to Anne Boleyn. This document has been concealed in the Vatican for almost 500 years.
- A Book of Hours owned by Anne Boleyn ca.1528.
- Portrait of Henry VIII, Young Henry, 1513. Artist unknown. The earliest surviving portrait of Henry.
- Pastyme with good companye by Henry VIII — A manuscript containing musical pieces ascribed to Henry himself.
- Henry and Katherine of Aragon's marriage contract.
- Announcement of the birth of Elizabeth I, 1533.
- A document listing people executed during Henry's reign.
- Post-mortem inventory of Henry's possessions, summarizing nearly 20,000 items.
Television Documentary
A television documentary presented by David Starkey, Henry VIII: The Mind of a Tyrant, will be screened by Channel 4 commencing 30th March 2009. Footage from the programme, together with audio recordings and interactive features will form part of the exhibition.
Henry VIII: Man and Monarch — the Book
A 256-page book, edited by David Starkey and historian Dr Susan Doran, will be available from April 2009. The publication will include 250 colour illustrations together with contributions by leading scholars including Eamon Duffy, James Carley, John Guy, Diarmaid McCulloch and Eric Ives.
Public Events at the British Library
To support the exhibition, the BL is providing a wide choice of public events including talks, film screenings, performances and family events, such as Henry VIII Day, which will take place on Bank Holiday Monday, 4th May 2009. This open day will include Tudor re-enactments, sports, games, talks, workshops and live music by Alamire, a group specialising in Renaissance and medieval music.
Henry VIII: Man and Monarch will run from 23rd April until 6th September 2009. Full details are available from the British Library.
There will be several major exhibitions to mark this anniversary including:
- Henry VIII 500th Anniversary Exhibition at Windsor Castle – 8th April 2009–18th April 2010.
- Henry VIII: Dressed to Kill at The Tower of London – 3rd April 2009–17 January 2010.
- Henry VIII: heads and hearts at Hampton Court Palace - a year-long programme of exhibitions and celebratory activities, starting10th April 2009.
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