A very rare portrait of Princess Elizabeth who later become Queen Elizabeth I has been discovered within a historic British home.

I have enlarged, and cropped the above image so that you can have a better view of Princess Elizabeth who is on the right.

Here is a snippet from the BBC write-up on this amazing discovery!

The portrait, dating from 1650 to 1680, was found in the Duke of Buccleuch's collection at Boughton House.

It shows Elizabeth with siblings Edward VI and Mary I, father Henry VIII and his jester, Will Somers.

It is a copy of an original panel painting, which is thought to date back to the early 1550s.

The portrait was examined by historians Alison Weir and Tracy Borman after they were told of its existence by the director of Boughton House.

It will now be put on display at the stately home, and historians hope to trace the original through publicising the discovery.

Portraits of Queen Elizabeth I before her accession to the throne are extremely rare, with only two other proven portraits known - one at Hampton Court and the other at Windsor Castle.

Full BBC Article Here

This terrific piece of art depicting the Tudor era is to go on public display this August 2008.

Portrait miniature of Catherine Howard, by Hans Holbein the Younger.

Out of all of Henry's wives my heart goes out to his fifth Catherine Howard also known as Katherine, or Kathryn Howard, and by the King's nickname for her "the rose without a thorn". Henry became infatuated with the teenage Catherine soon after he annulled his marriage to Anne of Cleves. Catherine was Anne Boleyn's second cousin, but had a much different upbringing then her older relation.

She spent all of her life in England, and from the age of 15 had had a series of serious relationships with different men, which her family desperately tried to cover up, especially once the king began to express interest in her. She was accused by her enemies of not having ceased her reportedly wanton behaviour after her marriage, and Henry was soon made aware of these allegations. He was not amused.

Catherine, her lovers, and her lady-in-waiting were all found guilty of treason executed. Catherine had been queen for 18 months, was never crowned, and had not yet reached her 21st birthday in my mind a terrible waste, and tragedy as none of the claims against her were ever adequately proven in my opinion let alone so terrible by 21st century standards.

Portrait of Jane Seymour, third wife of Henry VIII of England, by Hans Holbein the Younger (1497-1543) Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.

Jane Seymour was the third of King Henry VIII wives, and a replacement for Anne Boleyn. History has recorded her as a pious, docile, well-born lady from a powerful family, who married the King because her brothers told her to.

Jane was queen for about 18 months, and she never had a coronation ceremony. She died of puerperal fever just 12 days after delivering Henry's long awaited boy, Edward.

Above her grave, there was for a time the following inscription:

Catherine Parr (c. 1512 – 5 September 1548), also known as Katherine or Katharine Parr(e)

Catherine Parr was the last of King Henry VIII wives. It is believed she was more a nurse than a wife, in his old and sick state, although this has been challenged by historian David Starkey in his book Six Wives. Either way it is almost certain Henry did not make much of a husband.

Catherine had been twice widowed, and, though childless, loved children, and was the one wife who truly embraced Henry's children and tried to normalize relations between them and the king. She was very intelligent, and taught herself Latin as an adult. She was the only queen who was able to save herself when she did something to greatly offend the king.

After Henry's death she married Thomas Seymour, the younger of Jane's brothers, and Lord Admiral. She died after delivering the only child she ever had, Mary Seymour. The last mention of Mary Seymour on record is on her second birthday, and although stories circulated that she eventually married and had children, most historians today believe she died as a child.

A recent news item on an auction that included a lock of Catherine Parr's hair.

Wiki entry on Catherine Parr

Sudeley Castle - One time home, and burial place of Catherine Parr

Catherine of Aragon was the daughter of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon, and the first of English King Henry VIII's wives. Catherine first married Henry's older brother Arthur, who died only months after the wedding. Henry married her shortly after he came to the throne. Though she was often pregnant during their long marriage, only one of her children, Mary, survived. In the 1530s, Henry broke with the Catholic church to get an annulment to his and Catherine's marriage. He wanted to marry a younger woman who could give him a son.

Please note that Katherine is the spelling accepted by scholars, and used by the queen herself. Catherine is the popular, but modernized spelling.

Portrait of Anne Boleyn by an unknown artist, 1525.

Anne Boleyn was the second wife of King Henry VIII, and the younger woman who it had been hoped for would give him a son. Anne was in her 20s when Henry began to court her. She had lived much of her life in Burgundy and France, and was well versed in courtly behaviour.

After a more than 10 year ordeal of breaking with the church and annulling his marriage to Katherine of Aragon, Henry secretly married Anne. She was a few months pregnant at the time.

The baby was a girl, Elizabeth, future Queen and namesake to the Elizabethan age.

Anne, too had failed Henry in the eyes of his court, as she went on to miscarry her next pregnancies. Eventually the powerful nobles turned Henry against her, and, after 1000 days as queen, she was executed for adultery, incest, and witchcraft.

Henry V's queen Catherine of Valois died in 1437. Her grandson King Henry VII made major alterations to Westminster Abbey, which involved moving her embalmed body.

She was placed in a crude coffin constructed of flimsy boards, and was left above ground. Ew.

Catherine remained a public spectacle in the Abbey for over 200 years!!!

Vergers used to charge a shilling to take off the coffin's lid so curious visitors could view her corpse for themselves. However, seeing was not enough for some of the guests to Westminster, one Samuel Pepys, who went to the Abbey on his 36th birthday did more than just look.

"I had the upper part of her body in my hands, and I did kiss her mouth, reflecting upon that I did first kiss a Queene."

Catherine's body was finally removed from public display in 1776.......