Most of the world is locked down right now, in varying states. Here in Spain we can’t even go outside for a walk, for example, which is pretty draconian from what I can tell. But our social isolation and lockdown period doesn’t mean our only choice of entertainment is Tiger King. Nope, there are a ton of different Tudor themed virtual tours and social events so we can make the next few weeks educational.
I’ll keep updating this list of how you can Tudorfy The Quarantine, so check back from time to time!
First, you can get your research hat on and study some primary sources. Thousands of historic records dating back to the 13th century are now free online during the outbreak period. The Institute of Historical Research (IHR) announced that it will make all the content on its British History Online (BHO) website free to access until 31 July.
Next up, the Getty Center has a number of virtual tours and online exhibits. I’m partial to the Eat, Drink, and Be Merry exhibit featuring food from the middle ages and Renaissance.
https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/the-j-paul-getty-museum?hl=en
The Tudor Galleries of the National Portrait Gallery are amazing. You can do a 360 degree virtual tour, and see the Tudor monarchs up close and personal.
https://www.npg.org.uk/about/gallery-spaces/tudor-galleries
The British Museum has pretty much the greatest virtual experience anywhere. It’s also the largest indoor space on google streetview.
https://blog.britishmuseum.org/how-to-explore-the-british-museum-from-home/
There are a number of virtual tours of Hampton Court you can take:
https://in360degrees.co.uk/indie360/HamptonCourt/
(the same company that created that tour also has this one of Hereford Cathedral: https://www.nikreations.co.uk/photography_work_portfolio.asp#portfolio-52)
Take a virtual tour of King’s College Cambridge
https://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/visit/virtual-tour-of-the-college
Check out all the Shakespeare and Renaissance Writers resources available online from the British Library
https://www.bl.uk/shakespeare
Not strictly Tudor related, there is an Elizabethan castle on Lindisfarne build to protect against attacks from the Scots, and Holy Island has an amazing virtual tour
https://www.aidanandhilda.org.uk/holy-island-tour.php
There are also a ton of Virtual Tours at Oxford
https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/colleges/college-virtual-tours?wssl=1
The FutureLearn course on The Tudors is free and available now
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/the-tudors
And because I’d be remiss to not mention it, I’m going to plug my own activities – check out my Facebook Group for the regular #TudorfyTheQuarantine talks with other Tudor experts. There’s also my free Tudor Activity Book: Field of Cloth of Gold edition available to download here. And my free short ecourse on Kick@ss Tudor Women available here.
What did I miss? What resources are you using to Tudorfy the Quarantine? Let me know in the comments, and I’ll add them to the master list.
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Heather Teysko is the creator, writer, and producer of The Renaissance English History Podcast, one of the longest running indie history podcasts, going since 2009. She's been writing about history online for over 25 years, since her first site on Colonial American history became number one in history on Yahoo in 1998. She writes books, created the original Tudor Planner (a yearly diary filled with Tudor history) and in 2019 created the world's first Tudorcon (you can "attend" online this year!). She has been passionate about Tudor England since she first read Alison Weir's The Six Wives of Henry VIII 20 years ago, and subsequently moved to London after college to spend her time immersed in Tudor history.