The V&A is one of my favourite places to visit. I can easily spend a day wandering about the galleries completely forgetting the outside world and just being in awe of the sculpture, paintings and artefacts from over a thousand years of history.
But what if you're a Tudor fan? What is there to see then? Actually, lots.
Head over to the casts gallery to see a life-size replica of Michelangelo's David, but also a Victorian cast of the effigy of Henry VII. Unlike the one at Westminster Abbey, you can see this one close up and get a feel for how he once would have looked. While you're there, pop over to see casts of the effigies of Ralph and Elizabeth Fitzherbert, a couple I researched for my book Forgotten Women of the Wars of the Roses. Ralph was a supporter of Henry's enemy at Bosworth, Richard III, and has been depicted wearing the famous boar badge on his armour.
The Jewellery gallery is another one you'll want to see, with examples of jewels from the Tudor period. From rings to pendants, there are even medieval garter pendants that used to hang from the waist of women's skirts. Some have been crafted with tiny books or other ornaments on. These belongings would have been treasured during their wearer's lifetime, and it is incredible that they have survived for us to look at today, particularly as medieval and Tudor jewellery was often reworked or even lost. Look out too, for the Heneage Jewel, a locket with the profile of Elizabeth I.
Head out of Jewellery and into Miniatures, where you can see some of Nicholas Hilliard's tiny portraits of Elizabeth I, along with other work depicting other people from the Tudor court. Again, these were mostly created in watercolour paint, so are sensitive to light. Linger at a cabinet and a light will softly turn on automatically so you can view it better.
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| Bust of Henry VII, V&A Museum, South Kensington |
The main area of interest however as a Tudor fan will be the gallery dealing with Britain in the sixteenth century. There's an original watercolour of Henry VIII's now lost palace of Nonsuch - it's in a cabinet you have to open, due to its sensitivity to light. Remember to close it when you're done! There's also a bust of Henry VII, Henry VIII's writing desk and Elizabeth I's virginals. Look closely and you'll spot the royal arms painted on, as well as Anne Boleyn's falcon emblem, making it very likely that these were once owned and used by Elizabeth.
Look out too for artefacts in other areas of the museum - exhibits change often and it's worth walking around to find books, pottery, tableware and other items from the Tudor age. Staff are very helpful and the museum is also very well signposted. You can also grab a half-time coffee from the café inside the museum or the patisserie at the entrance. It's also worth looking out for any special Tudor-focused exhibitions which the V&A run often. Sign up on their website to keep updated.
All correct at the time of my trip in February 2025, exhibitions, opening times and access are all subject to change. Do check and do your own research before travelling. The V&A is roughly opposite the Science Museum on Exhibition Rd in London, or you can enter via the tunnel leading from South Kensington tube station.
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