Secrets of the Whitehall Mural Explained: Lost Painting of the Tudors by Hans Holbein

From History Calling

The Whitehall Mural was one of the most famous portraits of the Tudor royal family, created by Hans Holbein on the orders of Henry VIII, but what are the hidden meanings in the picture. What does the Latin text in the Whitehall Mural say, why is Henry VIII posed like that, why was the painting on the wall of his Privy Chamber and why did he want a portrait that included his long dead parents, Henry VII and Elizabeth of York in it, plus his third wife, Queen Jane Seymour, but none of his children, not even the future Edward VI? Was it Tudor propaganda, or something else? In this Tudor art history documentary from History Calling, I ask why was the Whitehall Mural created in 1537, how did it differ from the original preparatory carton we have of it, now held in the National Portrait Gallery in London and how was the Whitehall Mural was destroyed (spoiler alert, it was in a catastrophic fire at Whitehall Palace in 1698)? I’ll also explain why we have a copy of this lost Tudor masterpiece, created by Flemish artist Remigius van Leemput. In this video, I examine the history, symbolism and political meaning of the Whitehall Mural, separating myth from fact and exploring how a painting hidden inside a royal chamber became one of the most recognizable images in British history.