Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
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.
If you're interested in Tudor England, royal history documentaries, Hans Holbein the Younger paintings, or the truth behind famous historical portraits, this is the story you don’t want to miss.
#WhitehallMural #HansHolbein #TudorArt
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Join my mailing list (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
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YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
ART HISTORY PLAYLIST
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLSjVq5Qtb0Eh4LJzcqLO_ayueqJt8ao-
TUDOR WOMEN’S HOODS
youtu.be/fvLljmG5wAk
THE HISTORY OF THE CODPIECE
youtu.be/3mnUs6sxi48
BIZARRE PORTRAIT OF EDWARD VI
youtu.be/YOFl574mwHY
HIDDEN MEANINGS IN ‘THE FAMILY OF HENRY VIII’ PORTRAIT
youtu.be/Eiq5QomXJ5E
DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF ANNE BOLEYN’S ONLY AUTHENTIC IMAGE | WHAT IS THE MOOST HAPPI MEDAL OF 1534?
youtu.be/8x4W2gYrmHg
DOES THE CHEQUERS’ RING SHOW A PORTRAIT OF ANNE BOLEYN AND ELIZABETH I
youtu.be/hvgl1Wbjw1I
DOES THIS HOLBEIN DRAWING SHOW ANNE BOLEYN?
youtu.be/4ZX3tMcLo7c
Has a LOST PORTRAIT of Anne Boleyn been found?
youtu.be/EsUGXO9wieA
BIOGRAPHY OF HANS HOLBEIN THE YOUNGER
youtu.be/HKwM-2GahTg
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AUDIBLE
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PRIME VIDEO
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NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
Open Street Map copyright information
openstreetmap.org/copyright
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
Please note that all my audios are read by a real human only (that’s me!) and no AI is used unless otherwise stated.
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.
If you're interested in Tudor England, royal history documentaries, Hans Holbein the Younger paintings, or the truth behind famous historical portraits, this is the story you don’t want to miss.
#WhitehallMural #HansHolbein #TudorArt
BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG
Join my mailing list (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/historycalling
Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
ART HISTORY PLAYLIST
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLSjVq5Qtb0Eh4LJzcqLO_ayueqJt8ao-
TUDOR WOMEN’S HOODS
youtu.be/fvLljmG5wAk
THE HISTORY OF THE CODPIECE
youtu.be/3mnUs6sxi48
BIZARRE PORTRAIT OF EDWARD VI
youtu.be/YOFl574mwHY
HIDDEN MEANINGS IN ‘THE FAMILY OF HENRY VIII’ PORTRAIT
youtu.be/Eiq5QomXJ5E
DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF ANNE BOLEYN’S ONLY AUTHENTIC IMAGE | WHAT IS THE MOOST HAPPI MEDAL OF 1534?
youtu.be/8x4W2gYrmHg
DOES THE CHEQUERS’ RING SHOW A PORTRAIT OF ANNE BOLEYN AND ELIZABETH I
youtu.be/hvgl1Wbjw1I
DOES THIS HOLBEIN DRAWING SHOW ANNE BOLEYN?
youtu.be/4ZX3tMcLo7c
Has a LOST PORTRAIT of Anne Boleyn been found?
youtu.be/EsUGXO9wieA
BIOGRAPHY OF HANS HOLBEIN THE YOUNGER
youtu.be/HKwM-2GahTg
Want to watch/hear/read more about history (and a whole host of other topics)? Then you might benefit from a free Audible or Prime video trial. They are available from the following links:
AUDIBLE
amzn.to/44MvlMi
AUDIBLE PLUS & AUDIBLE PREMIUM PLUS
amzn.to/42rh3PF
PRIME VIDEO
amzn.to/3LW7ykg
GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
Blue Yeti Microphone: amzn.to/3FgEDYq
Go-Pro Hero 13 camera: amzn.to/41H4Xnt
GoPro 3-Way 2.0 (Tripod/Grip/Arm): amzn.to/3vaVxjU
Memory Card: amzn.to/3KeLZZs
DJI Drone: amzn.to/39hROZm
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
Open Street Map copyright information
openstreetmap.org/copyright
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
Please note that all my audios are read by a real human only (that’s me!) and no AI is used unless otherwise stated.
