Royalty Now

27/09/2024

02/07/2024

Do you remember this crusty old image of what Caesar might look like if he lived today? It’s the image that truly launched Royalty Now, all the way back in 2019. I was able to revisit it in our new video on the Rise of Caesar (link in bio / Royalty Now Studios on YouTube), and I quite like how it turned out :) Let me know if you remember the original because you’ve been here for a looooong time and you’re the best!

21/12/2023

I sat down with Adam Pennington of the last week for a really fun chat. We talked unpopular Tudor Opinions, the real appearance of Anne Boleyn and so much other fun stuff. Thank you for having me Adam! Check out the podcast now (and the other episodes too, it’s fantastic)

08/12/2023

Alexei & Tatiana Romanov. Last year, we posted re-creations of the Romanov Daughters from their forensic reconstructions, made by Dr. Sergey Nitkin in the ‘90s. Sadly, the video was censored by YouTube because we included a description of the ex*****on scene. So this year, we revisited that video with a new edit, new versions of Tatiana, and a never-before-see Alexei. Sadly, a skeletal match for Alexei was never made after the ex*****on of the Romanovs (his body was completely cremated), so I wanted to make a photo composite of him. The version of Tatiana is from her forensic facial reconstruction. The new video is out now! Link in bio or at Royalty Now Studios on YouTube.

16/10/2023

Now let’s move on to Elizabeth Woodville (the “White Queen”) - watch the full Wars of the Roses video at the link in our bio or search Royalty Now Studios on Youtube!

Similar to Edward IV (previous post), no contemporary portraits of Elizabeth exist, outside of some stained glass images and some manuscript illustrations.

In this famous portrait, of which there are several versions with slightly different features, we see her blonde hair peeking out from the headdress, and beautiful light brown eyes.

Now, Elizabeth’s story has been quite romanticized - It’s said that she met Edward IV on the roadside, and he was so taken with her that he immediately married her, with great political ramifications.

But based on descriptions from her life, she probably was very beautiful according to the beauty standards of the period.

Jean de Wavrin, the Burgundian chronicler, called Elizabeth “la plus belle fille d’Engleterre” - or the most “Beautiful Woman in England,” saying the king had chosen her because of this
“Very Great Beauty” (“sa très grande beauté”). There is also a quote that she had "heavy-lidded eyes like those of a dragon." which is an amazing description, but may have not been written at the time she was alive.

What’s really cool about this main portrait of Elizabeth is that it shows a collision of fashion trends from all over Europe.

She’s wearing a style of gown similar to those of the Burgundian court, which was her sister-in-law's residence and one of the most famously influential courts of the time in terms of politics as well as fashion.

The style of her gown is referred to as a ‘transitional’ dress - it bridges the gap between the V neck Burgundian gowns and the square-necked gowns we see later on the Tudors.

Elizabeth is wearing a variation of the Hennin headdress - Hennins were this crazy style of headdress popular during this time, they would use wire to shape a giant veil over the head and they could take many shapes.

We also see a trend all the way from Florence, Italy - her hairline in this portrait has been shaved back.

Second image here is just for fun and not historically accurate! I just wanted to see her with her hair down.

16/10/2023

What did Edward IV really look like?

The Wars of the Roses is a fascinating time in English history - so fascinating that it served as the inspiration for the book and TV series, Game of Thrones. To watch the full video with history, check out the link in bio or search Royalty Now Studios on YouTube.

Edward IV unfortunately comes from a time of pretty cartoon-y portraiture. We are still one generation away from the wonderful Tudor portraits by Hans Holbein, and most of the portraiture made during the War of the Roses lacks a bit of skill.

Currently, there are no known contemporary portraits of Edward, so what we are left with are copies made from originals. The portrait I’ve used here shows Edward in his early 30s, and is considered to be the most accurate.

We know he was a very tall man. Edward’s remains were exhumed in 1789, and they measured almost 6’4”, which was gigantic for the time. This examination also revealed some long brown hair, which matches his portraits.

Edward was considered extremely handsome in his youth, although it sounds like his looks faded with time (and his hard-partying lifestyle!)

Thomas More also wrote that Edward was “Of body mighty, but in his latter days, with over-liberal diet, somewhat corpulent and burly but nevertheless not uncomely.”

Regardless of his looks, Edward was always considered likeable and charismatic. As we know from the history of the War, this really worked to his political advantage because his original opponent Henry VI was seen as weak and shy. These are kings that actually fought and won the crown in battle, so his height and strength were huge advantages.

18/09/2023

Some images of King Louis XIV - the Sun King - brought back to life.

Louis XIV ruled over France for 72 years (he even beat Queen Elizabeth II for longest reign in history). He is famous for constructing Versailles, one of the most magnificent palaces ever built.

There are hundreds of portraits of Louis that were created during his long life, basically from birth, and all the way to old age that we reference for Louis’ appearance.

Now, obviously these paintings are propaganda - meant to show the strength of Louis’ Absolute Rule over France. But surprisingly, they show his features quite consistently throughout his life. We see the same arching brows. A thin, hooked nose, and cleft chin in every depiction.

Louis has been created here around the age of 24, referencing the portrait by Charles Le Brun from around 1661, as well as at the age of 63, referencing the famous portrait by Hyacinthe Rigaud painted around 1700.

For the full video with history and more in-depth information about his appearance, head to Royalty Now Studios on YouTube (link is also in the bio)!

18/08/2023

What did Helen of Troy look like? As far as we know, she exists only in mythology. But that hasn’t stopped movies, artists, and stories from trying to imagine the “face the launched a thousand ships.”

I’ve made my re-creations of Helen using ancient Greek beauty standards, the golden ratio, and ancient statues of Aphrodite as references.

Some descriptions of Helen that I used as a jumping off point for the re-creation:

We get three descriptors from Homer: “White-armed”, “Long-Dressed” and “Lovely Haired”. In a surviving poem fragment by Sappho, Helen’s hair is described as “Xanthe” - which translates to anywhere between blonde, light brown, and reddish.

In ancient Greece, a full, softly shaped body with a small waist was ideal, with delicately curving facial features. A long, straight aquiline nose and large can be seen on idealized statues from the time period.

The most desirable hair was long, with a wavy texture. One of the reasons Helen is always depicted as light haired with blue eyes in art is that this was rare coloring for the Greeks, and therefore highly sought-after.

For the Greek Makeup (Slide 3), I’ve added period-accurate cosmetics. Greek women would use powdery white makeup to lighten their skin. Natural dyes like beetroot were used as rouge to their lips and cheeks. Kohl was used to line the eyes - a smoky eye was a very popular look. Eyebrows that met in the middle were seen as a sign of symmetry and purity. Obviously a little garish to our modern gaze!

As a bonus, I’ve also created a Mycenaean-style Helen (Slide 4).

The Myth of Helen of Troy may have actually originated even further back than Greek Culture. If Helen was a real woman, she would have lived around 1200 BCE during the Mycenaean period.

The plaster head of a woman dates back to that time. We don’t know much about it - historians believe it could be the head of a goddess. Of course, since we know so little, it’s hard to say if this is accurate, but I had fun creating an alternate version. I’ve incorporated the dark hair and eyes of this figure, as well as the red rosette makeup.

Is this how you imagined Helen to look? Which version did you like of her the best?

01/08/2023

Just for fun - modern Alexander Hamilton :) based on my historical re-creation of the Ceracchi bust.

For our full Alexander Hamilton video, click the zezam link in my bio!

17/07/2023

Tudor Queen Catherine Howard: Part 2. If you haven’t yet, check out the full YouTube video with history & bonus re-creations on Royalty Now Studios.

This portrait is a strong contender for being Catherine Howard. who studies Catherine, told me that he believes this to be the most likely image of the Young Queen.

Located at the Metropolitan Museum, this is certainly an alluring portrait - the beauty of the subject is undeniable, especially for the Tudor period. The dress is of the right style and rank to be Catherine, and it appears to have been painted in the early 1540s. Other women at court who had enough money to have a portrait painted at this time can be ruled out, looking nothing like other existing images of the women. What do you think of this image being young Catherine Howard?

14/07/2023

What did Tudor Queen Catherine Howard look like? Check out the full YouTube video with history & bonus re-creations on Royalty Now Studios.

Catherine was the fifth wife of Henry VIII of England - a young woman who never expected to be queen, and paid a terrible price for it.

After moving to the Tudor Court to serve as a maid of honor, Catherine’s life took a dramatic turn. She caught the attention of King Henry VIII, and not long after, became the king's fifth wife, following the annulment of his marriage to Anne of Cleves.

Despite her initial popularity, Catherine Howard's marriage to King Henry VIII quickly unraveled. It was revealed that she had engaged in multiple love affairs prior to her marriage, including a relationship with Thomas Culpepper, a member of the king's court, during her marriage. Catherine was accused of adultery and treason and ultimately found guilty.

On February 13, 1542, Catherine Howard was executed at the Tower of London at the age of approximately 21.

Her life reads like a tragedy - that of a young woman being caught in the gears of the Tudor machine. In recent years, the scholarship of her life has shifted to focus on Catherine as a person. Not just to the personal choices she made, but also the failures of those around her to help and guide her.

I’ve re-created Catherine from two of the most likely portrait contenders. First, a miniature image by Hans Holbein. It was first identified as possibly being Catherine in the 1740s, found with a Howard ancestor’s personal belongings. The necklace she wears is known to have belonged to the royal collection, and the painting’s tentative dating of 1540-41 lines up with the time she was Queen. However, there are some that believe this could be Anne of Cleves (although I disagree).

What do you think of this being Catherine?

In the coming days I will post the second re-creation!

09/06/2023

Meet the woman who gathered the largest army the Roman Empire ever faced. For the full video with history, check out our YouTube, Royalty Now Studios.

Boudica was the Queen of the Iceni tribe, located in what is now Norfolk, England. She led an uprising of Celtic tribes after the Romans pillaged her town, and r***d her daughters. Although she was eventually defeated, she remains a British folk hero to this day.

Boudica’s grave and body have never been found.

The only physical description we have to work from comes from Roman Historian Cassius Dio, although he was writing over a hundred years after her death:

"In stature she was very tall, in appearance most terrifying, in the glance of her eye most fierce, and her voice was harsh; a great mass of the tawniest hair fell to her hips; around her neck was a large golden necklace; and she wore a tunic of diverse colors over which a thick mantle was fastened with a brooch…"

She was in her late twenties or early thirties when she died. She would have classic Celtic-Briton features - tall, with light coloring - red or blonde hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. Common Celtic-Briton facial features are a high forehead, defined cheekbones, narrow nose, and eyebrows that lay close to the eyes.

The Celts are not a unified people, so different tribes would have different traditions. But they loved brightly colored clothing, woven with wool and dyed with natural dyes. Actually, Celtic outfits were so colorful that the Romans often remarked upon it.

Dio also mentions this large gold necklace that she wears - and he’s talking about a Torc - this thick gold ring worn around the neck.

Despite romantic depictions of Boudica as a painted warrior queen, she probably never wore the blue face paint called woad, although she may have worn eyeliner or other makeup.

We know her hair was long and tawny - most assume this means she had red or red-gold hair. Celtic women would decorate their hair with braids or twists, as well as beads or bits of metal.

So while a definitive likeness of Boudica is no longer possible, this is a reliable depiction of what she could have looked like!