Your King Needs YOU! Be Henry VIII for the day at the British Library's free May Day party

May 1, 2009 - PRLog -- Monday 4th May is the British Library’s May Day Festival, where you’ll see Henrys everywhere.  The Library is inviting everyone - man, woman and child - to come down to this free Spring event and dress up as the infamous King.  All those participating will get free entry to the Henry VIII: Man and Monarch exhibition (ticket price normally £9) and for the best dressed King there will be £100 to spend in the British Library shop.

There will be the chance for everyone to try out child-friendly crossbows, see St George defeat the Dragon, dance round the May Pole, see Henry’s horse, listen to Tudor Tales and try your hand at trading in the time of Henry VIII. The Kings Guards will also perform drill and armour handling on the Piazza, along with demonstrations of Tudor sword fighting.

Henry look-alikes are asked to be at the Library for 11.30am, with the line up taking place at 12pm. For more details see http://www.bl.uk/henry.

For further information or images please contact Robert James at Arthur Leone PR on 0207 637 2994 or robert@arthurleone.com

Notes to Editors:  

Henry VIII: Man and Monarch is open from 23 April to 6 September 2009, seven days a week, in the PACCAR Gallery at the British Library.

This exhibition has been generously sponsored by PACCAR Inc.

PACCAR Inc (www.paccar.com) is a global technology leader in design, manufacture and customer support of high quality light, medium and heavy-duty trucks under the Kenworth, Peterbilt and DAF nameplates.  It also provides financial services and information technology and distributes truck parts related to its principal business.

Media Partner - the Times

Booking information
Tickets for the exhibition are now on sale via the box office. Please see www.bl.uk/henry for more details.

Adults: £9 Concessions: £7 / £5
Free admission applies to under 18s and schools

Events Bookings:
Tickets for all the events mentioned in the above release are available via the website http://boxoffice.bl.uk and box office 01937 546546 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm)

Exhibition opening hours
Monday, Wednesday-Friday 10.00–18.00, Tuesday 10.00–20.00, Saturday 10.00–17.00, Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday 11.00–17.00.
All galleries are accessible by wheelchair. Information can be requested from Visitor Services staff on:  020 7412 7332.  

For further information about the British Library and its exhibitions please see www.bl.uk/everyone.

The accompanying book, Henry VIII: Man and Monarch, edited by David Starkey and Susan Doran, will be published by the British Library in April 2009, available in hardback at £25.00 (ISBN 978 0 7123 5025 9) and paperback at £15.95 (ISBN 978 0 7123 5026 6). With 256 pages, 285 x 220 mm, 250 colour illustrations. Available from the British Library Shop (tel: 020 7412 7735 / email: bl-bookshop@bl.uk) and online at www.bl.uk/shop as well as other bookshops throughout the UK.