Visitors to Manchester have the rare opportunity to see the original marriage bed made for Henry VII (the first Tudor King) and Elizabeth of York, as well as an infamous forgery, this summer.

This new exhibition, A Royal Tudor Bed and a Northern Rogue, will be hosted at Manchester Cathedral from 2 July – 11 August and Chetham’s Library from 15 August – 11 September. 

The original four-poster bed was made in 1485 for Henry and Elizabeth who married the following year. Their marriage united two conflicting families, the Yorkists and the Lancastrians, who had been at war for 30 years. Henry recognised the importance of taking a Yorkist bride, to strengthen his claim to the throne and to weaken any other Yorkist's claim.  

The bed is a hugely important piece of history as it marks the end of the War of the Roses and the beginnings of the Tudor dynasty, and its headboard is dense with symbols of unity, redemption, fertility, and new beginnings. 

George Shaw (1810–76), a ‘rogue’ from Saddleworth, was fascinated by medieval architecture and he famously created mock Tudor and Elizabethan furniture for the Duke of Northumberland, the Earls of Bradford and Derby, the Towneleys and Bagshawes, and Chetham’s Library. A lectern in Manchester Cathedral is also a George Shaw. Shaw created a replica of the Tudor marriage bed, which will be on display as part of this new exhibition. 

Peter Lindfield, Historian and Cardiff University Lecturer, said: “The original Tudor bed tells an incredible story of royalty, war, politics, and marriage in the 1400s; but Shaw’s copy tells an equally riveting tale of forgery, as well as 19th century politics and business. At its peak, Shaw’s Uppermill workshop employed more than one hundred people. I can’t wait for people in Manchester to experience the exhibit.” 

Ian Coulson, from The Langley Collection and who discovered the bed, said: "I suspected the bed had late 15th - early 16th century origins after observing the shrinkage, infestation, oxidation and complex history of loss and repair that the bed had suffered. What followed was several years of multi-disciplinary investigation that revealed the identity as the long-lost marriage bed of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. It’s an incredible piece of history that I hope many people will enjoy."

The exhibition in Manchester Cathedral's Regimental Chapel from 2 July – 11 August is free and booking is not required. 

The exhibition will be available to see as part of Chetham’s Library’s regular tours from 15 August – 11 September.  The tour includes the opportunity to explore the rest of this unique Library, the oldest in the UK, and see more of George Shaw’s furniture. 

There will also be a programme of talks by historians and experts across both venues:

Manchester Cathedral -  free talks 

Wednesday 3 July - 14.30–15.30
Exhibition Opening: A Royal Tudor Bed and a Northern Rogue
Ian Coulson and Dr Peter N. Lindfield

Wednesday 10 July - 14.30–15.30
Discovering the Tudor bed
Ian Coulson

Wednesday 17 July - 14.30–15.30
Crime Scene Investigation: An autopsy of a wooden bed – An explanation of the analytical dating methods
Helen Hughes

Wednesday 24 July - 14.30–15.30
A Design Full of Meaning: The Royal Bed’s Iconography and Mancunian History
Dr Peter N. Lindfield

Wednesday 31 July - 14.30–15.30
George Shaw, the Royal bed, and Manchester Cathedral
Dr Peter N. Lindfield

Chetham’s Library - bookable talks and tours

Thursday 22 August 
The First Tudor bed: Discovery and Comparison
Ian Coulson

Wednesday 28 August 
The Duke, the Forger & the Mystery Blue: An Investigation of the paint finishes applied by a 19th Century forger to impress and distract.
Helen Hughes

Wednesday 4 September 
Maker and Faker of ‘Ancient Tudor relics’: George Shaw of Uppermill and Chetham’s Library
Dr Peter N. Lindfield

Wednesday 11 September 
Exhibition Closing: Henry VII’s and Elizabeth of York’s Marriage Bed and Manchester
Dr Peter N. Lindfield