Beautiful Hever Castle has many original features from the medieval and Tudor period. It is a place of pilgrimage as the home of Anne Boleyn and setting for her tragic romance with King Henry VIII, as Dr. Owen Emmerson, historian and supervisor at Hever Castle, explains.
Owen Emmerson (English accent): Of course, its most famous resident is Anne Boleyn. Anne grew up at Hever Castle. And also, one of the most scandalous courtships of English history played out at Hever. This is where Henry VIII came a-courting. So, it’s got the most extraordinary history. And you really are walking in the footsteps of these characters when you visit Hever.
the key
Hever was home to the powerful Boleyn family during the 15th and 16th centuries. When Henry VIII fell in love with Anne Boleyn, it led to conflict with the Catholic Church and dramatic change in the nation’s political and religious landscape. Anne provided an escape for Henry VIII from his marriage to Catherine of Aragon.
Owen Emmerson: Anne Boleyn is actually the one who gives him the key to get out of that marriage. She’s a radical religious reformer, and she gives Henry the licence, as it were, to break with Rome. So, there’s something amazingly radical about Anne Boleyn. She’s not just a queen, not just a love interest. She’s a politician and an incredibly astute one.
SOCIAL HISTORY
The Boleyn family’s ownership of Hever Castle ended with the execution of Anne Boleyn. Through the centuries, the Castle has been home to many different owners. However, Hever Castle has not only been home to the rich and powerful, but also a place of work for hundreds of people and part of a wider community. Research has uncovered a treasure trove of historical documentation and evidence about the lives of the many people connected to Hever.
Owen Emmerson: Looking beyond those who wore crowns, and looking into the lives of some of the tenants, and some of the servants who worked at Hever as well is quite a pleasure as a historian, to be able to stand still and let history pass you by. I’m not traveling all over the country with these people; I’m just looking at when they intersected with Hever. And that is a real thrill, actually, it really is.
The Tudor family was of Welsh descent and there were five Tudor sovereigns: Henry VII (1485-1509), Henry VIII (1509-1547), Edward VI (1547-1553), Mary I (1553-1558) and Elizabeth I (1558-1603). The Tudor period in England and Wales, from 1485 to 1603, centres on The Reformation, a change from Catholicism to Protestantism. On 3rd November 1534, the first Act of Supremacy made Henry VIII (and subsequent monarchs) the supreme head of the new Church of England, beginning a period of major reform. |