Hever Castle - A Family Affair

Discover more about Hever Castle's past owners in a fascinating new exhibition which runs until the 20th November in the Long Gallery and gives a rare glimpse into life at the romantic castle.  Set in the peaceful surroundings of the Kentish countryside, the double-moated castle has been the backdrop to some of the major turning points in British history.

Information boards illustrated with rare photographs and documents, interspersed with portraits, trace the castle's development from its construction by William de Hever in the 13th century to the present day. The exhibition complements the important collection of portraits and treasures on view in the castle and grounds to shed new light on the role many of its owners played in shaping England's past. 

Henry VIII's fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, also owned Hever Castle after Henry made it part of her divorce settlement. It is not known how much time Anne spent at the castle, but a surviving letter she wrote to Mary Tudor, the King's sister, is signed: "from my poore house of Hever".

A succession of well connected families owned Hever Castle through the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries including the Waldegraves and Humphreys. It then fell into disrepair under the Meade Waldo family who leased it to a series of tenant farmers. 

The current owners, the Guthries, purchased the castle in 1983, some twenty years after it had been opened to the public. They have continued the tradition of maintaining the castle and grounds, both to preserve it for future generations and to enhance the attraction for visitors. Their important collection of Tudor portraits has been described by David Starkey as "one of the best collections after the National Gallery." Dame Judi Dench, who lives not far away, has said Hever Castle is one of her favourite British landmarks which she visits with her family "in all weathers and all seasons to recharge our batteries."

A range of themed souvenirs will be available in the Hever Gift Shop to commemorate the exhibition including a new range of fine bone china decorated with the coats of arms of the Hever, Boleyn, Waldegrave and Astor families.