Henry VIII – Tudor Tuesdays

July 14 2020 | Castle History

The theme for this week’s #TudorTuesdays with Historic Houses is Henry VIII.

On this Tudor Tuesday, we take a look at Henry VIII.

It is traditionally believed that Henry VIII stayed at the Castle on several occasions during his courtship with Anne Boleyn. Whilst it is impossible to know for certain in which room he slept, what is now known as the King Henry VIII bedchamber is one of the largest bedchambers in the Castle and was restored by the former owners, the Astor family to be fit for a King of Henry’s importance.

It is true to say that the Castle’s best rooms would have been prepared for the King, and hosting him and his retinue would have been a large burden for any household; particularly for a relatively small one like Hever.

The ceiling in the bedchamber is the oldest in the Castle, dating from around 1462. The panelling dates from 1565, with the exception of the section over the fireplace, which commemorates the two wives of Henry VIII who lived at Hever Castle – Anne Boleyn and Anne of Cleves.

Hever Castle has four portraits of Henry VIII on display – one in the Inner Hall, two in the Long Gallery and one in the Queens’ Chamber.

In the Dining Hall visitors can also see an impressive gilt lock belonging to Henry VIII. Henry VIII was worried about assassination so, to ensure his safety when visiting other houses, he brought his personal locksmith to fix a special door lock to his bedchamber.

In this video Dr Owen Emmerson shows you the lock and more of the Dining Hall at Hever Castle.

If you enjoyed this item on Henry VIII then why not discover the previous #TudorTuesdays news items:
• Tudor Chapels
• Tudor Windows
• Tudor Tapestries
• Tudor Chimneys
• Tudor Panelling
• Tudor Knott Gardens
• Tudor Childhood
• Tudor Dining Rooms
• Tudor Rose Gardens
• Henry VII