On 19 May Hever Castle will commemorate the 480th anniversary of Anne Boleyn’s execution by displaying both signature pages in her prayer books and live streaming the occasion for fans across the globe.
Queen of England for just 1000 days, Anne Boleyn failed to produce a son for Henry VIII and was beheaded at the Tower of London on 19 May 1536.
Duncan Leslie, CEO of Hever Castle, said, “We are deeply proud of our connection with Anne Boleyn and are honoured to house two of her ‘Books of Hours’ in the Castle. She would have used these personal prayer books regularly and has written in and signed both of them. To preserve the condition of these ancient books we must rotate the pages on display to the public and never before have we been able to show both signature pages at once.”
Fans of Anne Boleyn are encouraged to visit the Castle on this momentous day to pay homage to her memory and see her inscriptions for themselves. As an added bonus, the Hever Castle Shop will have 20% off all Anne Boleyn merchandise purchased on the day – offer in store only.
Further marking the occasion, Hever Castle will be taking the unprecedented step of live streaming on Facebook to share her signature pages with fans across the world. Devotees can tune in on the Hever Castle & Gardens Facebook page at 8:30am British Summer Time on Thursday 19 May to commemorate the great queen and view her Books of Hours for themselves.
Hever Castle & Gardens will open at 10:30am on Thursday 19 May, with the Castle itself open from 12:00 noon and last entry at 5:00pm. A Castle and Gardens ticket is required to view the Books of Hours. The live streaming on Facebook will take place at 8:30am BST and the video will then remain on the Hever Castle & Gardens Facebook page.
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Within the grounds of the Hever Castle Estate, there are two opportunities for you to stay the night with us.
Hever Castle has played host to many important events and celebrations for over 600 years. In 1903 when William Waldorf Astor set about restoring Hever Castle to its former glory, he added the Astor Wing, to accommodate his family and guests, before creating a lake and the spectacular Italian Garden to house his impressive collection of ancient Greek and Roman statuary.
There are multiple places to eat & drink across the Hever Castle Estate. Select between the Castle & Gardens and Golf Club below to discover more.
Set in the mature grounds of the Hever Castle Estate, Hever Castle Golf Club is a 27 hole Kent golf course that will encourage and inspire all golf enthusiasts.
Set in the mature grounds of the Hever Castle Estate, the Wellbeing Centre consists of five smart treatment rooms.