Jewels and jewellery – Tudor Tuesdays

April 20 2021 | History

The theme for this week’s #TudorTuesdays with Historic Houses is jewels and jewellery.

Hever Castle does not have any jewellery on display in the Castle but jewels feature in the extensive collection of Tudor portraiture.

Anne Boleyn is seen wearing the famous `B’ necklace in three portraits which visitors can see in the Queens’ Chamber, the Long Gallery and the Anne Boleyn bedroom.

Personalised jewellery, using initials, was popular during the Tudor period and the `B’ pendant was Anne’s favourite necklace.

There is a lot of speculation regarding the fate of Anne’s famous ‘B’ pendant, and it has been suggested that three of the four pearls in the Imperial State Crown once came from Anne’s necklace. However, there really is no way to prove this claim so whether they are or not remains a mystery.

A replica of the necklace and other `B’ merchandise can also be purchased in the Hever Shop or online.

The portrait of Mary I, on display in the Long Gallery, features the mysterious La Peregrina Pearl which visitors found out more about during a small temporary exhibition about film and TV programmes filmed at the Castle which took place in 2019.

Bought by actor Richard Burton for Elizabeth Taylor during their first marriage, the $11millon dollar pearl was seen on screen for the first time at Hever Castle when Taylor played a cameo role in Anne of the Thousand Days (1969), having been rejected for the coveted part of Anne Boleyn.

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