Anne of Cleves at Hever Castle

Anne of Cleves at Hever Castle

Anne Boleyn is not the only wife of Henry VIII to have a connection with Hever Castle, Anne of Cleves also spent a significant amount of time here too.

Henry VIII married Anne of Cleves in 1540, but the marriage ended in divorce six months later.

As part of the annulment settlement bestowed upon Anne of Cleves, Henry awarded her the honorary title of ‘The King’s Sister’, £500 a year, a household and two palaces.

In addition, Henry allowed Anne to lease a number of manors to enhance her status and income, including Hever, at an annual rent of £9-13s-3½d.

After the annulment of her brief marriage to Henry, Anne settled happily in England and became good friends with the King and Anne Boleyn’s daughter, the future Queen Elizabeth I.

Hever Castle had become Crown property after the death of Thomas Boleyn in 1539.
As Thomas’ male heir, George, had been ex3cuted in 1536, Hever passed to Thomas’ brother, Sir James Boleyn, who sold it to King Henry VIII for £200 on 31st December 1540.

Anne of Cleves retained the right to live at Hever Castle until her death.
During her time here, she made a number of alterations to the castle

There is a surviving letter from Anne of Cleves to Queen Mary written in 1554, in the National Archives.
It was signed by Anne ‘from my poore house of Hever’.

Anne died in 1557, during the reign of Queen Mary I

Hever Castle has a rare wooden oak panel associated with Anne of Cleves.

This is one of only two panels to exist, and is the only one which is privately owned.
The panel dates to around 1544 is believed to have come from a former home of Anne of Cleves, which could have been Hever Castle.

The oak panel shows Anne’s insignia and appears to have been made for her, and installed on her orders.

It is one of several panels removed after she died.
The design is believed to have been a basis for the decoration used on her tomb in Westminster Abbey.

? Picture credits – M.Tong for The Tudor Intruders.