Welcome to the enchanting Hever Castle in Bloom Part Three !
Good morning dear Friends :)
For this last instalment of my visit to the enchanting Hever Castle in Bloom, I invite you to discover the extraordinary interiors of this iconic castle.
One of the most poignant moment to my otherwise perfectly delightful visit of Hever Castle was to suddenly enter the bedroom of Anne Boleyn, tragic Queen to the mighty Henry VIII and for a few minutes time stood still for us all remembering the ultimate sacrifice she made for becoming Queen of England for just 1000 days â¤ï¸...
Spanning more than 600 years, the history of Hever Castle is rich and varied.
The original medieval defensive castle, with its gatehouse and walled bailey, was built in 1383. In the 15th and 16th centuries it was the home of one of the most powerful families in the country, the Boleyns, who modernised the existing dwelling within the walls.
The Castle was to become the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, King Henry VIII’s second wife, who became Queen of England for just 1,000 days.
It was Henry’s love for Anne and her insistence that she became his wife rather than his mistress that led to the King splitting from the Church in Rome and creating the Church of England, forever altering the course of English and European history.
Hever later passed into the ownership of another of Henry VIII’s wives, Anne of Cleves, and from 1557 onwards it was owned by a number of families including the Waldegraves, the Humphreys and the Meade Waldos.
Gradually it fell into decline before William Waldorf Astor invested time, money and imagination in restoring the Castle.
He commissioned the ’Tudor Village’, now called the ‘Astor Wing’ and the construction of the magnificent gardens and lake.
At Hever, his wealth and vision enabled him to create a lavish family home that also indulged his passion for history 😊
Wishing you a lovely day !
Karim
