Hever Castle
We had a day out to Hever Castle in Kent. This is the home of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII. Henry is a towering figure in the House of Tudor which ruled England in the 1500s. the Tudor dynasty was established in 1485 by Henry VII Following the war of the Roses and endured until the Union of the Crowns of England and Scotland in 1603.
You'll remember Henry VIII as he was the Steve Jobs of Mediaeval England. He changed many things, some for the better. He was also a ruthless tyrant and bully. As a young man, he was tall, handsome, a great sportsman and all round good guy. 20 years into his marriage to Cathernine of Aragon, he wanted a divorce. The King was bored with Catherine and she had not borne him a child. Catherine had been married previously to the King's dead brother. The Pope granted permission for the original marriage on the pretext that Catherine was a virgin. In order to divorce Catherine, Henry created the Church of England, dissolved the Monastories and removed the Church of Rome from England. His Church obliged with a divorce.
The Wives of Henry VIII were: Catherine of Aragon (divorced), Anne Boleyn (executed), Jane Seymour (died after childbirth), Anne of Cleves (annulled), Catherine Howard (executed), Catherine Parr (survived). Catherine of Aragon avoided execution because she was a member of the Royal Family of Spain. Catherine Howard did flirt with members of the Court and contributed to her downfall. Anne had her head chopped off for trumped up charges of adultary. Her real crime was to have incurred the King's wrath for (among other things), failing to produce a son and heir.
Anne had one child - a daughter Elizabeth. Queen Elizabeth I began the process of building the British Empire when she sat on the throne of England for around 40 years.
Henry VIII is a towering figure in English history. In my mind, he's an Abe Lincoln figure. It's impossible to discuss the history of the English Nation without talking about him. Anne is the most influential consort in the history of the English Monarchy. She was the Hillary Clinton of Mediaeval England!
Hever Castle was virtually in ruins when it was acquired by John Waldorf Astor around the end of the 19th century. He was an American and made a fortune in the the United States before moving to England. The castle was repaired as an English Mansion and the Italian Garden and Lake were added. Both the house and the gardens are magnificent.
The weather was perfect on our visit. A nice family day out.
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