What did Anne Boleyn actually look like?

Was she a great beauty or was it her vivacity, intelligence and magnetism that drew men to her, most famously Henry VIII?

An exciting new exhibition at Hever Castle gives us the opportunity to compare several portraits of the Tudor Queen for ourselves. This is the first time that many have been shown together.

There are a few contemporary accounts of Anne’s appearance from people who actually met her.

She was described as ‘striking’ with a ‘swarthy complexion, long neck, wide mouth and eyes which are black and beautiful’.

However, we learned that no version of the famous B necklace portraits appear to date from Anne’s lifetime. The earliest were painted during Elizabeth I’s reign.

Anne’s image evolved over the years, particularly during the Elizabethan era. Understandably, Elizabeth was keen to reinstate her Mother as a legitimate wife and Queen Consort.

Lots more to discover, so do pop along, and the exhibition is included in the general house entry.

There is also an excellent book accompanying the exhibition, ‘Capturing a Queen’ by Dr Owen Emmerson and Dr Kate McCaffrey