Historical Jaunt #1

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A delightful couple of Anne Boleyn-orientated days away with sister Julia and friend Gemma, to commemorate Anne's death on May 19th, 1536.

We stayed in a lovely hotel, The Leicester Arms, in the ridiculously picturesque village of Penshurst in Kent.

'Shamed be he who thinks evil of it' (motto of The Order of the Garter - est. 1348 by Edward III.  Hanging outside the room I slept in on the second night)

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Julia and me in our room :)

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- Hever Castle -

You wouldn't think that Katherine of Aragon would have ever visited the Boleyn castle, but here she is taking a selfie with her portrait.

Ditto Anne, who doesn't look moost happi about Katherine's visit.

At the stairs going up to what is thought to be the bedroom shared by Anne and Mary when they were young.  

Wonder if the Boleyn sisters giggled under the covers and had midnight feasts of marchpane confections and comfits (Julia and I used to have a few pear drops and mint imperials held back from our weekend sweet allowance...)

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Queen Elizabeth's coronation robe (obviously not the original!).  It stands in the room Henry VIII stayed in when he visited the castle - a shame he didn't know what a mighty and much-loved queen his second daughter would become, or he might not have been such a murderous git to Anne.

Part 2 - Hever Castle and Penshurst Place HERE

Part 3 - The Tower of London HERE