Me, I am so much obsessed with Queen Anne Boleyn of England (1533 ~ 1536) – one of the King Henry VIII’s wives.
A bits of story, Anne Boleyn was the second wife, after Queen Catherine of Aragon. She was best known for her role in England’s Christian Reformation – in which England broke away from Roman Catholic Church and formed the Church of England – as the King sought the annulment from his first marriage.
On May 19th, 1536, Queen Anne Boleyn was beheaded for her alleged adultery and treason that were believed to be scripted by her own husband – because of his desire to marry one of Anne’s lady-in-waiting, Jane Seymour, in purpose to have a male heir.
Thus, trailing her homes across England ~ some favourites are Hever Castle, Hampton Court and of course, Tower of London. Lets start with the first one ~
Hever Castle
Little Anne moved to Hever when she was around 3 years old – as her father, Thomas Boleyn inherited the castle from her grandfather, William.
Its a beautiful place and worth a visit! The castle itself is a not as huge – yet the gardens are breathtaking.
Hever Castle’s furnitures, antiques and tapestries are regarded as one of the best collections of Tudor portraits.
The most attractive thing in Hever Garden is the Hever Rose, the rose has a deep red colour with golden-yellow stamens. It blooms around summer time until October.
Hampton Court Palace
This palace was own by Cardinal Wolsey – when he fell from grace, he lost this property to King Henry VIII.
Hampton Court is the silent living prove of King Henry VIII love to Anne Boleyn, where the letters “H” and “ A” are engraved together side by side on some spots in the palace, either it is “HA” or “AH”.
Other prove would be Anne Boleyn’s falcon badge – which was already associated with her before her marriage to the King. Thus the falcon was given a a crown and a spectre to symbolise Anne’s status as the Queenship.
So after hundreds of years now, it is still possible to see evidence of Queen Anne’s reign as the Queen of England.
Again, Hampton Court also famous for its gardens – every single year they have “Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival”, it has stunning flower displays in majestic setting.
Tower of London
For many people, Tower of London is famous for its home of the crown jewels, ghost stories and the infamous prisoners
Behind its gruesome fame for a place of torture, yet you can unearth a royal palace , prison and a powerful fortress. Tower of London has 21 different towers which form this castle complex, each of these towers has their own ghastly stories. Stories that are famous are Anne Boleyn’s ghost around the Tower Green, Princes in the Tower inside the Bloody Tower also about the bear that infrequently appear to scare the visitors away.
One legend in the Tower is that the 7 ravens inside can’t leave the Tower or else, both it and the kingdom will fall.
To summarise, I am someone who captivated to the story of a British Tudor history – nevertheless I also have a care on my own country history and heritage.
A hopeful wish that Indonesia would be able to maintain its culture, tradition and legacy ~ thus our mission is now to preserve and to bring its heritage to the viewer.
“By daily proof you shall me find,
To be to you both loving and kind” ~ A.B.
