Art History Series: Even more Book of Hours - this time Anne Boleyn's!

After the post about Thomas Cromwell's prayer book, I will also tell you about Anne Boleyn's. These two books were printed on the same press 500 years ago and were in the hands of some of the greatest figures in Tudor history, and it is admirable that they meet in the same space for perhaps the first time in so long during the work of the research team. After they were printed in 1527 in Paris, they traveled completely different routes - by that time Anne Boleyn had already accepted Henry's marriage proposal, but he still had a queen by his side - Catherine of Aragon, who, as I mentioned, also owned a copy that is currently located in New York. She doesn't want to go away quietly and the power struggle between the royals continues for another 7 years before their marriage is dissolved, in which Thomas Cromwell has a strong role.     The two books seem to arrive at the court at a similar time, but their histories are very different. Just before her execution, Anne Boleyn is said to have given a modest prayer book to one of her ladies. It is assumed that this is the very book we are talking about now, which is located in Hever Castle. If we look inside, we can see an inscription – “Remember me when you do pray, That hope doth lead from day to day” Signed “Anne Boleyn”. This sounds like a wish to be remembered after her death, which Henry VIII makes very difficult. His efforts to erase Anne from history included the destruction of all memorials and portraits of her. But this book that bears her name survives. Kate McCaffrey discovered 4 more hidden messages, which were later deleted. They show the way the book traveled through the hands of people who felt a close connection to Anne Boleyn - mainly a group of Kentish gentry, mostly women, who hid and preserved this prayer book at great risk.     If you go to Hever Castle, on the anniversary of Anne Boleyn's death, the book stays open on the page with her dedication, which is otherwise kept open to other pages for conservative purposes.

     Regards,

     Julia

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