The Secrets Of Hever Castle: Home Of Anne Boleyn
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- 'The Secrets Of Hever Castle: Home Of Anne Boleyn'
Hever Castle is one of the most remarkable historic houses in Britain.
It’s got 700 years of turbulent history, marked by glitz and glamour as
well as decline and fall. In this video, History Hit presenter Alice Loxton gives you a whirlwind tour of the castle and shows you some of her favourite bits.
From the special lock Henry VIII had fitted to his bedroom door while he was courting Anne Boleyn, to William Waldorf Astor's hidden champagne closet, this castle has plenty of secrets to discover.
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#HeverCastle #AnneBoleyn #HistoryHit
Alice is filming a series looking at the secret history of some of Britain's best known landmarks! 😀 What locations would you like to see us visit?
Allington Castle, Bodiam Castle and Penshurst Place please 😁
More Scottish stuff
Bamburgh Castle
@@DarthDainese69 Ooh yes, home of Eutred The Bold.
Fort Paul
I got to see this once, along with my 14 year old son.It was one of the most magical, beautiful days ever! We had dinner at the King Henry VIII pub next door which was also perfect, sunshine, dining outdoors, such a happy memory!
I grew up in the village of Hever, many moons ago and used to play in the castle grounds, long before it was open to the public. I also remember the film crew coming to make 'Anne of a Thousand Days'.
what a blessed childhood!
@@LaurelMcBrine so you would know Elizabeth Taylor wasn't in that movie.
What a beautiful childhood memory . I bet you had many amazing imaginative adventures here 😊
@@PigeonsPie1 According to film history, Ms. Taylor had a non-speaking role at one of Henry's masques. ua-cam.com/video/WxA4QFAwfS0/v-deo.html
@@PigeonsPie1 No but Richard Burton was. Him and Elizabeth Taylor were on again off again, actually married twice. Their first marriage was from 1964 to 1974.
Hever Castle is one of the most remarkable historic houses in Britain. Perfectly said, such a fascinating place
What a testament to the building skills of the men that built this...700 years and still standing!
thanks to Astor who sunk a fortune into the refurbish the castle as well.
Are you sure I thought the Windrush built England 😄
9:15 The stairs also curved clockwise, as because most attackers would be right handed they'd be at a disadvantage with less reach and around the turn when sword fighting, and the defenders with the advantage with a longer straight reach.
Genius design.
So hiring some lefty swordsmen would be good strategy.
@@suziewhattley3917 That's what I always thought!
@@صليعليالنبي-و6غ They weren't stupid by any means. One thing I've learned from studying history all my life is don't underestimate the sophistication of the old-timers, they'll surprise you all the time!
@@suziewhattley3917 how’d you know about the castle’s interior tho beforehand?
Love this place and have visited it often. The gardens in spring are amazing with swathes of tulip beds and banks of Rhododendron. Gorgeous.
Loved it, her enthusiasm is really great!
I thought the exact same thing. A genuine enthusiastic approach rather than that of a dour lecture.
Yes, very jolly hockey sticks. Lovely posh accent.
Not a fan of hers if I'm completely honest but each to their own 👌
Can't stand her she is shockingly bad at her job.
I love seeing these old castles taken care of and kept restored.
Alice's enthusiasm is contagious! Love the awesome storytelling
I couldn't agree more!😊❤🇧🇷
She was a pain , worse person to do this , incompetent person.
My daughter Robyn is utterly desperate to visit Hever, didn't realise how breathtaking it is. 💖
Loved it! Especially Alice's enthusiasm and energy!! Bravo!
I’ve been to Hever and LOVED it. It’s big enough to be grand but small enough to be a great family home. Xx
Thank you Alice!
As you might guess here in the US we have very little surviving earlier than the year 1700, so the age of the castles and other grand (and not so grand) homes in Britain and elsewhere in Europe just fills me with wonder and awe. How much history took place within those walls? If those walls could only speak! Or maybe they do, if we know how to listen.
You really should pop over and visit. We have history all over the place. When I lived near the border of Wales I counted over 20 big castles like this one within 100 miles.
@@shorey66 Maybe one of these days. I was in Britain once before, in 1976. I was part of a NATO operation and our ship berthed in Portsmouth. I visited HMS Victory and that was a thrill!
Thankyou for sharing.
All castles are haunted.
This is the best, most enthusiastic, and informative video on Hever Castle that I have ever seen! Alice is amazing to listen to. I feel as if I was right there with her going from room to room, anticipating what was next! Thank you!
This is a beautiful castle, and IMO more a manor house than a castle.
I would definitely recommend visiting.
That's exactly what it is!
This is great. She’s fantastic. I want her to show me every old building.
The most concise and enjoyable program I have seen about Hever Castle! My father and I used to maintain the adjacent churchyard and part of the job was to tend the burial place of Lord and Lady Astor within the castle grounds.
This was perfect, the presenter’s enthusiasm was infectious, and I felt like I was right there with her. I wish it had been longer. 🤗🇬🇧
"Thomas Boleyn died in March 1539 and was buried at St Peter's Church at Hever. Henry VIII ordered masses to be said for Thomas’s soul, clear evidence that Thomas was back in favour then." It is my understanding he remained at court well after the deaths of Anne and George.
Do you have a source?
@@tsarina24honolulu87 UA-cam Claire Ridgeway The Anne Boleyn Files and Tudor Society.
Yes you're correct
I love the garden. The castle is beautiful. I love the designs in it. I can’t wait to see the inside. ❤️🌹❤️
After watching this video I regret not visiting Hever castle during my stay in UK as a foreign masters student. Alice you are a superb presenter!
Great video. I was stationed in the UK while in the military and visited Heaver and many other historic places. There’s so much to see there. Those were good times for someone who loves history. Keep the videos coming. Great job! :)
What years in military in uk
What years in military in uk
I was there in 85 through 91 at RAF Fairford (Gloustershire) and RAF Upper Heyford. (Oxfordshire) Drove my Mini Estate all over. I’m doing a research project on the Knights Templar. I didn’t know about all the related sites for that at the time. I walked right past Temple Church and didn’t even know it. And other stuff. Drove past Rosslyn Chapel too. Kicking myself. 😡 🤦🏼
Sorry bout some spellings.
@@timcook7730 86 I lived in London, have you visited London lately
@@timcook7730 did u know Jack Morris
Bravo for Aster in bringing the castle back to life.
I just love everything Anne Boleyn
Hello 👋how are you doing?
Especially her Daughter.
Thank you for showing Anne's home. I read "Brief Gaudy Hour" as a young girl, and read about Hever in it. I always loved that book! 🏰
More of this please! I live on the other side of the world and don't imagine I'll be ever able to see places like this in person, so History Hit and Alice are the next best thing! Looking forward to what you shine a light on next.
It’s fabulous. As an American I’ve never seen it before. The land these people had in their possession amazes me, as does the beauty and history of the castle.
Hever Castle is beautifully preserved and the gardens, lake are gorgeous. Loved visiting Anne Boleyn's childhood home over the years.
preserved? its an Edwardian folly at this point. Its beautifully done but I wouldn't call it preserved.
Visited this castle in the 1990's! Nice to see it again! The road there is very narrow and very bushy and you can't see much till you actually get to the castle itself. We were amazed to see hundreds of cars and even full size tour buses all parked on the grounds. Turns out they were having some kind of car show and had all kinds of old British cars arrayed on the property!
The UK is fortunate to have such amazing historical and quite simply beautiful properties and castles to enjoy.
LOVE Hever Castle. Marvelous place to visit. So beautiful, inside and out. Strongly recommend. ❤️❤️❤️
I enjoyed this very much! Thank you! I dearly love history docs,for any era from our ancestors to the Renaissance through to the 1900's...but as a plant lover and retired horticulturist (being lifelong work and passion)the first thing that jumps out at me are the plants and trees in any show,movie etc! And I must say...Those aerial photos of the palace ground at the first moments,had my radar tripped! And those formal gardens and hedges,and that magnificent maze hedge....ooh! You can't imagine how great that is to see! Like a golden treasure!
This is amazing!! Thank you for giving the world a grand tour of this quite beautiful and historical castle! We get to travel "vicariously" through you!
Alice presentation is very refreshing and enjoyable to watch and it was very lovely to learn more about that quaint castle.
Wow. What a beautiful castle. I enjoyed this immensely! Thank you!
I was lucky enough to have visited Hever Castle many years ago. I really wish UA-cam would have been around then so I could have known all of these interesting details. I'm still grateful though to have walked in the footsteps of Anne Boleyn. I hope to visit the castle again one day. Thank you for this very entertaining and informative video!
This was great! Entertaining and very interesting filled with history!
Hi 👋. Ann Boleyn became my favorite Queen when I was very young & learned about her. Her age really is what caught my attention when she married King Henry V111. Thank you so much for telling her story and giving us all a tour of her childhood home.
More Alice videos, please! Love her playing the Downton Abbey theme to set the scene for Astor entertaining his guests 🎶🎵
She wasn't actually playing what we were hearing. I play piano and I can tell you those notes do not match up with him the keys she was pressing. Plus, when she starts playing with her right hand the timing is off.
When Catherine of Aragon was at prayer, in Anne of the Thousand Days; Elizabeth Taylor burst in giggling, wearing a silver mask. It was more like a brief cameo. Thanks Alice for a wonderfully insightful presentation!
Alice is quite lovely...I shall look forward to learning things from her videos =)
Im a Kiwi from NZ and I went here in 1987. I remember it being the best castle to visit because a lot of it was open to visitors. I remember thinking how amazing the wood work was. The carving in the entry. I didn’t realise the history back then though.
Great video but Queen Elizabeth 2 can't have been a guest of William Waldorf Astor as he died in 1919 and the Queen was born in 1926. She may have been a guest of his son though. I visited Hever Castle in 1998 and would love to visit it again.
Different Viscount Astor.
It's a beautiful structure. Oh yes, another small error: Books of Hours and the little book of hours or Little Office of the Virgin Mary are not the same thing. Pity the books of devotions she owned did nothing for Anne's piety though. Her ambition destroyed her life, killled her brother and ruined her family.
@@sandie157 Anne was pushed by her father. Is he not culpable, too?
I caught that too. The thing is that it immediately cuts to her saying, "You can picture Astor entertaining his friends...." so it it implies that QEII was one of his guests, which couldn't have been true. I am not arguing that she wasn't there but they really should have made that clear.
@@hamburgerhelperflick QE11 was probably a friend of John Jacob Astor, he was created 1st Baron Astor of Hever in 1956.
I love any video presented by Alice Loxton. She is so lovely, with such a soothing voice, and her smile is infectious. I don't know what is her background, but she is perfectly suited to these light looks at historical places. She goes into just enough detail to make it interesting enough that I sincerely want to visit all the places she features. I never will, unfortunately, but at least I have young Alice to satisfy my historical itch.
More please Alice. I loved your presentation. We only have the Disney "fake castle" to look at over here in Orlando. Please do a visite to Blenheim Palace. I visited there when I went to live with my grandmother as a lad of14 back in in 1962. Also, if it's opened to the public, the Barclay Manor house at Spetchley Park. That's where my GI father met my British mum back in 1943.
They have done Blenheim (or it may be on a related channel)
I'll see if I can find it (it certainly is a magnificent sight!) - ua-cam.com/video/Xl0ZZqwuQPM/v-deo.html
You have the coral castle. its not the fact its a castle or its age its how it was constructed and how its connections to ancient sites is significant Please dont be under the illusion that your nations history isnt very old. I can assure you there is thousands of years of history all over your amazing country. And in my opinion holds extremely significant importance to a obvious ancient civilisation of human beings. You have an ancient monument in Ohio the serpent mound which is as signifcant as stone henge which is thought to be 5000 years old but very possibly twice as old maybe possibly older than or as old as 12 thousand years and clearly indicates the same reasons behind its construction by an ancient civilisation with the same beliefs as the builders of stonhenge and a clear indication of the presence of intelligent humans in an established and advanced civilisation which is going to change the world one day. We are taught in sciences at british university this qoute. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, then you are brainwashed to accept an established narrative that is designed to stop you thinking because trust me if you start looking the dots will begin to join up and its actually more and more obvious the more you look and you`ll begin to feel powerful as you realise how we are all connected and how nationalism is irelevent and once again a tool to keep us divided because the truth makes you undeatable and so powerful and it will eventually join us all together. The evil bloodlines in control are terrified of us and seek to keep us terrified and in the dark, well nows your chance to begin your journey towards the truth I really hope you take a look it does seem you have the right curiosity just never fear to formulate your own theories. Sorry if you think this is a conspiracy nutters rant thats fine and your opinion is your right but I try to do 1 good thing for 1 person everyday, I hope this is it. Even if it only made you laugh, I`ll take that. A smile means you were entertained and even for a breif moment you felt good because you smiled, so mission accomplished I did a good thing but Im more able to assume either way that you will be sufficiently aroused to start and if your already awakening then sorry to assume you were not already aware and it atleast shows you know their are millions more like me in the UK and across the world. Be safe, share your love and keep your mind free.
@@sorenbaek9626 - Lend Lease
Hi Richard, I'm in Clermont. I hear you about Disney castle.
Many castles in US but lack history like England and Britain. I’m in Tampa. Flat, hot, humid and miserable 8 months a year. Bok Tower is ok to,see….once.
I recently discovered Mary Boleyn is my 16x great grandmother. Crazy to see the home she grew up in. 520 years later.
The weather in the video makes it even more medieval 🏰 thanks for sharing
I don't know why, but I love learning more about Anne Boleyn. This was a great tour. Alice did a really good job
Alice, you're a great narrator! Love it! such enthusiasm . I enjoy Biritish history very much and will try to catch any series on long gone Kings and Queens of England. such history and your presentation is great! thank you!!
Thank you so much!
I do agree wholeheartedly with you, Tina. Alice is a wonderful presenter!
Loved the Downtown Abbey theme played on the piano! 😄
This was wonderfully done. Instead of focusing on the Boleyn family “drama”, it was nice to see the other side of things.
Such as the short glimpse at the names on the windows.
I love the Downtown Abbey song on the piano. Beautiful place.
So did ElizabethTaylor accompany Richard Burton while he was on location? Because she wasn't in the film, it was Burton and Genevieve Bujold.
Thoroughly enjoyed this, Hever is one of my favourite places. I love the history with Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.
I caught that too! - Also what someone else mentioned....QE2 could not have been a guest of W. Astor...... he died before she was born.
Elizabeth Taylor was in Anne if a Thousand Days. She was the masked woman who burst into the room.
Wow what a wonderful day to hear this kind of story about HISTORY. We can imagine that those people who've been live there were actually experience magical journey of their life. I'm so amazed how they build that castle and how they manage it..
This was very well done and fun to watch! The history of Hever Castle is incredible!
That was a wonderful tour & history of Hever castle. I had no idea what happened after Boleyn's. I do now, Thank you!
Very good documentation 👍🏻 I really would like to visit Hever Castle.
Nice touch by the way, when you started to played the Downton Abbey theme . 😀
Glad you enjoyed it!
Only just discovered this channel... Really impressed with it, so far... Professional like what you'd expect to see on terrestrial TV, too....
I’m due to visit Hever Castle at the end of August and this video was excellent. Alice is a great story teller and made the video even more interesting with her enthusiastic delivery.
Your presentation is absolutely fabulous. Very explanatory and I’m sure learning so much more in detail. Thank you so very much for this documentary. 👍👍👍
Beautiful place with such a weight of history. How extraordinary it must be to visit (I'm American and have never been in any building more than perhaps 200 years old). To walk the very halls Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII walked must give one pause.
One of my favourite places in England. That was fascinating, thank you.
My Dad still talks about the Italian Garden to this day. Dragged him & barley got him to understand England at all. 🤷♀️ He’s American. Now Hever Castle & its Gardens is all he talks about when remembering the entire trip.
One of my favorite castles to visit and my favorite presenter.
I love how everything is so well maintained, beautiful gardens… loved this video💝. Greetings from Portugal
This has always been my most favourite castle. I've been a few times and once for a jousting tournament. The have a great collection of Holbein's paintings.
Beautifully filmed. 👏🏻
Great video really enjoyed this, really good to see where Anne Boleyn lived and slept, and I think you are such a great presenter and most talented as I didn't know you could play the piano🥰
Awesome, who doesn't love history? Thanks so much! ❤
Oh God I love the hostess with the mostess' accent, I melt! a beauty. great tour although was hoping for a tour into the secret or hidden safe rooms. there had to be a few. what an amazing place to have lived though. luxurious back in the day.
Great video, thank you! Alice is a brilliant and enthralling presenter.
I love how beautiful and gorgeous these castles are I'm always amazed by the beauty of the garden
History Hit never disappoints 😀
Great video, my family came to the Carolina Colony in 1680. I enjoy learning more about my heritage 👍🏻🇺🇸
So great to see this, I’m a descendant of the Bullen family. They originally came from Norfolk to Hever castle.
One of Mary's descendents?
Great short tour of Heber Castle is quite intriguing!
Hello 👋how are you doing?
First time I have seen this castle I never knew Anne Bullen as is spelt lived here. What a beautiful castle it is I must visit to fully appreciate it as love it being part of our history. So grateful an American gentleman saved it from ruin what a fine man and fantastic job he has done at restoring it 👏
He died on the titanic
@missf4681 Thank you for informing me of this I did not know, how sad. But he left a great legacy of his achievement to his family & ancesters of which they must be so proud of. 🙂
@@Ally-StaffyLover No that's a different Astor. It was John Jacob Astor IV who died on the Titanic in 1912.
It was William Waldorf Astor who restored Hever. He died in 1919
@@missf4681 No, different Astor. It was John Jacob Astor IV who perished on the Titanic not William Waldorf Astor
Yes Anne Boleyn/Bullen was probably born at Blickling Hall but was raised at Hever Castle. Hever was one of Anne's happy places.
Been to Hever Castle and have stood in Anne Boleyn bedroom, you could feel the presence.
Fascinating, American here but found when I did my genealogy that Mary Boleyn the sister was my 14th GGrandmother.
I always admired Mary Carey , I wish that they would give her the attention that she deserves
Thank you for showing this too
Another great History video,well done guys, can’t stop watching these wonderful videos , 👍👍.
I bought Alice Loxton's audiobook today because she's an excellent narrator 😊
Great tour guide and great history lesson!!
I am sure I am repeating what hundreds must have said but I love Alice Loxton's funny, witty and entertaining style. Just one detail for art lovers; the portrait of Elizabeth Valois, the third wife of Philip II of Spain, is one of two versions recorded, the other one is in the Louvre. Its author is unknown but experts are divided between the Dutchman Anthonis Mor and the Spaniard Alonso Sanchez-Coello; both have a very similar style but after studying the work of Sanchez-Coello I believe he was the author of this portrait.
That was brilliant - well done. Such a fun, fresh approach, animated and makes history alive and interesting. Fine work. Lovely presentation.
Cheers
Spent the weekend here exploring, lovely!
I LOVE the way that Alice sits down at the piano and plays the Downton Abbey theme. Maybe not totally historically accurate, but a lot of fun. ;)
Thank you! That was a fascinating tour.
Hello 👋how are you doing?
The castle is beautiful and Alice is great, I like her subtle, natural sense of humour.
Edit: Oh! And she can even play the piano! Sweet 😊
I think she wasn't really playing because right hand didn't seem to match the music...although, the music sound could have been off.
@@janepoindexter4470 She is playing the piano for real. They clearly only had one camera and recorded two takes of her playing one after the other, first a closeup, then a wider shot. But they used the audio track from the first closeup take for both clips to avoid an obvious jump/cut in the music. Therefore the wider shot with the right hand playing doesn't match the music because the audio comes from the earlier closeup shot 😉
Very informative and insightful. I wish that I had caught the name of the presenter because she had a wonderful balance between the right amount of information, humor, and interest! Thank you for posting and sharing!
Loved the tour of the magnificent Hever Castle & Alice's presenting style!
The last time I was in Hever Castle was at my first visit in England 40 years ago! I hope I can visit again, in this lifetime
In the 1969 film, Ann of A Thousand Days, Ann Boleyn was play by Genevieve Bujold, not Elizabeth Taylor.
However, Liz was in the movie. She was the masked woman who burst into the room.
I also thought it was discovered that Mary I’s pearl was different from la peregrina
Best show on this topic, just loved it! Great job
Wow, thank you!
Love the humor and enthusiasm of Alice, love her.
She’s so awesome! Really enjoyed it!
You are instantly my favorite historical host of the great many I’ve seen over the years! You have the perfect touch of humor without wading into corny territory (Lucy Worsley does more and more and it gets tedious lol). I hope to see more of your tours in the future!
Go to Hever castle in the summer when the flowers have bloomed. It’s very colourful and beautiful. Great day out.
“Anne of a Thousand Days” starred Genevieve Bujold. I don’t remember Elizabeth Taylor anywhere, much less wearing the perfect pearl.
Maybe Elizabeth Taylor visited when Richard Burton played Henry VIII in the film.
I love all things Anne Boleyn including Hever Castle 🏰. This was great 👍 ‼️