No, it’s not me, lol! Although I am speaking at it and my family think I’m fabulous! 😉
My co-leader and organisational whiz, Philippa, has just announced our speaker for next year’s Anne Boleyn Experience Tour, and I must say that I’m thrilled. I’m already excited about the tour – you know that I quite literally count the days between tours (don’t tell Tim or the kids!) – but now I’m even more excited because somebody who I have looked up to for years will be speaking to us at Hever Castle!
And the mystery speaker is…. Dr Jonathan Foyle, who many of you will know from his TV work. Jonathan is former Curator of Historic Buildings at Hampton Court Palace, an expert on Tudor architecture, AND presenter of TV series such as “Henry VIII: Patron or Plunderer?”. He will be sharing his knowledge and expertise with our tour group on the Anne Boleyn Experience 2020 next May – squeal!
Here’s a YouTube video of Jonathan talking about a bed that once belonged to Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, just to give you a taster of this historian’s mind-blowing expertise!
And not that I want to embarrass the poor man, or anything – so sorry, Jonathan, but this blooper reel makes such good TV. I’m pretty sure that I’d be saying more than “Oh dear,” in that situation, perhaps “Sugar!”…. He is such a nice chap!
The tour is nearly half full already, but if you want to book your place then you can do so at https://www.britishhistorytours.com/history-tours/anne-boleyn-2020. Please come and join us!
I just loved the video about the state bed, and all the work that was done to identify it! Fascinating!
Great coup getting Mr. Foyle as a speaker.
I’ve seen ‘a’ photo of this bed and I thought it was interesting but getting a tour of it and learning the provenance and history of it is so much more powerful. That something like this, made out of a fragile material like wood can survive all these centuries is remarkable enough but to ascribe it to a particular monarch (and not just any monarch) Henry VII is extraordinary. Thank you Claire for posting this and thank you to Jonathan Foyle for sharing.
This was truly fascinating to think that it could survive all this time and able to tell that it was the bed of Henry the vii is remarkable. Thank you Claire for sharing this extraordinary bit of history.
I loved this video! Do you know where the bed is located? Is it away in a private collection or is it on display? Thank you so much for sharing!
Hubba! Hubba! Hubba! Jonathan Foyle is excellent and as dishy as ever. I am sure you will enjoy him.