December 11: Anne Boleyn's Falcon
Thank you to Sandra Vasoli for sharing these photos of the newly discovered falcon carving.
Sandi says: "This glorious Falcon, recently discovered and restored, is certainly one of the carvings which was used to adorn the apartments of Queen Anne Boleyn at Hampton Court Palace. Almost perfectly preserved, it is Anne's badge of Queenship, derived from the heraldic crest of her ancestral Butler family, the earls of Ormonde. Perched on a woodstock, the red roses of Lancaster combine with the white roses of the house of York, symbolizing Henry VIII's lineage and right to the throne of England. The Imperial crown worn by the falcon and the sceptre which it holds both symbolize Henry and Anne's royal, God-given authority. It is wonderful to think of this very carving, mounted on the wall, observing the merry celebrations of the Yuletide at Hampton Court."
(Photos courtesy of Paul Fitzsimmons of Marhamchurch Antiques)
Sandra Vasoli is the author of Anne Boleyn's Letter from the Tower: A New Assessment, as well as the historical novels Struck with the dart of love: Je Anne Boleyn and Truth Endures: Je Anne Boleyn, which are all excellent books.
Here is a video interview with Sandi and also James Peacock of Hampton Court Palace about this carving