My very favourite portrait of Anne Boleyn is the Hever Rose portrait of her, a beautiful painting which you will find on display in Anne Boleyn’s childhood home, Hever Castle. I’ve even had a copy done in oil of this portrait, that’s how much I love it!
The portrait is similar to the National Portrait Gallery portrait of her in that she is depicted in very similar dress and with her famous B necklace. However, in the Hever Castle version, Anne Boleyn is holding a red rose in her right hand.
At present, the portrait, which is thought to be by an unknown English artist, is dated to c.1550, although it is not known where that date actually came from. Unfortunately, the portrait hasn’t yet undergone dendrochronological analysis to help date it, although it has been beautifully restored to remove overpaint.
You can find out more about the Hever Rose portrait of Anne Boleyn in this talk by Dr Owen Emmerson, Hever Castle Historian and assistant curator:
