What a wicked game to play

The world was on fire and no one could save me but you…

Last year at Halloween, I did something very special: I spent the night at a castle. And not just any castle. I decided to explore Hever Castle, childhood home of Anne Boleyn, the infamous second wife of king Henry VIII. As is commonly known, he completely lost his head over her, even went as far as risking excommunication from the Catholic Church and subsequently founding the Church of England. Eventually though, Anne Boleyn would be the one to lose her head and everything else. So what better way to spend Halloween than at the former home of a beheaded queen?

The world was on fire and no one could save me but you
It’s strange what desire will make foolish people do
I’d never dreamed that I’d meet somebody like you
And I’d never dreamed that I’d lose somebody like you

No, I don’t wanna fall in love…

Hever Castle is located in Kent, near the small town of Edenbridge. It can be easily reached by train – the journey from London is about 50 minutes. I was pretty excited to go there: I love castles, I love The Tudors (the TV show) and I loved the reviews that Hever Castle Luxury Bed & Breakfast got on Booking.com.

I wasn’t disappointed: The castle and grounds were gorgeous, our room even more so (we stayed in a twin room called “Amaranth” in the Astor wing, which is attached to the main castle) and the staff were super friendly and attentive.

Our gorgeous room – Tudor style, but with all modern amenities

Since the castle and grounds were closed to the public on Halloween eve and All Saints day, we basically had the whole property to ourselves.

What a wicked game to play, to make me feel this way
What a wicked thing to do, to let me dream of you
What a wicked thing to say, you never felt this way
What a wicked thing to do, to make me dream of you

I have to admit that I am a big pop culture victim when it comes to history. I love historical movies and TV shows and I love all the drama, pretty costumes and (apparently) hot sex in them. I do realize, however, that they might not be 100% historically accurate… Still I feel that shows like The Tudors spur a big interest in certain historical periods and they do provide information (and entertainment) to a wider public. And let’s face it, in the case of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII, absolutely no writer of fiction could have come up with a more fascinating story.

Their love story might be long gone and seem – in certain ways (e.g. beheading of the ex lover etc.) – extreme… but it is still oddly relatable even today: a besotted man proclaiming eternal love to a fascinating and strong woman, doing everything in his power to win her over… then, once he has got her and realizes that she is but a mere mortal and not the Goddess he thought, he quickly loses interest and starts pursuing someone else (in that case, a woman who is much sweeter and much less headstrong than the former beloved). He then wishes to be rid of the complicated woman as soon as may be…

And so it goes: divorced, beheaded, died – divorced, beheaded, survived.

The master bedroom in the main castle: usually occupied by Anne Boleyn’s parents, this is where Henry would sleep when he visited.

Main entrance of the original castle, dating back to the 13th century

If you DID watch the show, you might remember that disturbing scene with the swan at the end of season 2? Well, let’s just say, the swans greatly added to the atmosphere…