There was such a positive response to the first Anne Boleyn podcast I posted that I hunted up another. The subject of this podcast is Anne Boleyn's Book of Hours and it is an interview with the curator of the British National Libraries, Scott McKendrick. A Book of Hours is a personal prayer devotional that was popular amongst high-born, religious minded nobles. They were popular from the thirteenth century until the Reformation and were so named because they contained the short prayers said to the Virgin Mary that were read during eight fixed hours during the day. Not only is Anne's copy beautiful, but it reveals a very personal look at the relationship between Anne and Henry as it contains their personal notes to each other written in the margins and on the inside covers. The book is currently housed at Hever Castle, the childhood home of Anne. It is one of the few remaining posessions of Queen Anne as most were destroyed by her enemies following her execution. Click here for the audio.
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| Imagery of Anne's Book of Hours Courtesy of the British Library Board |
Lovely! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHow was the book preserved? If all of her other things were destroyed?
ReplyDelete