Hever Castle

The origins of Hever Castle date back to the 13th century when it was established as a simple country house. In 1462, Geoffrey Boleyn, then Lord Mayor of London, acquired the estate and had it transformed into a stately manor. The Boleyn family moved into the castle after 1505, and Anne Boleyn, along with her siblings Mary and George, spent part of their childhood here. Anne Boleyn, who later married King Henry VIII, was executed in 1536, as was her brother George. After the death of their father Thomas Boleyn in 1539, Hever Castle passed to King Henry VIII, who granted it to his divorced wife Anne of Cleves in 1540. In the following centuries, the castle changed hands multiple times, including the Waldegrave and Meade-Waldo families, and fell into disrepair during the 18th and 19th centuries. In the early 20th century, it was acquired by the millionaire William Waldorf Astor and extensively restored for use as a family residence.