The Hidden History of Hever Castle

A unique talk in support of The Festival Theatre, taking place on the Hever Castle estate, over a cream tea.

Enjoy cream tea with Dr Owen Emmerson, followed by his talk that lifts the veil on The Hidden History of Hever Castle. Owen will share stories, discoveries, archive treasures, and long-overlooked details that recent research has brought to light, revealing a far more layered and surprising past than we once imagined.

We’ll explore how new findings are reshaping our understanding of the castle’s architecture and the people who lived, worked, and dreamed within its walls. You’ll hear how these insights are already influencing plans for future room interpretation and displays, offering a fresh perspective on areas of Hever’s history that have remained obscured for centuries.

It promises to be an afternoon of good company, fascinating conversation, and a rare glimpse behind the scenes of Hever’s evolving story.

This is a fundraiser event for The Festival Theatre generously supported by Dr Owen Emmerson and the Hever Castle Curatorial Team, Hever Castle and Gardens, and Visual Elements Ltd.

Dr Owen Emmerson is a social and cultural historian, the co-author of five books, and a regular contributor to historical documentaries. He works part-time as an Assistant Curator at Hever Castle in Kent and also serves as a historical consultant, most recently for the BBC’s adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light. His forthcoming book, Capturing a Queen: The Image of Anne Boleyn, co-written with Kate McCaffrey, will be published in February 2026.

Owen has written for BBC HistoryExtra, The Daily Mirror, Jacobin, The Telegraph, The Express, and Radio Times. He has appeared in more than twenty documentaries on the Tudor period, including; Blood, Sex, and Royalty: Anne Boleyn (Netflix, 2022), The Boleyns: A Scandalous Family (BBC Two, 2021), and Who Do You Think You Are? – Josh Widdicombe.