From The Six Queens Tea Co to Anne Boleyn’s Childhood Home: A Visit to Hever Castle
- Jamie Speirs
- Aug 13
- 4 min read
When you have built a business around six legendary women, visiting the places that they lived can feel surreal – almost spiritual. Hever Castle is one of those places.
Ever since I was a teenager (not coincidentally when The Tudors had its original run) I have had a very keen interest in Henry VIII and his six wives. I cannot go on record as having a favourite Queen, but I will say that Anne Boleyn (her life, and especially her downfall and execution) engendered a particular fascination in me.
If Natalie Dormer started my enthusiasm, learning about the real Anne only intensified it. To me, Anne Boleyn is the feminist prototype. An icon. A woman who was not a legendary beauty but who’s je ne sais quoi captured the intense love of a King. This was a woman of unparalleled intelligence, wit, charisma and determination. She was progressive, feisty, ambitious, and a little volatile. Her imperfection is what makes her so beguiling.
I have wanted to take the trip from Scotland down to Hever for ages, and finally got the opportunity to do so last week. The anticipation of finally getting to see where Anne Boleyn lived, slept, worshipped and decided her future was intoxicating to a Tudor fanatic like me. My (also history-obsessed) mother was very easily persuaded to join me on the trip.
Since this was the perfect opportunity, I decided to pack a few tea samples to give to the Hever gift shop as well.
Returning to Anne Boleyn’s Beginnings
Hever Castle is perhaps best known as the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, but standing there in person gives a very different perspective on the woman whose life would ultimately change the course of English history.
Walking through the lush, expansive gardens and stepping into the castle for the first time was nothing short of surreal. To walk in Anne’s footsteps, to touch the same wood paneling and stone walls, was so moving. Despite the term ‘castle’, Hever is no Buckingham Palace and I loved that. There is a quaint charm about the place that is so endearing.
By far my favourite room in the house was the ‘best bedroom’. This is where Anne’s parents, Thomas and Elizabeth, would have slept while Anne was a child. But during Anne’s rise at the court of Henry VIII, she would have occupied this bedroom. It was extraordinary to think that, in that very room, Anne might well have read Henry’s letters to her and written her replies.
We saw Anne’s personal possessions, such as her Book of Hours, where her literal DNA was all over the pages. We were also lucky enough to see the Capturing A Queen exhibition which examined the portraiture of Anne over the past 5 centuries.
A Place That Inspired The Six Queens Tea Co
Anne Boleyn has been a huge source of inspiration for The Six Queens Tea Co, so visiting Hever felt like bringing a little piece of the story behind the business to life.
The idea behind The Six Queens Tea Co is to celebrate the six women who became the wives and queens of Henry VIII through historically inspired tea blends.
As with all my tea blends in the Six Queens collection, the Anne Boleyn blend (called Witch) is comprised of herbs that would have been available and used during the Tudor period. Each herb has been carefully selected to reflect part of Anne’s personal story. The herbs are:
Sage - for protection, wisdom, and healing
Mugwort - for intuition, feminine power, and the whispers of old magic
Strawberry Leaf - for luck and charm
Rose Petals - for passion, allure, and beauty
Thyme - for courage and strength
Bringing the Tea to Hever
One of the most exciting parts of the visit was being able to bring The Six Queens Tea Co along with me – not just as a visitor, but to deliver tea samples to the gift shop.
I brought samples of the first three blends that will shortly be available for purchase – Catherine of Aragon (Fortaleza blend), Anne Boleyn (Witch blend) and Jane Seymour (Gentle Dove blend).
Handing over the samples to the gift shop manager was definitely a ‘palms are sweaty, mom’s spaghetti’ type of experience. Putting myself out there is by far my least favourite part of starting a business but it just has to be done! It takes ovaries, that’s for sure.
Being able to see my own product in a place so closely connected with Anne Boleyn would be a dream come true and my life made. Watch this space…
Meeting the People Behind the Day
The visit also gave me the opportunity to hear talks given by Dr Owen Emerson, Kate McCaffery and Tracy Borman as part of the History Festival at Hever Castle.
Owen and Kate held a fascinating talk at St Peter’s Church (where Anne Boleyn worshipped and where her father is buried) on the Capturing A Queen exhibition, including research that strongly suggests there is a contemporary likeness of Anne Boleyn! I picked up their new book and got it signed.
We heard Tracy Borman talk about her new book, The House of Boleyn, which I devoured before we went down to Hever. Tracy is such an engaging speaker (as testified by her many television appearances) and it was fascinating to hear about the research behind her novel.
A Trip I Won’t Forget
As the entire trip was so special, it is hard to pick a favourite moment from our time in Hever. For me, the standout moment was learning that the Windsor Sketch by Hans Holbein is very likely a contemporary depiction of Anne. I think I can speak for all Anne Boleyn enthusiasts when I say we want to look into her eyes, and hearing the research behind identifying this sketch gives me confidence that we are seeing the true face of this incredible woman.
Visiting Anne Boleyn’s childhood home, listening to some incredible talks and being able to take a small piece of The Six Queens Tea Co there with me was a genuinely special experience.
Until Next Time…
Follow along with my tea journey on Instagram and TikTok @sixqueenstea
Steeped in History, Stirred with Sovereignty.