Alfred Hawkins & Dr Eleri Lynn talk

Interpretations and Perceptions of the Tower of London: The Making of Englands Most Famous Fortress.

Alfred Hawkins

The Tower of London is one of the most infamous sites in the world: well known as a place of imprisonment, torture, and execution, alongside being the site of sensational intrigue, murder, and of course ravens – but why, and how, do these perceptions colour so much of the fortress’s varied history? From the works of Victorian Architects Anthony Salvin and John Taylor to the burial place of Anne Boleyn, and the way in which we now tell the history of the Tower, this talk will discuss the creation of the current perception the fortress both in terms of its architectural development, and of the myths and stories that we know so well.

The Secrets of Six Wardrobes: the fashions of Henry’s wives

Dr Eleri Lynn

At the Royal Tudor court, dress was one of the primary ways of demonstrating power and status. Tudor eyes saw it as a tangible representation of the virtue and magnificence of the wearer. In such an age, the clothing choices of Henry’s wives are symbolic and meaningful. They detail their rise and fall, their rivalries, their pain, their triumphs, and even their sophistication and scholarship. In this talk, Eleri Lynn will share the secrets of the royal wardrobes of Henry’s six wives. Research from inventories, archives and warrants will shed intimate light on some of history’s most famous women.