Thomas Cromwell’s Book Of Hours: A Remarkable Discovery
Thomas Cromwell's Book of Hours is thought to be the only object from any Tudor portrait to survive to this day.
Photo: Hever Castle
The book is a stunning example of the religious texts that were commonly used by the lay population during the 16th century.
It was discovered by Hever Castle's Curatorial team last year (2023).
The famous artefact was featured by Henry VIII’s court painter, Hans Holbein, in his portrait of the statesman.
Photo: Hever Castle
Kate McCaffrey, Assistant Curator at Hever Castle, had first established in 2021 that Anne Boleyn and Catherine of Aragon possessed identical copies of a 1527 Book of Hours.
This revelation prompted her to search for other surviving examples.
Her research eventually led her to a third copy, held at the Wren Library at Trinity College, Cambridge, where it had been donated in 1660.
It was donated by Dame Anne Sadleir, the widow of Ralph Sadleir, a man who had served as Cromwell’s secretary.
It was Alison Palmer, Curator at Hever Castle, who made the final and vital connection.
Palmer recognised the elaborate bejewelled, silver-gilt binding of the Trinity College book as identical to the one depicted in Hans Holbein the Younger’s 1532-1533 portrait of Cromwell, now housed in The Frick Collection in New York.
Photo: Hever Castle
The portrait clearly shows Cromwell holding the very same Book of Hours, making this find even more remarkable.
The book itself, printed in 1527 by Parisian printers Gilles and Germain Hardouyn, is a masterpiece of Renaissance craftsmanship.
Its binding, adorned with intricate designs and grossular garnets, was the work of Pierre Mangot, the goldsmith to King Francis I of France.
These books were designed to aid in the private prayers of the layperson, guiding them through the hours of the day with psalms, prayers, and readings from the Bible.
The illustrations and the ornate text are carefully laid out, combining detailed biblical imagery with the Gothic style prevalent at the time.
The discovery highlights fascinating connections between three pivotal Tudor figures.
It is well-documented that Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s second wife, used her prayer book as a form of silent resistance, making annotations that reflected her deeply personal beliefs.
Catherine of Aragon, Henry’s first wife, also owned an identical copy.
For Thomas Cromwell, the book symbolised both personal devotion and his rise to power in the turbulent world of the Tudor court.
Following the discovery, the Book of Hours was displayed at Hever Castle as part of the “Catherine & Anne: Queens, Rivals, Mothers” exhibition, which ran until November 2023.
Who was Thomas Cromwell?
Thomas Cromwell (1485–1540) was one of the most influential figures in the court of King Henry VIII.
He served as the king’s chief minister during a period of profound political and religious change in England.
His rise to power and his eventual downfall are some of the most dramatic episodes in English history.
Cromwell's most famous legacy is his central role in the English Reformation, the process by which Henry VIII broke away from the Roman Catholic Church and established the Church of England.
This split was initiated because the Pope refused to annul Henry's marriage to Catherine of Aragon so that he could marry Anne Boleyn, whom he had fallen in love with.
As an ardent supporter of Henry's policies, Cromwell helped orchestrate the legal and political steps that led to the creation of a new national church.
He played a pivotal role in the dissolution of the monasteries between 1536 and 1541, a process that disbanded many of the Catholic religious institutions in England, seized their wealth and lands, and consolidated power under the crown.
Cromwell was also instrumental in the act of supremacy (1534), which declared Henry VIII as the supreme head of the Church of England, solidifying the break from Rome.
His religious reforms, although often criticised for their harshness, were intended to strengthen the crown and eliminate any opposition, including the remaining influence of Catholicism in England.
Today, Thomas Cromwell’s Book of Hours is housed at Hever Castle in Kent.
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