How did Anne Boleyn celebrate Christmas in 1526?

A "stargazy" pie was a Christmas favourite - decorated with fish heads

In the run-up to Christmas, you may well have trebled your intake of mulled wine, sausage rolls and mince pies.

But in Tudor times, Advent was a period "very similar to Lent," explains Aaron Baker, domestic life interpreter at the Weald and Downland Living Museum in West Sussex.

Rather than office Christmas parties and chocolate calendars, it was a time focussed on “preparation, reflection and penitence".

And at Hever Castle in Kent, where the Boleyn family lived and a Tudor Christmas is currently being recreated, there would have been an even more sombre atmosphere, particularly in 1526.

Artist Daniel Maclise recreated Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn's meeting in this 1835 painting

This was the year Henry VIII began his pursuit of Anne Boleyn - a union that led to huge religious and political upheaval in England.

In order to divorce his then-wife Catherine of Aragon so he could instead marry Anne, Henry would break from the Catholic church in Rome, declaring himself head of the Church of England.

The story is told in Hilary Mantel's acclaimed novels Wolf Hall and The Mirror and the Light, of which a BBC TV adaption is currently showing.

"Henry VIII had written to her and promised to be hers and cast off all others," explains Alison Palmer, curator at Hever Castle.

"She replied saying 'Yes! I'll marry you.'"

Anne sent him "a beautiful little ship with a maiden tossed about" which "represented her saying that she'd brave the rough seas ahead with him", Ms Palmer continues.

A boar's head sits in the centre of the dining table

Hever Castle is currently recreating Christmas 1526 by decorating the Boleyn apartment as it would have been when Anne lived there.

Although there are no Christmas trees, which were made popular by the Victorians, the apartment is filled with "the smell of Christmas, cinnamon, pine and laurel," says head gardener Neil Miller.

"We researched Tudor Christmas to work out exactly what they would've eaten and this is as close as we can get," says Ms Palmer.

"We've got stargazy pie (a pastry pie with fish heads sticking out of it), a boars head, roast beef, lots of decorative pies and manchet bread plus lots of sugared fruits.

"The kitchen would've been working 24/7 to produce the amount of food that the family wanted to show off their wealth over the 12 days of Christmas."

'A major decision'

Despite the indulgent feast, this was not a time for the Boleyns to kick back and relax.

"I imagine a lot of serious discussions went on in this room back then," explains Ms Palmer.

Speaking of Henry and Anne's potential marriage, she says: "It was a major decision to be made – it didn't just affect Anne - it affected her entire family."

It was ultimately a decision that led to Anne being beheaded for alleged treason in 1536.

Christmas at Hever Castle runs until 3 January 2025.