Tudor roses
Words | Joanna Hunter Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson aren’t the only stars of The Other Boleyn Girl movie. Watch out for the more enduring beauties: the historic country homes and castles of England CLASSIC tale of love, ambition and betrayal: the true story of one man’s desire for an unattainable woman that was to [...]
Words | Joanna Hunter
Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson aren’t the only stars of
The Other Boleyn Girl movie. Watch out for the more enduring
beauties: the historic country homes and castles of England
alt="Penshurst Place, Tonbridge, Kent, which was used by Henry VIII as a hunting lodge">
CLASSIC tale of love, ambition and
betrayal: the true story of one man’s desire for an
unattainable woman that was to change the course
of history. And so it was when King Henry VIII ended
his marriage to his first wife, Katherine of Aragon and
see-sawed between Anne Boleyn (who became his
second queen) and her sister Mary.
Now, 500 years later, there comes the film – The
Other Boleyn Girl, starring Natalie Portman and Scarlett
Johansson, based on Philippa Gregory’s best-selling novel.
“It’s easy to see the story for its place in history, but at
its heart is a story between sisters,” says Portman, who
plays Anne Boleyn. “Whichever sister becomes the most
successful in their rivalry for the king’s affections, the
other one becomes the ‘other’ Boleyn. Anne totally buys
into the whole competition.”
She does – but for what a prize. The Other Boleyn
Girl shows how Henry VIII (played by Eric Bana) ruled
over a court renowned for its lavishness, peopled by
beauties in sumptuous costumes.
“As the rest of the world was suffering, fighting
religious wars and wars for land, the royal court was its
own little world,” Johansson explains.
And it’s a world that remains, of sorts. See the film
and then head for the different destinations in England
to create your own cinematic moment. For the Tudor
homes and halls – temporarily at least – used as film sets,
designed to be fit for a king are now open to all.
CAMBRIDGESHIRE
Ely Cathedral
alt="Natalie Portman as Anne Boleyn and Scarlett Johansson as her sister Mary">
For three days Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman and
Eric Bana worked in one of the most beautiful cathedrals in
England. Hidden in the depths of the Fens, Ely has been a
site of pilgrimage since the seventh century thanks to a nun
named Etheldreda, who set up a religious community here.
The cathedral you see today dates back to the 11th
century and appeared in the film as the site of Queen
Katherine’s bedroom – and the coronation of her rival,
Anne. Now it’s your turn to appear (sort of); look out
for the Octagon in the Nave, the South Transept and the
North Choir Aisle.
Away from the cameras, the cathedral is still a place
of worship and also plays host to a number of
performances including an organ rendition of The
Phantom Of The Opera. For more information visit the
website www.cathedral.ely.anglican.org
DERBYSHIRE
Dovedale
alt="Haddon Hall, Derbyshire">
Henry VIII liked nothing more than the thrill of the hunt.
This is no longer an option, but you can admire the same
views in Derbyshire’s Peak District, Britain’s first national
park. The most famous of the film sets is Dovedale, just
north of Ashbourne – a spectacular limestone gorge.
Visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk for further details.
Haddon Hall
Haddon Hall is a bit of a movie veteran – not only was
it used to double as the Boleyn family home, but you
might also have seen it in Pride & Prejudice (starring Keira
Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen). Dating from the 12th
century, the Manners family have been lucky enough to
call it home since 1567. The house is open to the public,
and there are a number of classical performances and
drawing and painting days hosted at the hall.
Visit the website www.haddonhall.co.uk for details.
WILTSHIRE
Lacock Abbey
alt="Hever Castle, near Edenbridge in Kent, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn.">
It seems fitting that the former home of one of the
founders of photography – William Henry Fox Talbot
– should be such a popular film location. Lacock Abbey
and the surrounding 13th century village was used as a
setting for Pride & Prejudice, Moll Flanders and the Harry
Potter movies. For The Other Boleyn Girl the gardens and
cloisters were used as a stand in for Whitehall Palace – the
backdrop for a key confrontation between Queen Katherine
and the Boleyn girls, and King Henry and Anne’s flirting.
The Abbey, which was founded in 1232, converted to
a country house in the mid-16th century and has been
owned by the same family ever since. The Fox Talbot
collection was recently donated to the British Library;
a new exhibition featuring the work of pioneering 19th
century photographer Julia Margaret Cameron has opened
in its place. Visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk for details.
CORNWALL
Maer Cliff, near Bude
Given the extremely photogenic Cornish coast (yes! England
really does have white beaches), it’s no surprise that Maer
Cliff stars as the backdrop of Anne’s return from exile in France.
There’s lots to do and explore in this part of the
country, including horse riding options nearby
(visit www.cornwall-online.co.uk/horse-riding). You
you might also want to consider abseiling (www.shorelineactivities.co.uk). Neighbouring Bude
has some
of the best surfing in the country (www.bude.co.uk).
KENT
Penshurst Place
alt="Eric Bana as Henry VIII">
Most of Whitehall Palace, Henry VIII’s London residence,
burned down in 1698. So The Other Boleyn Girl’s location
managers looked to Penshurst Place in Tonbridge instead to
stage the cinematic banquets, including Henry and Anne’s
wedding feast. The Tudor gardens also proved a perfect
backdrop for the King to flirt with his future bride’s sister.
The real Henry VIII visited, too – he beheaded its owner
and used his home for a hunting lodge.
If you visit the house and gardens, check out the Toy
Museum, which includes toys once owned by the Sidney
family, owners of Penshurst Place since 1552. Visit
www.penshurstplace.com for more information.
Knole
alt="Another of Henry VIII’s former residences, Knole, Sevenoaks, Kent, which stood in for Whitehall during filming">
Also doubling for Whitehall was Knole in Sevenoaks
(www.nationaltrust.org.uk) – this is the building you can
see when Mary (Scarlett Johansson) flees the city at night.
Known as a calendar house thanks to its 365 rooms, Henry
VIII liked Knole so much that he stole it from its then owner,
Thomas Cranmer, the then Archbishop of Canterbury. Since
then it has been home to the Sackville family, most famously
Vita Sackville-West, an intimate of author Virginia Woolf.
It’s worth a visit for the medieval deer park and paintings
by Gainsborough, Anthony van Dyck and Sir Joshua Reynolds.
Dover Castle
alt="Dover Castle and Port, Kent">
A key element in Henry VIII’s defences against the Spanish
after his divorce from Katherine of Aragon, Dover Castle
also provides a suitably forbidding alternative to the Tower
of London. The Great Chamber, a room originally used for
entertaining dignitaries, was transformed into a prison cell
for the film, and below the cell is the site of Anne’s execution
– a short scene, but one which took three weeks to set up,
five days to film, and involved 150 crew and 260 extras.
Dover Castle actually dates back to William the
Conqueror’s time and was used until World War II. Henry VIII
visited on the search for a fourth wife in 1539 – the ‘Castle
Fit for a King’ exhibit in the keep gives you some idea of the
massive preparations involved in getting ready for his arrival.
You can also explore the underground tunnels, last used in
World War II.
For more information on Boleyn-related events planned
in Kent this year visit www.visittheotherboleyngirl.co.uk
