Introducing Speaker No. 7, Kate McCaffrey of Hever Castle
Today I want to introduce another speaker from my "Anne Boleyn, the Woman who changed England" online event that's taking place from 28 February to 6 March. Speaker number 7 is Kate McCaffrey, and you'll probably recognise her from the talks and interviews she's done about her ground-breaking research on Anne Boleyn's Book of Hours.
Kate is just one of eight speakers taking part in my virtual Anne Boleyn event, "Anne Boleyn, the Woman who changed England". The event is perfect for these times as it's completely online. You can enjoy hearing the very best Anne Boleyn experts speak to you AND answer your questions from the comfort of your home. You can tune in with your pyjamas on, if you want, to our week-long event, where you will meet a very new Anne Boleyn and understand why she changed the course of English history.
Kate will be talking with her colleague, Dr Owen Emmerson, and their talk is "Bothe lovynge and kynde: Representation, Image and Agency in the Life of Anne Boleyn". Kate and Owen explain:
"One of Anne Boleyn’s most defining characteristics, one that marked her out as different from the traditional model of English court ladies and captured the eye of the king of England, was her agency.
In many aspects of her life, Anne was the opposite of passive, the opposite of the expected. In her style, her language, her religious beliefs, her boldness, her airs and graces, Anne was unexpected. She did not follow the grain. She stood out. Equally, however, she knew the importance of using the established gender roles to her advantage, of presenting herself as the ‘lovynge and kynde’ wife-in-waiting. This talk will examine the ways in which Anne consciously created and curated her own image working both within, and outside of, expected gender norms."
It's going to be a wonderful talk, and you'll be able to ask Kate and Owen your burning questions in a live Q&A session.
Kate is one of the Assistant Curators at Anne Boleyn's childhood home of Hever Castle in Kent.
She completed her Master's degree earlier this year with Distinction in Medieval and Early Modern Studies at the University of Kent, where she uncovered new and exciting discoveries about a small Book of Hours, once owned by Anne Boleyn, that is currently held at Hever Castle.
Kate completed her first-class undergraduate degree in History at the University of Warwick, with a term spent abroad in Venice. Kate is continuing her groundbreaking work with Anne Boleyn's Books of Hours in her new role at Hever Castle.
Do remember to buy your ticket before 31 December to be able to join my masterclass on "Who Killed Anne Boleyn?" in January.
