Treasures from Sudeley Castle

A new exhibition is bringing Sudeley's history to life. Called 'Royal Sudeley 1,000 Trials, Triumphs and Treasures' the exhibition includes some previously unseen treasures and is the biggest refurbishment the castle has seen for more than 20 years.

Fascinating items on display include Katherine Parr’s prayer book, an intricate lace christening canopy believed to have been worked on by Anne Boleyn for the christening of her daughter, Elizabeth I and The Bohun Book of Hours which pre-dates the Black Death and is one of less than 10 of its kind in the world.                                       

      

Other collections include one of the most important collections of textiles in the country and a collection of more than 200 autographs from high-profile personalities form the Victorian era.

The castle is also home to a portrait of Rubens by Anthony Van Dyck (1599-1641), a rare example of one great artist being painted by another, as Van Dyck worked under Rubens in his studio. Also on display is an oil painting by Sir Winston Churchill which is being loaned by the Royal Academy of Arts in London. The artwork, called ‘Cap d’Ail, Alpes-Maritimes’ was painted by the former Prime Minister in 1952.

  

Sudeley Castle and Gardens is set against the backdrop of the beautiful Cotswold Hills.

With royal connections spanning a thousand years, it has played an important role in the turbulent and changing times of England’s past. It was a royal residence, closely associated with some of the most famous English monarchs, including Edward IV, Richard III, Henry VIII, Lady Jane Grey, Katherine Parr, Elizabeth I and Charles I. The Castle was even home to a secret Queen of England, Eleanor Boteler, whose royal status was unknown for centuries. King Charles I found refuge there during the Civil War. Following its ‘slighting’ on Cromwell’s orders at the end of the Civil War, Sudeley lay neglected and derelict for nearly 200 years.

King George III was among those sightseers who came to admire its romantic ruins. Then in 1837 Sudeley was rescued by wealthy Worcester glove-making brothers John and William Dent, who began an ambitious restoration programme which was continued by their nephew, John Coucher Dent, when he inherited the castle in 1855. His wife, Emma Brocklehurst threw herself enthusiastically into Sudeley’s restoration.

To find out more about Sudeley Castle and Gardens, visit www.sudeleycastle.co.uk