Chapel in the Waldegrave Room, Hever Castle
This room is named after the Waldegrave family, who lived at Hever Castle throughout the reigns of the last of the Tudor monarchs, and into the Stuart dynasty.
When Queen Mary I came to the throne in 1533, the Waldegraves were in royal favour.
In 1557, after the death of Anne of Cleves, Sir Edward Waldegrave assigned the Castle to himself.
Sir Edward Waldegrave would be the third of Hever’s inhabitants to end his days in the fearsome Tower of London!
In the room is a small chapel, or oratory.
This was built after Queen Mary’s death in 1558.
Hidden behind some panelling, this chamber was built so that Sir Edward could practice his faith in secret, following Elizabeth I’s ascension to the throne.
Within the Oratory Chapel a 19th century painting of The Virgin in Ecstasy is featured, along with an Italian rock crystal cross c.1700, which sits atop an exquisitely carved Spanish altar.
James Waldegrave was the last of the Waldegraves to own Hever Castle.
James was appointed Ambassador to France in 1725 and, in 1729, was elevated to the Earldom of Waldegrave.
The Castle at Hever proved to be too small for his growing status and the Castle was sold to Sir William Humphreys in 1715, a former Mayor of London.
This ended the Waldegrave’s ownership of Hever Castle after 158 years, which is the longest period of ownership in the Castle’s history.
? Picture credits – M.Tong for The Tudor Intruders.
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