Capturing a Queen: The Image of Anne Boleyn

As part of Tudor Month at Ripon Cathedral, join Dr Owen Emmerson for a fascinating exploration of one of the most iconic and controversial figures in English history: Anne Boleyn.

Owen Emmerson is a social and cultural historian, author, and consultant. He is part of the curatorial team at Hever Castle, Anne Boleyn’s childhood home. In 2024, he worked as one of the historical consultants for the BBC adaptation of Dame Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light. Emmerson was part of the research teams that identified the Book of Hours captured in Hans Holbein the Younger’s portrait of Thomas Cromwell in 2023 and a miniature portrait of Queen Mary I as Princess by Suzannah Horenbout in 2024. He is the co-author of several books and has contributed to numerous television documentaries.

Owen Emmerson will explore the themes of his latest co-authored book, Capturing a Queen: The Image of Anne Boleyn, examining how Anne’s image was constructed, circulated, and reimagined from her lifetime to the present day. Central to this discussion are the Cathedral’s own two panel portraits of Anne Boleyn, generously loaned to the accompanying exhibition, which offer a valuable lens through which to consider questions of authenticity, artistic tradition, and the evolution of her visual identity. Drawing these works into a wider narrative, the talk invites audiences to look closely at how one of history’s most recognisable queens has been seen, shaped, and sometimes misrepresented across the centuries.

Tickets are £15