In this bonus special episode, I talk to Tudor queenship expert Dr Valerie Schutte about that most underrated of Henry VIII’s wives – Anne of Cleves and a book of hours she gifted Henry VIII in 1533 (now in the Folger Shakespeare Library). Listen in to hear more about how Anne actually had a quite powerful status in England post-divorce, her relationship with Henry and his children, and about monk who really wanted Henry to take her back.
Spring Special 2026: Snuffboxes and Micromosaics at the V&A – Past Matters
In this second Spring Special episode, we focus on two objects on the smaller end of the scale at the V&A. On display in the newly revamped Gilbert Collection galleries, the objects are the earliest example of a snuffbox used for international diplomacy and a beautifully detailed micromosaic perfume flask.
Inscription in the Book of Hours from Anne of Cleves to Henry the VIII:
I besiche your grace hu[m]b[ly]
when ye loke on this
remember me.
yo[u]r grace’s assured anne
the dowgher off cleues
Copyright: Provenance Online Project
Ploy Radford 
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