Kent's Royal Links

Dover Castle 

Known as the ‘key to England’, this great fortress has played a crucial role in the defence of the realm for over nine centuries, a span equalled only by the Tower of London and Windsor Castle. It was King Henry II who spent vast sums transforming Dover Castle into his most powerful fortress – but it did you know it was actually a result of Thomas Becket’s murder and aftermath that caused him to devote so much time and money to his Great Tower at the centre of the castle? English Heritage tells the fascinating history of how the events unfolded here.

Hever Castle 

As the second wife to King Henry VIII and mother to Queen Elizabeth I, Anne Boleyn is one of Britain’s most famous queens, perhaps due to her sticky end - but her story begins right here in Kent. With so much written about the elusive figure, look to her childhood home of Hever Castle for their 2022 exhibition ‘Becoming Anne: Connections, Culture, Court’ to explore the factors that moulded Anne’s character and the rise of the Boleyn family – you can even take a peek at King Henry VIII’s bedchamber from their courting days.

Penshurst Place

In 1519, Henry VIII visited Penshurst Place as the guest of then-owner Edward Stafford, the Third Duke of Buckingham. The Duke, wanting to impress the King, spent an extortionate £2,500 on banquets and entertainment during the King’s visit, which equates to over £1 million in today’s money! Despite the excess, things didn’t fair well for Buckingham, and when Henry had him executed for treason in 1521, Penshurst Place became the King’s Hunting Lodge. However it is Henry’s daughter, Elizabeth I, who would go on to visit Penshurst the most, regularly holding audiences during her reign - and could see where her mother grew up, at nearby Hever. 

Leeds Castle

Leeds Castle has been rolling out the red carpet for Hollywood stars to parliamentarians since it’s inception, so it’s no surprise this stunning castle has been associated with six Queens of England before Henry VIII himself transformed it from a fortified stronghold to a magnificent royal place for him and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. During the Lady Baillie years, the new owner enlisted the desginer Stephane Boudain to create the lavish settings for it's future parties - and his other clients included the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. In these grand party years, Leeds Castle became a centre for lavish hospitality for British and European royals alike. 

Canterbury

Recognise this guy? Yep, he's been mentioned a fair few times now! But almost all British monarchs have left their mark on UNESCO World Heritage Site Canterbury Cathedral. From King Ethelbert, the first British king to convert to Christianity, via tales of Elizabeth I's lavish birthday celebrations including a feast in the Cathedral grounds, the wedding of Henry III and Eleanor of Provence and Henry II's disputes with Archbishop Thomas Becket, which resulted in a shocking murder. Discover monarchs immortalised in stone, wood and stained glass which adorn the Cathedral's walls, including the special statues of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and HRH Prince Philip which were unveiled in 2015.

Walmer Castle and Gardens 

The seaside fortress of Walmer Castle is a hidden gem to many, but well known to the royals! A former home to the Duke of Wellington (the castle still houses an original pair of Wellington boots!), the most famous royal connection is their Queen Mother gardens. The Queen Mother was Lord Warden for 23 years, and this contemporary garden was created in honour of her 95th birthday. The Queen Mother declared, "I have been given many presents before, but never a garden." Featuring an elegant arched pavilion over still water and blooms throughout the season, we love this romantic and peaceful spot – and with a statue of a corgi sitting on a bench, so we know Her Majesty The Queen would approve too!

The Battle of Britain Memorial 

The Battle of Britain Memorial’s links with royalty go back to its unveiling in July 1993, when Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother braved storm force wind and rain on the helicopter ride that brought her to the Memorial’s clifftop home. The weather was so atrocious that the pilot bringing The Queen Mother to the unveiling asked if she wanted to turn back. She is said to have told him in no uncertain terms that “her boys” had never turned back and that she wouldn’t do so either. Nearly 22 years later, in March 2015, the weather was nearly as bad when Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by His Late Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, returned to open the new visitor centre at Capel-le-Ferne, that tells the story of the Battle. 

Copper Rivet Distillery

HRH The Princess Royal officially opened Copper Rivet Distillery on the banks of the River Medway in 2017, and now just this month The King visited the distillery to celebrate the launch of the third whisky in Copper Rivet Distillery’s new trio of quintessentially English Masthouse whiskies. You too can try their newest creation now, and take the tour around their stunning distillery – we might add that stopping for lunch in their plush new Pumproom restaurant is way to feel pampered, if not like royalty, for the day!

Historic Dockyard Chatham 

King Charles has been Patron of Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust since 2013, and made his third visit to the Kent attraction to celebrate their 2022 visitor season opening and the exhibition, Diving Deep: HMS Invincible 1744 on 2^nd February 2022. This immersive exhibition showcased objects and findings from the Diving Deep: HMS Invincible archaeological excavation, a project which was supported in its infancy by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh. Also home to the legendary Mary Rose (Henry VIII's favourite ship, no less!) and Lord Nelson's legendary flagship, HMS Victory, there's plenty of royal connections to explore at the Dockyard. 

Rochester Guildhall Museum 

While King Charles visited Historic Dockyard Chatham, Queen Camilla was greeted by Dickensian characters as she visited The Guildhall Museum in Rochester, touring their brand new exhibition, "The Making of Mr Dickens". The new exhibition, which opens on 8^th February, chronicles the lesser-known side of Dickens’ life including his happy childhood in Chatham, all the way to his return to Kent in Higham near Rochester in his later life.

Elmley Nature Reserve

Continuing on his North Kent tour, King Charles also visited Elmley Nature Reserve on the Isle of Sheppey to meet with pioneering farmer and conservationist Philip Merricks, and to tour the Estate. His Royal Highness became aware of Elmley through his own deep interest to save the breeding curlews of Dartmoor and made a trip to the Reserve to find out more, first hand, about how land at Elmley is most effectively managed for breeding ground nesting birds. The incredible wildlife experiences are just one of the reasons people flock (if you pardon the pun!) to Elmley – the only nature reserve in the UK you can actually spend the night in – and their gorgeous shepherd huts make for the perfect local escape. 

Thanet's Royal Connections

Being a British seaside resort, Thanet has seen its fair share of the Royal family visiting, with traces as far back as 1613 with Princess Elizabeth Stuart setting sail for the continent from Margate; to Princess Victoria staying in Ramsgate to recuperate from illness in 1835 and Prince George, Duke of Kent opening the first section of the Ramsgate Tunnels in 1939. If you'd like to find out a few more facts including who visited modern day landmarks such as the Turner Contemporary, Visit Thanet have a dedicated page.  

Photo credit: @kayleigh_k_photos_ 

The town of Dover

Tales of the castles have been told in the sections above, but there's much more to tell of the areas in the White Cliffs Country that involve the towns themselves. Before King Henry VIII's reign, he held the office of Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports and was Constable of Dover Castle. In more recent history, on the 14th November 1842, Queen Victoria & Prince Albert arrived in the area on short notice driving from Dover to Walmer Castle. Despite the quick turnaround, Deal Road and Castle Hill were full of people waving flags. 

Gravesham's connections 

The Royal Terrace Pier is a grade II listed building and was built in 1844 as The Terrace Pier, a rival to the Town Pier. It was renamed Royal in 1863 after Princess Alexandra of Denmark arrived there before her marriage to the future Edward VII. Overlooking the Thames, the Clarendon Royal Hotel was built in 1665 as a residential home for the Duke of York as Lord Admiral. Edward VII, the eldest son of Queen Victoria, stayed at the hotel in 1863 when he greeted his future bride, Princess Alexandria who disembarked from Royal Terrace Pier. It was this visit which enabled the hotel to add the 'Royal' moniker to its name, becoming The Clarendon Royal Hotel. In more recent history, a Queen Elizabeth II statue was sculpted by Douglas Jennings and unveiled by the Bishop of Rochester Rt Rev James Langstaff and Cllr David Turner, which is said to be the only seated sculpture of the Queen in existence. 

Base yourself to discover the connections

If you're on a tour around the county discovering all of Kent's connections and links, you'll have to stay somewhere to compliment that! Thankfully Keeper's Cottages have a number of homes for rental which can include Sonnet Cottage nr Sandwich, that has pieces of memorabilia of the Royal family and has a classic English cottage feel or nearby Moat Farm House, which is an exquisite Tudor farmhouse that'll certainly make you feel Royal! 

Medway town visits

Being one of the UK's key hubs for military and maritime activity, Medway has seen its share of Royal visits. In 1540, King Henry VIII (him again!) encountered the woman who would be his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves. Queen Elizabeth I came to Rochester in 1573, staying at the Crown Inn, which is still in place today. The notably named 'Restoration House' was where Charles II stayed at in 1660 before his restoration to the throne - giving the Elizabethan home its name - which was then in turn the basis for Miss Haversham's house in Charles Dickens 'Great Expectations'. Just 22 years later, James II became a prisoner at 'Abdication House' on the High Street in Rochester before he made an escape by boat to France. In 1855, Queen Victoria paid a visit to wounded Crimean War soldiers at Fort Pitt Military Hospital in Chatham and for the aviation enthusiasts, King George VI visited the works of plane manufacturers the Short Brothers on Rochester Esplanade. No doubt King Charles and Queen Camilla will visit and continue this history!