Getting Dressed as Anne Boleyn

Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's second queen, was a fashion icon of her time. Bringing the manners, etiquette, and wardrobe trends from the French court to England, she stood out amongst her peers and competitors. Anne is famously depicted wearing the French gown, a popular Henrician style, but how did Tudor women get dressed to achieve this look?

In this video, historical interpreters go through the stages of dressing in the Tudor French gown. They show the famous elements of Anne Boleyn's image, discuss whether she really wore them, and demonstrate how to recreate her look.

Feeling inspired? You can buy a necklace like Anne Boleyn's in the Historic Royal Palaces' shop: https://www.historicroyalpalaces.com/...

Image credits:
A Lady Walking, Hans Holbein, 1532 - 1543 © Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford
Tryptych of the Braque Family. 15th Century, Rogier van der Weyden. The Louvre. © 2017 GrandPalaisRmn (musée du Louvre) / Tony Querrec
Mary Tudor and Charles Brandon - Wikimedia Commons
Portrait of a Young Woman, Workshop of Hans Holbein the Younger, ca. 1540–45. The Jules Bache Collection. The Met.
Studio of Hans Holbein the Younger, Jane Seymour, 1540. Mauritshuis, The Hague.
Anne Boleyn by Unknown English artist late 16th century, based on a work of circa 1533-1536 © National Portrait Gallery, London
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Unknown woman, possibly Queen Mary I".
Anne de Pisseleu (1508–1576), Duchesse d'Étampes, Attributed to Corneille de Lyon, H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929. The Met
Portrait of a Woman of the Slosgin Family of Cologne, Barthel Bruyn the Younger, The Friedsam Collection, Bequest of Michael Friedsam, 1931. The Met
Katherine of Aragon, c.1510-20 © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust
Medal, bust of Anne Boleyn © The Trustees of the British Museum