Two rare Tudor treasures were unveiled at a Kent castle.

A portrait of Henry VIII as a young man was revealed at Hever Castle near Edenbridge along with what is thought to be England’s only surviving medieval royal bed.

The picture is a 16th century replica of one in the Royal Collection by Joos Van Cleve and pre-dates the most widely known paintings of Henry VIII by Hans Holbein which show him as a formidably large man.

A new exhibition, A Bed of Roses, was also opened by TV historian Dr Jonathan Foyle in the Long Gallery, featuring the surviving parts of a spectacularly carved medieval oak bed frame.

Dr Foyle gave an account of his ‘journey of discovery’ authenticating the bed which is believed to be the marriage bed of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York.

The unveiling and opening of the pieces coincides with the recent screening of the TV drama Wolf Hall which has renewed public interest in the period.

Hever Castle’s most famous inhabitant was Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s second wife.

Among those attending was historian and author Alison Weir, Visit Kent Chairman, Amanda Cottrell, and members of the Guthrie family, the current owners of Hever Castle. Both exhibits are now open to the public.