New research has revealed secret inscriptions hidden inside a prayer book taken to her execution by Anne Boleyn, which can still be seen in her childhood home at Hever Castle in Kent today.

Legend has it that the former Queen, who was beheaded on May 19, 1536 after being found guilty of adultery, incest and high treason, gave the Book of Hours to one of her ladies in waiting on the day of her beheading.

The inscriptions are on display at Hever Castle

Using ultraviolet light and photo editing software, research has found wording inside which had been undiscovered for hundreds of years.

The research has been carried out by Kate McCaffrey as part of her thesis for her Masters in Medieval and Early Modern Studies at the University of Kent.

Following Anne Boleyn's demise, despite pressure to remove all items belonging to the former Queen, the prayerbook survived and is on show at Hever Castle, which reopened to visitors on Monday.

Kate, who worked at the castle as a visitor experience assistant for six years, was given special permission to look into the prayerbooks which previously were thought only to contain one inscription.

She discovered three family names written in the book; Gage, West, and Shirley (from Sundridge, near Sevenoaks), centred around a fourth, the Guildford family of Cranbrook.

Kate discovered that the book was passed from female to female, showing female "community, bravery and solidarity," she said, by keeping her inscription safe and each adding their own.

She said: “It is clear that this book was passed between a network of trusted connections, from daughter to mother, from sister to niece. If the book had fallen into other hands, questions almost certainly would have been raised over the remaining presence of Anne’s signature. Instead, the book was passed carefully between a group of primarily women who were both entrusted to guard Anne’s note and encouraged to add their own.

"It gives a real insight into a covert circle that were cherishing Anne's memory despite her widespread dishonouring."

“In a world with very limited opportunities for women to engage with religion and literature, the simple act of marking this Hours and keeping the secret of its most famous user, was one small way to generate a sense of community and expression.”

She added: “It was incredibly exciting and surreal to uncover these erased inscriptions, and it has been an absolute privilege to restore the names of their authors and recover their stories. What is perhaps most remarkable is that these inscriptions have been unknown and unstudied for so long.”

Dr David Rundle, Kate’s supervisor, said: “It is every graduate student’s dream to uncover previously hidden information about a well-known historical figure. What she has discovered has potentially highly significant implications for our understanding of Anne Boleyn and her posthumous reputation.”

The two illuminated Book of Hours prayerbooks, which bear Anne's signature also contain her inscription, ‘remember me when you do pray, that hope dothe led from day to day’.

Only a handful of Anne’s books survive today and only three contain her signed inscriptions. One is held at the British Library, the other two are at Hever.

Kate also discovered as part of her research that a copy of the printed Book of Hours in the Morgan Library in New York belonged to Anne’s greatest rival in power and love, the Queen of England, Catherine of Aragon.

To prebook tickets go to hevercastle.co.uk

For more sites reopening across Kent click here.

Penshurst Place, where Henry VIII wooed Anne, reopens 500 years after he took ownership