Dr Owen Emmerson is a historian, author, and consultant. He has co-written five books, works at Hever Castle, and recently served as a historical consultant for the BBC’s adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light. He has also appeared as an expert in a range of television documentaries. He holds a doctorate from the University of Sussex and specialises in sixteenth- and twentieth-century history.
His most recent book, Capturing a Queen: The Image of Anne Boleyn (co-authored with Kate McCaffrey) draws on Emmerson’s original research and explores the many portraits of Anne Boleyn that have emerged over five centuries. His previous work, Holbein’s Hidden Gem: Rediscovering Thomas Cromwell’s Lost Book (2023), was co-authored with Kate McCaffrey. It tells the story of the ground-breaking discovery made by Kate McCaffrey, Alison Palmer and Emmerson of the Book of Hours depicted in Hans Holbein’s painting of Thomas Cromwell. Dr Tracy Borman dubbed their efforts as ‘The most exciting Thomas Cromwell discovery in a generation – if not more’.
