History lovers can learn about Chelmsford's "forgotten royal palace" at a lecture next month.

The Chelmsford Museum will present the Annual Museum Lecture at the Cramphorn Studio on Friday, March 10 at 8pm.

This year’s subject will be the story of New Hall, which was bought by Henry VIII in 1516, rebuilt it in brick and renamed it Beaulieu, which is French for ‘beautiful place’. His daughter, Mary Tudor or Mary Queen of Scots as she is also known, lived here for long periods of her life.

The fascinating history does not stop there though.Olivier Cromwell took possession of the house during the English Civil War, King Charles II was a frequent visitor and nuns opened a school there in 1798.

The lecture will be taken by Tony Tuckwell, who read history at St Peter’s College, Oxford and was Head at King Edward VI Grammar School for 15 years. Mr Tuckwell has had several books published on Chelmsford’s history, including New Hall.

Nick Wickenden, Manager, Chelmsford Museum, is organising the event. He says: “New Hall has an amazing story and a very important place in British history, as it was here that Henry VIII first devised a plan that would allow him to live with Anne Boleyn while married to Katherine of Aragon.

“This was the first link of a chain of events that led to Rome and the Catholic church losing influence in Britain and the formation of the Church of England. The lecture promises to be both educational and enlightening on Chelmsford’s important role in British history”.

Tickets for the Annual Museum Lecture are £6 and are available from the box office at the Civic Theatre, or by calling 01245 606505.

To discover more about Chelmsford Museum, visit www.chelmsford.gov.uk/museumlecture.