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ANNE OF CLEVES
Queen of England
Born: 22 Sep 1515, Düsseldorf, Cleves, Germany
Died: 16/7 Jul 1557, Chelsea Old Palace, England
Buried: Westminster Abbey, London, England
Father: John III of Cleves (D. Cleves)
Mother: Marie of Julich
Married : HENRY VIII TUDOR (King of England) 6 Jan 1540, Greenwich, England ANNULMENT Jul 1540
The painting of Anne
by Hans Holbein the Younger
(1497-1543)
It was on the basis of this portrait that Henry VIII chose her to be his
fourth Queen.
Watercolor on parchment mounted on canvas. 65x48 cm.
Paris, Musee du Louvre
Henry VIII remained single for over two years after Jane Seymour's death, possibly giving some credence to the though that he genuinely mourned for her. However, it does seem that someone, possibly Thomas Cromwell, began making inquiries shortly after Jane's death about a possible foreign bride for Henry.
Henry's first marriage had been a foreign alliance of sorts, although it is certain that they two were truly in love for some time. His next two brides were love matches and Henry could have had little or no monetary or political gain from them.
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A Miniature of
Anne of Cleves
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But the events of the split from Rome left England isolated, and probably
vulnerable. It was these circumstances that led
Henry and his ministers to look
at the possibility of a bride to secure an alliance.
Henry did also want to be sure
he was getting a desirable bride, so he had agents in foreign courts report to
him on the appearance and other qualities of various candidates. He also sent
painters to bring him images of these women.
Hans Holbein, probably the most famous of the Tudor court painters, was sent in 1539 to the court of the Duke of Cleves, who had two sisters: Sybilla, Amelia and Anne. Cleves was a dukedom located on the Dutch-German border. The Duke of Cleves was brother-in-law to the Elector of Saxony and one of the guiding spirits of the Schmalkaldic League, and as he had given mortal offence to the Emperor by his acceptance of the Duchy of Guelders. When Holbein went, Cleves was seen as an important potential ally in the event France and the Holy Roman Empire (who had someone made a truce in their long history of conflict) decided to move against the countries who had thrown off the Papal authority. England then sought alliances with countries who had been supporting the reformation of the church. Several of the Duchys and principalities along the Rhine were Lutheran. Holbein painted the sisters of the Duke of Cleves and Henry decided to have a contract drawn up for his marriage to Anne. |
Sybille of
Cleves, older sister of Anne
of Cleves by Lucas Cranach
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Finally, on 6 Oct 1539, the marriage treaty with Cleves was finalized, this was just 2 months after Holbein delivered his portrait. Princess Anne, once betrothed to the Duke of Lorraine, was now destined to be Queen of England. It was the fulfillment of Cromwell's domestic and foreign policies. On 11 Dec, Anne was at Calais waiting for a favorable wind to carry her to Dover. She was there for almost two weeks while Henry waited at Greenwich. Finally, on 27 Dec she landed at Deal - then traveled to Dover and Canterbury before arriving at Rochester on 1 Jan 1540. Henry, desperate to see his bride in person, rushed in disguise to meet her ('to thus nourish love', he told Cromwell.
Anne arrives to England recorded by Eustace Chapuys.
Of particular interest is Henry's trick at their first
meeting and Anne's reaction, undoubtedly a humbling experience for the King.
1539
This year on St John's Day, 27 Dec,
Lady Anne, daughter of the Duke of Cleves in Germany, landed at Dover at 5
o'clock at night, and there was honorably received by the Duke of Suffolk and
other great lords, and so lodged in the castle. And on the following
Monday she rode to Canterbury where she was honorably received by the Archbishop
of Canterbury and other great men, and lodged at the king's palace at St
Austin's, and there highly feasted. On Tuesday she came to Sittingbourne.
1540
On New Year's Eve the Duke of Norfolk with
other knights and the barons of the exchequer received her grace on the heath,
two miles beyond Rochester, and so brought her to the abbey of Rochester where
she stayed that night and all New Years Day. And on New Years Day in the
afternoon the king's grace with five of his privy chamber, being disguised with
mottled cloaks with hoods so that they should not be recognized, came secretly
to Rochester, and so went up into the chamber where the said Lady Anne was
looking out of a window to see the bull-baiting which was going on in the
courtyard, and suddenly he embraced and kissed her, and showed here a token
which the King had sent her for New Year's gift, and she being abashed and not
knowing who it was thanked him, and so he spoke with her. But she regarded
him little, but always looked out the window.... and when the King saw that she
took so little notice of his coming he went into another chamber and took off
his cloak and came in again in a coat of purple velvet. And when the lords
and knights saw his grace they did him reverence.... and then her grace humbled
herself lowly to the king's majesty, and his grace saluted her again, and they
talked together lovingly, and afterwards he took her by the hand and led her to
another chamber where their graces amused themselves that night and on Friday
until the afternoon.
....So she came to Greenwich that night, and was received as queen. And the next day, being Sunday, the king's grace kept a great court at Greenwich, where his grace with the queen offered at mass, richly dressed. And on Twelfth Night, which was Tuesday, the king's majesty was married to the said queen Anne solemnly, in her closet at Greenwich, and his grace and she went publicly in procession that day, she having a rich coronet of stone and pearls set with rosemary on her hair, and a gown of rich cloth of silver, richly hung with stones and pearls, with all her ladies and gentlewomen following her, which was a goodly sight to behold.
When she arrived Henry was so eager to see her that he raced to where she was staying and burst in upon her unannounced. Anne didn't speak English, didn't know who this fat stranger was, and was busy watching something out the window, so she more or less ignored Henry. The king's pride was wounded. "I like her not!" he told all and sundry. He found her ugly - downright repulsive - and the last thing he wanted to do was marry her.
But Henry couldn't wriggle out of his treaty with Cleves. The wedding took place on Jan 6, 1540 with the groom protesting every step of the way.
| Poor Anne
of Cleves - barely able to speak English, in a foreign land, and despised by her
intended husband! The confused woman was led to a private marriage ceremony at
Greenwich and, then, to her equally humiliating marriage-bed. The union was not
consummated, a subject which Henry was firm upon - he spoke openly of how
disgusted he was ('struck to the heart' by distaste, he 'left her as good a maid
as he found her'). They lay together for the entire length of their marriage but
were never physically intimate. At first Anne had no idea that
her husband was displeased with her. She told her ladies, "Why, when he
comes to bed he kisseth me, and taketh me by the hand, and biddeth me 'Good
night, sweetheart'". Her lady, Eleanor Paston, Countess of Rutland,
had to tell her that this wasn't enough to
cause a pregnancy.After a few months had passed, the
French-Imperial alliance showed signs of cooling and Henry's natural boldness
had returned. He wanted out of this fourth marriage - and told Cromwell to
arrange it. Eventually Anne learned that her husband wished to be rid of her, calling her a "Flanders Mare". She was shrewd enough to realize that her life was in danger. To Henry's amazement, she cooperated with his desire to have the marriage annulled. Four months after their marriage, Henry found a new mistress, Catherine Howard, who was, like so many of his previous wives, his Queen's lady in waiting. In Jul of the same year Henry had the marriage terminated on the grounds that he did not consent inwardly to the marriage, and because Anne had once been engaged to the Duke of Lorraine's son. On 9 Jul, Parliament declared the marriage null and void and Anne, surprising Henry and the court, was content to be called 'sister' and receive a handsome income and household in England. Henry was so pleased with this unexpected docility that he gave her status second only to his daughters, Princesses Mary and Elizabeth, both of whom came to befriend Anne. |
Another portrait of Anne. |
Relieved, he gave her money and property and treated her very well. Anne remained in England, and never remarried. Henry called her his sister and often invited her to court. Anne was given an allowance of £4 000 per year which included two houses and a household staff. This settlement satisfied and releived her, as once she realized that Henry was out to end their marriage she was sure that she would follow in the steps of the ill-fated Anne Boleyn. She could have returned home, but she chose to remain in England rather than return to live under the control of her brother. She had more freedom in England than she would have had in Cleves, and if she had returned home she would have forfeited her settlement. Three months after the divorce, it was reported by the French Ambassador that "Madame of Cleves has a more joyous countenance than ever. She wears a great variety of dresses and passes all her time in sports and recreations." (It is likely she found Henry as unattractive as he found her). She and the King remained friends, and she was close to his children. She continued her friendship with Henrys daughter Mary, who was her own age, and also took his younger daughter Elizabeth under her wing. Even after the annulment, the Lady Elizabeth would continue to visit her former stepmother at Richmond. She was later to ride with Elizabeth at Mary's coronation. As a woman of means, she had the freedom to do as she pleased, and because she never remarried, she never again had a manfather, brother, or husbandwhose orders she had to obey. Anne of Cleves died seventeen years after she and Henry divorced, the last of his wives to die.
