Anne of Cleves
Anne of Cleves entered the world on the 28th of June or the 22nd of September 1515 in Düsseldorf. Her father was John III, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg, a man who followed Erasmus and took a moderate path within the Reformation. She grew up at Schloss Burg on the edge of Solingen. In 1526 her elder sister Sibylle married John Frederick, Elector of Saxony. This union linked Anne's family to the Protestant Confederation of Germany. The family remained religiously unaligned after her mother Maria became a strict Catholic. Her brother William later inherited the title Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg with the epithet The Rich.
Hans Holbein the Younger traveled to Düren in early 1539 to paint portraits of Anne and her younger sister Amalia. Henry VIII demanded accuracy from the artist rather than flattery. Anne arrived in England during December 1539 following a difficult winter crossing. She traveled from Düsseldorf to Cleves then to Antwerp where fifty English merchants awaited her. On New Year's Day 1540 Henry met her privately at Rochester Abbey while disguised as a commoner. He embraced and kissed her without revealing his identity immediately. The chronicler Charles Wriothesley recorded that she looked out the window at bull-baiting instead of focusing on him. When he revealed himself she regarded him little though marriage preparations continued.
Henry VIII married Anne on the 6th of January 1540 at the royal Palace of Placentia in Greenwich. Archbishop Thomas Cranmer officiated the ceremony. Anne wore a gown of rich cloth of gold set full of large flowers of great and Orient pearl made after the Dutch fashion. Her wedding ring bore the phrase God send me well to keep. The couple's first night failed to produce consummation. Henry confided to Cromwell that he liked her much worse now than before. In February 1540 Anne told the Countess of Rutland that the King was kind yet admitted no physical intimacy occurred. Witness statements taken by physicians confirmed the King's disappointment regarding her appearance. The marriage was annulled on the 12th of July 1540 due to non-consummation and her prior engagement to Francis of Lorraine.
Following the annulment Anne received a generous settlement including Richmond Palace and Hever Castle. She became known as the King's Beloved Sister and remained an honorary member of his family. Henry decreed she would hold precedence over all women in England except his wife and daughters. Anne never contested the dissolution which earned her gratitude from the monarch. She lived quietly on estates across Hampshire and East Sussex though she never resided at Anne of Cleves House in Lewes. When Catherine Howard was beheaded in 1542 Anne and William pressed for remarriage but Henry refused immediately. Anne reportedly disliked Catherine Parr stating Madam Parr is taking a great burden on herself during 1543.
Anne navigated the reigns of Edward VI and Mary I with political neutrality. In March 1547 Edward VI's Privy Council ordered her to move from Bletchingley Palace to Penshurst Place. On the 4th of August 1553 she wrote to Mary I congratulating her marriage to Philip of Spain. Anne participated in Mary's coronation procession in September 1553 and may have attended the ceremony at Westminster Abbey. As Mary adopted strict Catholicism Anne changed religion again becoming Roman Catholic. Her favor waned after Wyatt's rebellion in 1554 when Queen Mary suspected her involvement in plots involving Elizabeth. The Imperial ambassador Simon Renard claimed Anne conspired with the Duke of Cleves to aid Elizabeth. No evidence suggests she returned to court after that year.
Mary allowed Anne to live at Chelsea Old Manor where Catherine Parr had resided before dying. In mid-July 1557 Anne dictated her last will mentioning her brother sister and future Queen Elizabeth. She left money to servants and requested their employment by Mary and Elizabeth. Anne died on the 16th of July 1557 aged 41 or 42 likely from cancer. Her burial took place on the 3rd of August in Westminster Abbey within a hard-to-find tomb near Edward the Confessor's shrine. The epitaph reads simply: She was the last of Henry VIII's wives to die. Her brother William complained about household staff including Otto Wylick and Jasper Brockhausen in summer 1556 leading to their expulsion by Queen Mary.
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Common questions
When was Anne of Cleves born and where did she grow up?
Anne of Cleves entered the world on the 28th of June or the 22nd of September 1515 in Düsseldorf. She grew up at Schloss Burg on the edge of Solingen.
Why did Henry VIII marry Anne of Cleves and when did they meet?
Henry VIII married Anne of Cleves on the 6th of January 1540 at the royal Palace of Placentia in Greenwich. He met her privately at Rochester Abbey on New Year's Day 1540 while disguised as a commoner after she arrived in England during December 1539.
How long was the marriage between Anne of Cleves and Henry VIII valid?
The marriage was annulled on the 12th of July 1540 due to non-consummation and her prior engagement to Francis of Lorraine. The couple's first night failed to produce consummation and witness statements taken by physicians confirmed the King's disappointment regarding her appearance.
What title did Anne of Cleves hold after her divorce from Henry VIII?
She became known as the King's Beloved Sister and remained an honorary member of his family. Henry decreed she would hold precedence over all women in England except his wife and daughters.
When did Anne of Cleves die and where is she buried?
Anne died on the 16th of July 1557 aged 41 or 42 likely from cancer. Her burial took place on the 3rd of August in Westminster Abbey within a hard-to-find tomb near Edward the Confessor's shrine.