Anne of Cleves, the Great Survivor

After Henry the VIII’s third wife, Jane Seymour, died bearing him his only son, the  King began looking for a new Queen. Although he did have a legitimate heir, he was not satisfied with only 

one and wanted a wife to give him more heirs. 

1. It was Thomas Cromwell, the man who had betrayed Anne Boleyn, Henry’s second wife, and helped send her to the Tower where she was beheaded, who pushed Anne of Cleves as a possible fourth wife.

2. King Henry wanted a portrait of his wife to assure him he would find her attractive. Hans Holbien, court painter, painted the future Queen and the King was satisfied. A marriage contract was made. (https://www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/history-and-stories/anne-of-cleves/)

3. Aside from the 24 year age gap between the couple, they also did not speak the same language. On their first meeting neither of them seemed to like the other. Anne did not recognize the King and may have ignored him. Meanwhile the King was disappointed with Anne’s looks which lead some to call her “the Ugly Queen”. Nevertheless the King did not want to alienate Cleves and the couple was wed. Later the King said the couple was unable to have intercourse.

4. Always willing to please the King and very aware of court politics, Thomas Cromwell tried to break off the marriage. Henry said the marriage was “nonconsexual” and not consummated. On July 9, 1540, the marriage was annulled. Annulments deemed the marriage invalid unlike divorce which didn’t happen often (even though most people say Anne of Cleves was divorced as though it was the same thing).

5. So where did this leave Anne? Reports indicate she was calm while others say she was worried. Which would make sense, looking at how Henry the VIII had killed his second wife when he ordered her to be beheaded and how he had exiled Katherine of Aragon and refused to let her see her own child. Anne was no longer Queen of England. What was she?

6. While King Henry insisted it was her (lack of) attractiveness that led him to be unable to consummate the marriage, his cabinet probably figured he was only saying this to protect his pride….but obviously no one wanted to say that. There is also the possibility that the king was looking ahead to his next and fifth wife, Catherine Howard. 

7. Since Anne did not fight the annulment and since the King did not want to offend her family/ country, the King offered a settlement to the prior Queen in an effort to placate her. Instead of being the Queen she could be the “King’s Sister” She was given property, an annual income, and allowed to keep all her dresses and jewels. She might have gotten the best deal  out of all six wives.

8. She did return her wedding ring, requesting it be broken into pieces since it had “no force or value” 

9. Anne’s status meant a new kind of freedom. She was finally able to learn English and how to dance. She also formed good relationships with Mary and Elizabeth, her stepchildren. She was invited back for holidays and paid homage to the new Queen, Catherine Howard.

10. Anne stayed single for the rest of her life. After Henry beheaded Catherine Howard, there was a buzz the two would remarry but they never did. She continued to be treated like  family even after King Henry married his last wife, Katherine Parr in 1543.