Henry the VIII's Wives

Anne of Cleves

Anne of Cleves was born in 1515. Henry the VIII remained single two years after Jane's death. {I wonder how he managed.} He mourned Jane for a long time.

Henry needed a bride to secure an alliance. He had agents out looking for possible candidates for his next wife.

Anne was from France and he needed her for political reasons to reform the church so Anne was chosen.

After Henry married Anne, he was bored and wanted out of this marriage as usual. She wasn't attractive to him. She didn't like music or literature like Henry did. Tension between the Duke of Cleves and the Empire was increasing towards war and Henry didn't want to be involved. Henry had become attracted to a woman named Kathryn Howard.

Anne didn't raise a fuss about getting the marriage annuled. She testified that the marriage had not been consumated and she hadn't properly broken off her engagement to the Duke Of Lorraine.

Anne accepted the title as the "King's Sister" after the marriage was dissolved. She was given Hever Castle in the settlement which had been Anne's until her death.

She attended the coronation of her former step daughter Mary I. After her death, she was buried in Westminister Abbey.
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