Henry VIII Anne of Cleves
After the death of Jane Seymour, England was becoming increasingly
isolated next to the Catholic powers of France and Spain.
A new wife was needed by Henry VIII, not only for his comfort
but also for the possibility of bearing more children.
With an end game being to shore up their European relations.
Plans began to find this new bride!
Henry had loved his previous wives and queens until their ultimate demise,
so it suggests he was picky, to say the least.
However, the difference was that he knew them personally; yet
on this occasion, it was a blind date
and one that didn't go well.
Hans Holbein had been sent
across the royal courts of Europe
to paint a good likeness
of potential ladies for Henry.
Many of the women were disinterested
in Henry due to his colourful marital background.
It was around now that Anne of Cleves made her first appearance.
Her portrait is pleasant and appealing
except to one man, the man that matters most, Henry!
It seems Holbein
must have incorrectly portrayed Anne, although that is very doubtful.
But why did the King take such a passionate dislike to this woman?
When Henry met Cromwell to discuss this, his famous words of
I like her not rang in Cromwell's ears and would resonate around the court.
As for Cromwell he would eventually pay for his actions.
But Henry was like a dog with a bone, he wouldn't let it go, and his tirades
just continued by reminding Cromwell that if he had known any better,
she "would never have come within the kingdom" but Anne did arrive.
And there was nothing, not even the King could do, as the wedding
would go ahead, sealing the King's newly constructed alliance
with Cleves that had been created on the back of the union.
The day after the night before, Cromwell asked the King, "
How liked you the Queen?" The devasting reply for Cromwell came with Henry
answering, "I liked her before not well, but now I like her much worse"
Henry had not consummated the marriage
and by all accounts, neither was he going to.
Cromwell was under pressure now, he had failed in his duty to his master, and
it wasn't only the King that was starting to feel this grave state of affairs.
But Cromwell would not be arrested just yet; Henry needed him
to testify to the government.
Although The marriage must end and soon.
Henry openly admitted that he had never liked Anne,
and as he stands before God, Anne was not his lawful wife.
It was now time for Norfolk and the council to get their thinking
hats on and declare to the world that the marriage was no more.
But also an opportunity to bring down Cromwell a bitter rival to Norfolk.
But how would they generate enough sympathy to achieve this?
July 5 1540, Parliament and the general assembly began the process.
Thomas Audley who was an English barrister and judge
who served as Lord Chancellor of England from 1533 to 1544.
Spoke most thoroughly of the event, all the time being interrupted
by others when ministers added snippets to support the King.
Audley said, "it is necessary
for the general safety that some other future heir, by the divine
goodness, may be born to them, in true and lawful wedlock.
And, since this is very doubtful by the late contracted
marriage of his majesty and the most noble lady Anne of Cleves,
because some impediments which upon inquiry may arise to make
the validity of that marriage dubious." "The house of commons
should also be appointed to wait upon his majesty, humbly opening to him
as far as decency would admit of their doubts
and scruples in the matter, and humbly entreating that he would please
to acquaint them whether the aforesaid marriage was valid or not.
As expected, a unanimous decision was granted.
The Commons was asked to send six members to follow up any concerns with the Lords.
But they went above and beyond the call of duty and sent a committee of twenty,
including close friends of the King, Sir Thomas Cheyney and Sir William Kingston.
It's unknown why the bishops abstained from any further dealings at this point.
The King pressed Audley to give his opinion,
and he reeled off the words he had given to Parliament before.
Henry listened carefully and replied
that this vital decision of judgement and determination was one for the clergy.
He believed that many learned and honest
men would not say anything that was not just and right.
After this admission, the King then sent letters to the clergy without delay.
On July 7, an assembly gathered this included the province of York
as well as Canterbury.
Although they had been in Parliament since April 14, no significant
decisions had been made.
Yet, now began a flurry of activity.
The commission was read, and Gardiner set out reasons why the marriage was invalid.
Committee members then studied the documents of the case,
and a closer examination was now required.
More private meetings occurred over the next 24 hours,
and by the following day, further depositions were ordered.
The only prerequisite now was to add some meat to the bones.
Legal specialists now arrived,
and by 3 pm on July 8, the final report was complete.
On the back of Cranmer's advice,
the clergy unanimously voted that the marriage should be annulled.
It stated both Henry and Anne were free to remarry,
and the draft was sanctioned to be made law.
However, more debate followed; there was still some confusion
about the document's wording, as it gives four causes.
Firstly, Anne's precontract to the Duke of Lorraine's son.
Henry's reluctance to participate in the marriage ceremony,
his further refusal to consummate the marriage, and the fact
that a lack of heirs could not occur through the union.
Although these are misconstrued reasons, it was thought that if
all were put together, they would eventually conclude one solid
prerequisite that would include everything required to abandon the marriage.
The decree was signed by around 150 clerics that same afternoon,
and the whole process was completed by July 9.
The following day Parliament read out a report,
Cranmer told the Lords, and Gardiner read the decree.
It was now that Suffolk, Wriothelsy were despatched to break the news
to the Queen officially.
On Sunday, Anne accepted the judgement, and Henry thought how lucky he was
to be dealing with a simple German girl rather than some unnamed previous wife.
On Monday, July 12, the Lords gave a bill ratifying the nullity decree.
By the 16th, the Commons had also agreed to the new legislation.
As you can imagine, the statement's wording covers everything possible
in denying a recreation of the fiasco in years to come.
It called for the remembrance of manifold detestable conflicts, intestine battles,
people's moralities, diversities
that grew within the realm insured by the doubts of marriages.
The second part of the decree was just as dangerous to others
who would still assert that Anne and Henry were still married;
and to those that also referred to anyone who wrote about
or spoke against the annulment before it came to be law.
Only then would those persons have to be expressly pardoned, having caused the King
a grave insult by impugning the marriage before its official dissolution.
Six months after the marriage between Henry and Anne had begun,
it had swiftly ended.
Henry was, of course, grateful for Anne's cooperation
and in allowing him to be set free without any remaining complications.
So pleased was Henry with the outcome, he doted on Anne even more,
gave her lands and properties and adopted her as his "good sister."
As for Cromwell, Henry no longer required his services,
and on Wednesday, July 28 1540, Cromwell was led away to the scaffold.
Henry went on to marry Catherine Howard; as for Anne,
she would see her days at Chelsea Old Manor, where on July 16 1557,
she would pass away, eight weeks before her forty-second birthday.
So why did Henry marry Anne?
Was it purely based on Cromwell's determination to provide
new alliances in Europe to strengthen the English say in matters?
Or was it simply Holbein's portrait and Henry's first sight of his new bride
the cause behind one of the most daring match ups in Tudor times?
Let me know in the comments below, and for the full story of Henry
and Anne watch this video on your screen right now.
I'll see you again soon :)