Anne of Cleves (1515-1557) was Henry VIII's fourth wife and, in many ways, the luckiest. Her marriage lasted barely six months, but instead of losing her head or falling into disgrace, Anne obtained a rich settlement, the title of "the King's beloved sister" and a peaceful life in England, outliving the king and all his other wives.
A German princess
Anne was born on 22 September 1515 in Düsseldorf, daughter of Duke John III of Cleves, a small but strategic Rhineland state. She received the education typical of German princesses of the time, centred on needlework, household management and religion, but learned neither French nor Latin, nor the music and dancing so prized at the English court.
A political marriage
After the death of Jane Seymour in 1537, Henry VIII's chief minister, Thomas Cromwell, sought an alliance for the king with the Protestant German princes to counter a possible understanding between Emperor Charles V and the King of France. The duchy of Cleves, hostile to the emperor, seemed the ideal ally. The king sent his court painter, Hans Holbein, to portray Anne and her sister Amalia: Anne's portrait, now in the Louvre, pleased the king, and the marriage contract was signed in 1539.
Anne arrived in England at the end of 1539. The first meeting, at Rochester on New Year's Day 1540, was a disaster: following chivalric tradition, the king appeared in disguise to surprise her, but Anne, who did not recognise him, failed to show the enthusiasm Henry expected. The king declared himself disappointed by her appearance and tried to avoid the wedding, but so as not to jeopardise the alliance he had to marry her on 6 January 1540 at Greenwich. The famous "Flanders mare" insult attributed to the king, however, comes from writers of the following century.
The annulment
The marriage was never consummated, and meanwhile the international situation changed, making the German alliance pointless. Henry had in the meantime become infatuated with the very young Catherine Howard. In July 1540 the marriage was annulled with the consent of Anne, who proved wise and accommodating. The political price was paid by Cromwell, architect of the match, executed on 28 July 1540, the same day the king married Catherine Howard.
"The King's beloved sister"
In return for her cooperation Anne received a generous allowance, several residences, including Richmond Palace and Hever Castle, formerly the Boleyn family home, and precedence over all the ladies of the realm after the queen and the king's daughters. She remained on good terms with Henry, who called her "sister" and invited her to court, and with his children, especially Princess Elizabeth. She attended Mary I's coronation in 1553. She died on 16 July 1557 at her house in Chelsea, London, and was buried in Westminster Abbey: she is the only one of Henry VIII's six wives to have her tomb there.
A reassessment
For centuries Anne of Cleves was remembered as the "ugly", rejected wife. Today historians emphasise rather her practical intelligence: in a dangerous situation she turned rejection into opportunity, winning independence, wealth and a quiet life, something very rare for a woman of her time. See also Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragon and Thomas Cromwell.