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What Really Happened with Anne of Cleeves?
The saga of Henry VIII’s wives is told, often scurrilously, between English schoolchildren.
One story, though, is not quite what it seems, and that’s what happened to and with Anne of Cleeves, the famous “Flanders mare.”
The Official Line
Henry, at 44, was desperately in need of two things: Alliances, and an heir. His legitimate son, Edward VI, was sickly and it was commonly believed that the boy might not live long enough to be king (he did, but not for very long).
He had fathered a bastard in his youth, Henry FitzRoy, on one of his queen’s ladies-in-waiting. Henry had been acknowledged and could potentially have been legitimized, but he died of “consumption” (likely tuberculosis) in 1536.
To solve both of these problems, Henry agreed to marry a foreign princess, but he wasn’t willing to take one sight unseen. Foreign kings, however, were unwilling to parade their daughters and sisters in front of the king.
The compromise was that they would send a portrait. Cromwell entered into marriage negotiations on the King’s behalf with the Duke of Cleves, who had two daughters, Anne (or Anna) and Amelia. The portraits were duly sent and Henry selected Anne.