Anne of Cleves Part II

Holbein’s portraits were sent to Henry and negotiations went on to marry him to Anne. at New Year, 1540, she travelled to England for the wedding. Henry visited her, dressed as an ordinary gentleman and startled her by kissing her, which was an English custom that shocked many Continentals.  Anne did not realise he was the King and lacked the sophistication to respond to his advances. She knew nothing of the tradition of courtly love...and had had little experience of men.

Henry was put off by her lack of skill at the game of courtship and complained that she was much plainer than her portrait.  He did not wish to go ahead with the marriage but political necessity dictated that he could not repudiate her. He was furiously angry with Cromwell whom he blamed for the arrangement of the marriage and the alliance with Cleves. But they could not find a way out of the marriage.

The wedding went ahead, but Henry could not get over his aversion to Anne.  He told Cromwell that he liked her even less once they were married and that the marriage was not consummated.

Anne was very naive about sexual relations and seems not to have worried over much about Henry's lack of interest in her in that respect.  She knew nothing about the various arts that were usually taught to ladies and princesses, such as music or dancing and this meant that Henry could not find any common ground wtih her.  German princesses were taught housewifely skills and not the lighter recreations...

A few months went by but Henry ignored his wife and was apparently unwilling or unable to make love to her. He claimed to some of his intimates that he could not believe she was a virgin and began to try and find a way out of the marriage. It is highly unlikely that he really believed this but Henry was always good at self-deception.  He then decided to ask for an annulment of the marriage based on the fact that it was not consummated and that Anne had had a previous engagement to a Prince of Lorraine.  This was often considered as a way of getting a marriage annulled, looking at a former pre contract which had something of the force of a marriage vow…

Henry had by now got his eye on another woman, the very young and pretty Katherine Howard, one of Anne’s maids. She was a daughter of Lord Edmund Howard, son of the Duke of Norfolk and hence a cousin of Anne Boleyn.  Henry asked for an annulment, and Anne agreed.  She was probably grateful that she had not been sent back to Cleves or come to a worse end, like Anne Boleyn.

Henry made a generous settlement, and Anne had several properties to live in.  She was given precedence over all women in England; except the Kings Wife and daughters.  She and Henry seem to have become good friends once the marriage was over and she also got on well with Katherine Howard and was often at Court.