Profile of the Day: Anne of Cleves

Posted September 22, 2014 by Amanda | No Comment
Anne of Cleves

Anne of Cleves

On September 22, 1515, Anne of Cleves, the fourth wife of King Henry VIII, was born in Düsseldorf. The match between Anne and the King was urged by his chief minister, Thomas Cromwell. However, shortly after meeting Anne, Henry had misgivings about going through with the marriage, stating that he believed he was mislead about her appearance. He urged Cromwell to find a legal way to avoid the marriage, but doing so was impossible without endangering the vital alliance with the Germans.

The two were married on January 6, 1640. The marriage was quickly annulled a few months later on the grounds of non-consummation. Following the annulment of their marriage, Anne was given a generous settlement by the King and was thereafter referred to as the “King’s Beloved Sister.”

She lived to see the coronation of Queen Mary I, outliving the rest of Henry VIII’s wives.

Anne of Cleves is connected to nearly 80 million people on Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?

 

View Anne of Cleves’s Geni Profile

 

Post written by Amanda

Amanda is the Marketing Communications Manager at Geni. If you need any assistance, she will be happy to help!

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