Anne of Cleves (German: Anna von Kleve; 28 June or 22 September 1515 – 16 July 1557) [2] was Queen of England from 6 January to 12 July 1540 as the fourth wife of Henry VIII. [2]
Anne of Cleves (1515–57) was the fourth wife of Henry VIII; the marriage resulted from Henry’s efforts to form an alliance with her brother, William, duke of Cleves.
Anne of Cleves is the only one of Henry VIII's wives to be buried in Westminster Abbey, the traditional resting place of England's kings and queens. Mary I had Anne buried with Catholic rites in great pomp and ceremony near the high altar in the Abbey.
Anne of Cleves became one of the most unusual figures in the history of Henry VIII’s marriages, and she wore the crown of England for only six months in 1540 before her marriage ended in annulment. Writers at the time described her as plain, and Henry expressed open disgust at her appearance.
Most famously known by the rather unflattering nickname of ‘The Flanders Mare’, Anne of Cleves has often been overlooked in the list of Henry VIII’s wives.
In the grand drama of King Henry VIII‘s six wives, Anne of Cleves is often relegated to a footnote as the bride he rejected. However, the real story of the German princess who became Queen of England for just six months is far more nuanced and fascinating.
Anne (whose given name was Anna), was probably born in the ancient fortress of Düsseldorf, in the duchy of Cleves-Jülich-Berg, usually shortened to ‘Cleves’.
Anne of Cleves is most famously remembered in popular history by the infamous portrait that, according to Henry VIII, was not a true depiction of her. When choosing his new wife, Henry was not prepared to rely purely on words alone - this was wife number four, it had to go well.