December 27 – The arrival of Anne of Cleves

| December 27, 2022

December 27 – The arrival of Anne of Cleves

On this day in Tudor history, 27th December 1539, in the reign of King Henry VIII, the king’s bride-to-be, Anne of Cleves landed at Deal in Kent. Anne of Cleves would be Henry VIII’s fourth wife and had travelled from Düsseldorf in preparation for the wedding. Find out more about Anne of Cleves’ journey, the […]

December 11 – Anne of Cleves is greeted with a lavish reception

| December 11, 2022

December 11 – Anne of Cleves is greeted with a lavish reception

On this day in Tudor history, 11th December 1539, in the reign of King Henry VIII, the king’s bride-to-be, Anne of Cleves, arrived at Gravelines, just a few miles outside of Calais. Anne and her retinue were greeted by Lord Lisle, Deputy of Calais. Anne of Cleves was on her way to England to become […]

September 22 – The traditional birthdate of Anne of Cleves

| September 22, 2022

September 22 – The traditional birthdate of Anne of Cleves

This day in Tudor history, 22nd September 1515, is the traditional birthdate of Anne of Cleves (Anna von Jülich-Kleve-Berg), Henry VIII’s fourth wife. Anne of Cleves was, of course, only married to the king for six months, but she outlived him and his other wives, and went on to live a good life in England. […]

September 4 – Anne of Cleves is promised in marriage to Henry VIII

| September 4, 2022

September 4 – Anne of Cleves is promised in marriage to Henry VIII

On this day in Tudor history, 4th September 1539, in the reign of King Henry VIII, William, Duke of Cleves, signed the marriage treaty promising his sister, Anne of Cleves, in marriage to the English king. Henry VIII married Anne of Cleves on 6th January 1540, making her his fourth wife. Find out all about […]

July 16 – The death of Anne of Cleves, Henry VIII’s fourth wife

| July 16, 2022

July 16 – The death of Anne of Cleves, Henry VIII’s fourth wife

On this day in Tudor history, 16th July 1557, in the reign of Queen Mary I, the queen’s former stepmother, Anne of Cleves, died at her home, Chelsea Old Manor. Forty-one-year-old Anne, who’d been King Henry VIII’s fourth wife, had been ill for a few months. Her warmth and generosity are shown in her last […]

July 9 – Anne of Cleves goes from wife to sister

| July 9, 2022

July 9 – Anne of Cleves goes from wife to sister

On this day in history, 9th July 1540, Henry VIII’s fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, went from being queen consort to being the king’s “right dear and right entirely beloved sister” following the annulment of their six-month marriage.. But why was their marriage annulled? How did Anne of Cleves react to the news? What happened […]

June 20 – Anne of Cleves gets cross about Henry VIII and Catherine Howard

| June 20, 2022

June 20 – Anne of Cleves gets cross about Henry VIII and Catherine Howard

On this day in Tudor history, 20th June 1540, five months into their marriage, Henry VIII’s fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, got rather cross about her husband’s inappropriate behaviour. Anne complained to her advisor about they king’s interest in one of her maids of honour, a certain Catherine Howard. What exactly was going on and […]

3 January – Martin Luther is excommunicated, and two very different days for Anne of Cleves

| January 3, 2022

3 January – Martin Luther is excommunicated, and two very different days for Anne of Cleves

On this day in Tudor history, 3rd January 1521, Pope Leo X excommunicated Reformer, German priest and professor of theology Martin Luther from the Catholic Church. In this talk, I explain what led to Luther’s excommunication, what happened when Luther was called to the Diet of Worms, and what happened next to this famous Reformer.

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