Claire | September 22, 2022
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. […]
Claire | September 4, 2022
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 […]
Claire | July 16, 2022
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 […]
Claire | July 9, 2022
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 […]
Claire | June 20, 2022
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 […]
Claire | January 3, 2022
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.
Joel Ridgway | December 27, 2021
On this day in Tudor history, 27th December 1583, scholar and Puritan Katherine Killigrew died after giving birth to a stillborn child. Katherine was the daughter of renowned humanist and scholar, Sir Anthony Cooke, and was known for her ability at writing poetry and her knowledge of languages, including Hebrew, Latin and Greek. She was […]
Joel Ridgway | December 11, 2021
On this day in Tudor history, 11th December 1539, Anne of Cleves and her retinue were received at Gravelines, just a few miles outside of Calais, by Lord Lisle, Deputy of Calais. Anne of Cleves was on her way to England to marry King Henry VIII, but her journey had been rather slow and she […]
