Glad you featured Anna's beautifully restored Holbein portrait in this video ❤ It's truly a vision to behold, one I never tire of seeing. Although I doubt Anna looked as flawless as her portrait, she couldn't have looked too dissimilar either. Holbein was a master of his craft and couldn't have captured Anna's likeness so incorrectly. He also didn't appear to have fallen out of favour with Henry over it
True, but Holbein was astute enough to slightly idealise the portrait (as you hinted) so as to make her more attractive to Henry VIII. Probably not too much however, for Holbein's safety!
I always feel Anne of Cleves was the wife who truly ‘survived’ Henry VIII (unlike in the famous rhyme where she’s remembered as the ‘divorced one’). By giving Henry what he wanted, Anne built a successful and independent life for herself, an impressive achievement for a highly patriarchal society. Good for Anne! 😎 Enjoyed this episode, thanks Claire 👍🏻
Anne of Cleves comes across as the most "simpatica" of Henry's wives. Not sure why, but she does. In the long run she was also the cleverest, having come out of the marriage with the most. Respect Anne! Great presentation Claire!
She is my favorite of all the Queens. She was smart, savy and was able to unload the old boy, got a nice chunk of change, kept her royal status and out lived them all.
I agree. She's my favorite, too. And I don't think she was ugly. If any of the portraits are accurate, I think she was actually one of the better ones.
🇭🇲 Anne of Cleves still remains one of my favourite wives of King Henry VIII and one of my favourite Tudor ladies. I'm not quite sure why, but I just like her, and I like that she appeared to stay very friendly towards all of King Henry VIII's children. Living a quiet (yet happy) life in Tudor England, while also known for her charitable works, and her generous nature. I enjoyed this video very much 👍 and "Thank you" very much Claire, with love to you and yours, from Lyndell xo 💓🫂
@ZiggyWhiskerz She must have been ugly, he rejected her again even after Katherine Howard was executed, and instead married a divorced women (supposably against the rules) and who he had good reason to believe was infertile since she was married twice before and was in her mid thirties and had never been pregnant. He still needed a spare, and it was much more politically advantageous to marry Anne of Cleves, yet he rejected her again. And she never married anyone else, despite wanting to marry. I don't want to be mean, but it bugs me when historians try to deny the reality that she was likely unattractive or maybe overweight at the very least. His other wives were no great beauties and yet he didn't reject them. And saying she had a happy ending doesn't sound right, she was known as the rejected, ugly queen, (likely true) and died alone in a foreign country at a young age.
Anne is fascinating. One of the only people to survive the Tudor King and live comfortably. I would have stayed as far away from court as humanly possible. 😅
Hi Claire, I’m a self confessed Tudor nerd from the USA. I’ve been enjoying your talks for several years now. Very interesting to learn more about Anne of Cleves! The “lucky” Queen. Thanks for sharing your insights!
I lived in Dartford for nearly 40yrs the old Dartford Manor Gatehouse still stands in Anne of Cleeves Road, it now the registrars office for weddings and has some lovely, very small gardens. Can be seen from the train when arriving at Dartford station. It is very special to us Dartfordians but due to its location is perch on the end of a small shopping outlet, wedding photos have to be shot as to not get a neon clothing store sign in the back. Sad but still cherished. If visited do not expect Hever Castle, its vey small but spectacular ❤
I am really enjoying these little Tudor shorts. Even if I know many of the fun facts. It is good to brush up on my knowledge. And, I am often pleasant surprised with information that I was unaware of. As always grear video! Always a pleasure to visit the channel and learn something new. ❤📚📖🕯👑
Henry was all gung-ho about the marriage until that fiasco when Anne of Cleves didn't play along with being able by instinct to see through his disguise and recognize Her True Love. Even though it was not her fault, I think he was terribly embarrassed by what happened and wanted to forget about it asap. That meant getting rid of her and she was darned lucky it was not via the block. She must have had charm and intelligence to talk Henry around to the settlement she got. "Oh, your Majesty, don't you see? If our marriage had been Meant to Be I would have known you at once. That I did not proves our marriage was a mistake, I agree. Now how can we arrange to end it with the least trouble?"
I just thought of that. If Henry hadn't surprised her when she first arrived and if her reaction to him hadn't hurt his fragile ego, her story might have ended up very differently.
Like Jane Seymour before her, Anna of Kleve is also something of an enigma. We don't know much about Anna and her true character, only tiny scraps of info. Her life isn't well documented from her childhood years in her native land to her later years in England away from Court as the Kings sister. She appears just to have lived a normal unremarkable quiet life whether it was the conservative life under the strict supervision of her mother or the independent years in England. Even Anna's very very brief tenure as Queen Consort, she didn't get up to much
for a woman in that time, i think she had a really good life. choosing not to marry, therefore avoiding the risk of childbirth, a very smart move. if i had the misfortune of being one of Henry's wives, this is the one i would choose to be
It may not have been entirely a matter of choice. Although she was literally free to marry, she was by the same agreement bound not to leave England. And she did ask permission to leave on at least two occasions; both Mary and Edward refused her permission. I can't imagine that many of Henry's subjects would have dared to court her, even though she was an "ex." Furthermore, I'm not sure what the terms were of her keeping all the benefits Henry had given her. It might be that they could be withdrawn if she married again.
@@gerrimilner9448 Well she did no harm, led a good life and was helpful and friendly to her former stepchildren. She might well have wished to be a mother. Lucky and sensitive to what was going on around her. Of the six, she and Kathryn Parr are the ones I would most like to have met.
If I had to choose a favourite, it would be Anne (we were happy to raise a pint to her in the Anne of Cleves pub in Melton Mowbray). I love Holbein's portrait, he painted a true beauty, and imho Henry showed what a horrible man he was by the way he spoke about her. Certainly no gentleman!
1. Is it true H.VIII came to regret the annulment? 2. Was Anne herself Protestant? If so, what was her relationship like with Mary I when she became queen?
I'm not sure about Henry having regrets. Anne's father was a committed Protestant of a moderate slant. Anne's mother, however, was a practicing Catholic, and Anne would certainly have been familiar and comfortable with that faith. She officially converted to Catholicism under Mary I, with whom she was friendly.
As Edith stated, Anne converted to Catholicism under Mary I which is why Mary gave Anne such a prominent burial place. I always get a kick out of seeing her tomb during televised events at Westminster Abbey.
I think after the very conservative (confining) upbringing she had in Cleves & the constant observation & judgement she experienced at Court, Anne probably reveled in the freedom her status as the "king's sister" afforded her. I don't blame her - I wouldn't have given all that up to get married either, especially considering she would've been considered her husband's property if she had.
People often ask if Anne of Cleves was 'ugly'. From what I've read I think the answer to that is almost certainly no, not at all! She may not have been seen as a ravishing beauty but by all accounts she had an attractiveness. People were also struck by her kind and pleasant demeanor. It seems that Henry had made up his mind to be rid of her from day one and would go to almost any lengths to do so, even launching unfounded personal attacks if needs be.
"The King's Beloved Sister" is a holdover from Roman Catholicism in the early Anglican Church. Even into the 21sr century, if a couple comes to Catholicism as divorced a remarried adults, then they will be asked to live together as brother and sister, not man and wife, in order to be communicant members.
What I've always been curious about is whether or not the two German individuals hunts Holbein the painter and Anne of Cleves did the two of them ever meet and or have any sort of acquaintances ship with one another and also considering the fact that they both were barred from leaving England did the two of them do you believe ever get together and perhaps try and plan how they were going to get out of the country?
They certainly met when Holbein painted her portrait. I don't think Holbein was ever barred from leaving England, and in fact did leave and returned to his home at least once and possibly twice.
Do you think there is any truth to the story that when Henry came to see Anne in “disguise” then revealed himself to her, she couldn’t hide her negative reaction and that is the source of his dislike of her.
His unfair description of her is real rich coming from overweight middle aged man with oozing pungent sores must have been a real turn on to Ann of Cleves.
So true! The annulment must have seemed like emancipation to her! If he was dismayed at Anna's appearance, she must surely have dismayed at the corpulent, arrogant, smelly, man she had to get into bed with.
Glad you featured Anna's beautifully restored Holbein portrait in this video ❤
It's truly a vision to behold, one I never tire of seeing.
Although I doubt Anna looked as flawless as her portrait, she couldn't have looked too dissimilar either. Holbein was a master of his craft and couldn't have captured Anna's likeness so incorrectly. He also didn't appear to have fallen out of favour with Henry over it
True, but Holbein was astute enough to slightly idealise the portrait (as you hinted) so as to make her more attractive to Henry VIII. Probably not too much however, for Holbein's safety!
Good for Anne for keeping her independence. A good life is the best revenge.
Anne was smart to accept the annulment of her marriage. She got a bargain in the end.
I always feel Anne of Cleves was the wife who truly ‘survived’ Henry VIII (unlike in the famous rhyme where she’s remembered as the ‘divorced one’). By giving Henry what he wanted, Anne built a successful and independent life for herself, an impressive achievement for a highly patriarchal society. Good for Anne! 😎 Enjoyed this episode, thanks Claire 👍🏻
Anne of Cleves comes across as the most "simpatica" of Henry's wives. Not sure why, but she does. In the long run she was also the cleverest, having come out of the marriage with the most. Respect Anne! Great presentation Claire!
Anna von Cleves is my favorite. 😎
🎶 No one tells me I need a rich man. Doing my thing in palace in Richmond!🎶
It's all so..."tragic".
She is my favorite of all the Queens. She was smart, savy and was able to unload the old boy, got a nice chunk of change, kept her royal status and out lived them all.
I agree. She's my favorite, too. And I don't think she was ugly. If any of the portraits are accurate, I think she was actually one of the better ones.
🇭🇲 Anne of Cleves still remains one of my favourite wives of King Henry VIII and one of my favourite Tudor ladies.
I'm not quite sure why, but I just like her, and I like that she appeared to stay very friendly towards all of King Henry VIII's children. Living a quiet (yet happy) life in Tudor England, while also known for her charitable works, and her generous nature.
I enjoyed this video very much 👍 and "Thank you" very much Claire, with love to you and yours, from Lyndell xo 💓🫂
Anne of Cleeves was always my favorite queen. She had a beauty in her own right and an amazing woman overall. Love it!❤
She wasn't ugly or "loose" 🙄 he was just embarrassed that he couldn't get it up. Have personal issues, blame someone else. 🙄
Agree
Agree!
@ZiggyWhiskerz She must have been ugly, he rejected her again even after Katherine Howard was executed, and instead married a divorced women (supposably against the rules) and who he had good reason to believe was infertile since she was married twice before and was in her mid thirties and had never been pregnant. He still needed a spare, and it was much more politically advantageous to marry Anne of Cleves, yet he rejected her again. And she never married anyone else, despite wanting to marry. I don't want to be mean, but it bugs me when historians try to deny the reality that she was likely unattractive or maybe overweight at the very least. His other wives were no great beauties and yet he didn't reject them. And saying she had a happy ending doesn't sound right, she was known as the rejected, ugly queen, (likely true) and died alone in a foreign country at a young age.
Yes...wonder what Anne thought about the fabulous Adonis she had ended up with? 😆
@@carolyn3172 Catherine Parr was twice widowed before marrying Henry, never divorced.
Anne is fascinating. One of the only people to survive the Tudor King and live comfortably. I would have stayed as far away from court as humanly possible. 😅
Keep up the good work Claire
Love learning about Anne of Cleves❤ thank you Claire 😊
I liked Anne of Cleves very much .
❤️🙏❤️
I love these 10 questions videos! Thanks Claire’
Hi Claire,
I’m a self confessed Tudor nerd from the USA. I’ve been enjoying your talks for several years now. Very interesting to learn more about Anne of Cleves! The “lucky” Queen. Thanks for sharing your insights!
I lived in Dartford for nearly 40yrs the old Dartford Manor Gatehouse still stands in Anne of Cleeves Road, it now the registrars office for weddings and has some lovely, very small gardens. Can be seen from the train when arriving at Dartford station. It is very special to us Dartfordians but due to its location is perch on the end of a small shopping outlet, wedding photos have to be shot as to not get a neon clothing store sign in the back. Sad but still cherished. If visited do not expect Hever Castle, its vey small but spectacular ❤
I always admired her. She was very smart to except the annulment. She got off a lot better than most of the other ones.
Thank you, I've always been interested in her.
She has to be either the smartest or the luckiest person of that era. Maybe both!
I am really enjoying these little Tudor shorts. Even if I know many of the fun facts. It is good to brush up on my knowledge. And, I am often pleasant surprised with information that I was unaware of. As always grear video! Always a pleasure to visit the channel and learn something new. ❤📚📖🕯👑
Thank you Claire
Henry was all gung-ho about the marriage until that fiasco when Anne of Cleves didn't play along with being able by instinct to see through his disguise and recognize Her True Love. Even though it was not her fault, I think he was terribly embarrassed by what happened and wanted to forget about it asap. That meant getting rid of her and she was darned lucky it was not via the block. She must have had charm and intelligence to talk Henry around to the settlement she got. "Oh, your Majesty, don't you see? If our marriage had been Meant to Be I would have known you at once. That I did not proves our marriage was a mistake, I agree. Now how can we arrange to end it with the least trouble?"
I just thought of that. If Henry hadn't surprised her when she first arrived and if her reaction to him hadn't hurt his fragile ego, her story might have ended up very differently.
Like Jane Seymour before her, Anna of Kleve is also something of an enigma. We don't know much about Anna and her true character, only tiny scraps of info.
Her life isn't well documented from her childhood years in her native land to her later years in England away from Court as the Kings sister. She appears just to have lived a normal unremarkable quiet life whether it was the conservative life under the strict supervision of her mother or the independent years in England.
Even Anna's very very brief tenure as Queen Consort, she didn't get up to much
for a woman in that time, i think she had a really good life. choosing not to marry, therefore avoiding the risk of childbirth, a very smart move. if i had the misfortune of being one of Henry's wives, this is the one i would choose to be
It may not have been entirely a matter of choice. Although she was literally free to marry, she was by the same agreement bound not to leave England. And she did ask permission to leave on at least two occasions; both Mary and Edward refused her permission. I can't imagine that many of Henry's subjects would have dared to court her, even though she was an "ex." Furthermore, I'm not sure what the terms were of her keeping all the benefits Henry had given her. It might be that they could be withdrawn if she married again.
@@edithengel2284 still by far the best life of the six
@@gerrimilner9448 Well she did no harm, led a good life and was helpful and friendly to her former stepchildren. She might well have wished to be a mother. Lucky and sensitive to what was going on around her. Of the six, she and Kathryn Parr are the ones I would most like to have met.
Enjoyed this
If I had to choose a favourite, it would be Anne (we were happy to raise a pint to her in the Anne of Cleves pub in Melton Mowbray). I love Holbein's portrait, he painted a true beauty, and imho Henry showed what a horrible man he was by the way he spoke about her. Certainly no gentleman!
To me, Anne in Holbein's portrait has the look of a young wife in love. No wonder Henry was eager to marry her!
Thank you, Claire. Who would you recommend for further reading on Anne of Cleves?
1. Is it true H.VIII came to regret the annulment?
2. Was Anne herself Protestant? If so, what was her relationship like with Mary I when she became queen?
I'm not sure about Henry having regrets. Anne's father was a committed Protestant of a moderate slant. Anne's mother, however, was a practicing Catholic, and Anne would certainly have been familiar and comfortable with that faith. She officially converted to Catholicism under Mary I, with whom she was friendly.
As Edith stated, Anne converted to Catholicism under Mary I which is why Mary gave Anne such a prominent burial place. I always get a kick out of seeing her tomb during televised events at Westminster Abbey.
Is it true that at their first meeting that Henry was in disguise? I’ve heard she didn’t recognize him (in disguise) and Henry was in a snit!
I think after the very conservative (confining) upbringing she had in Cleves & the constant observation & judgement she experienced at Court, Anne probably reveled in the freedom her status as the "king's sister" afforded her. I don't blame her - I wouldn't have given all that up to get married either, especially considering she would've been considered her husband's property if she had.
Was just wondering about Anne of Cleve's and why she never remarried last night. Great timing 🍾
People often ask if Anne of Cleves was 'ugly'. From what I've read I think the answer to that is almost certainly no, not at all! She may not have been seen as a ravishing beauty but by all accounts she had an attractiveness. People were also struck by her kind and pleasant demeanor. It seems that Henry had made up his mind to be rid of her from day one and would go to almost any lengths to do so, even launching unfounded personal attacks if needs be.
To think he could say such horrible things about her body. And I bet he was in tip top shape? 🙄
Exactly 🙄🙄
She seems to have been a pleasant and caring woman. Such a shame she died fairly young. Even with all the advantages of a wealthy woman.
"The King's Beloved Sister" is a holdover from Roman Catholicism in the early Anglican Church. Even into the 21sr century, if a couple comes to Catholicism as divorced a remarried adults, then they will be asked to live together as brother and sister, not man and wife, in order to be communicant members.
What title did she use? Was she "Lady Anne"?
Love your videos Claire
Anne of Cleves should have been told somethings by her Mother about what to expect after being married.
What I've always been curious about is whether or not the two German individuals hunts Holbein the painter and Anne of Cleves did the two of them ever meet and or have any sort of acquaintances ship with one another and also considering the fact that they both were barred from leaving England did the two of them do you believe ever get together and perhaps try and plan how they were going to get out of the country?
They certainly met when Holbein painted her portrait. I don't think Holbein was ever barred from leaving England, and in fact did leave and returned to his home at least once and possibly twice.
Henry apparently complained about her smell, is this from contemporary sources?
Do you think there is any truth to the story that when Henry came to see Anne in “disguise” then revealed himself to her, she couldn’t hide her negative reaction and that is the source of his dislike of her.
She was the lucky one
Is it true that Anne was willing, or even suggested the idea, of remarrying Henry after the downfall of Katherine Howard?
Hey Younglady. Are you Safe from the Floods. Looks pretty bad in some spots! Stay high and Dry!!!!!
His unfair description of her is real rich coming from overweight middle aged man with oozing pungent sores must have been a real turn on to Ann of Cleves.
So true! The annulment must have seemed like emancipation to her! If he was dismayed at Anna's appearance, she must surely have dismayed at the corpulent, arrogant, smelly, man she had to get into bed with.
Oh god, could you imagine? The thought of even kissing him gives me the ike. *shudder*🤐