This day in History..Anne of Cleves

I consider King Henry VIII to be a vicious King! If you know his whole history, you will agree on this. I think he was known for many things! – some not very pleasant if you ask me!   He was married six times! And… for primary children to remember what happened to all his wives, they learn in schools this little rhyme…”divorce, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded survived”! Yes, he even beheaded two of his wives! But…did you know that he composed Green Sleeves?

 Read more HERE about it. …

Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland, from 22 April 1509 until his death. Henry was the second monarch of the House of Tudor, succeeding his father, Henry VII. Henry VIII is famous for having been married six times. He wielded perhaps the most unfettered power of any English monarch, and brought about the Dissolution of the Monasteries and the union of England and Wales.Henry VIII was the second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. His elder brother, Arthur, Prince of Wales, died in 1502, leaving Henry as heir to the throne.

Many significant pieces of legislation were enacted during Henry VIII’s reign. They included the several Acts which severed the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church and established the king as the supreme head of the Church in England.

Henry VIII is known to have been an avid gambler and dice player. In his youth, he excelled at sports, especially jousting, hunting, and real tennis. He was also an accomplished musician, author, and poet; his best known piece of music is Pastime with Good Company (”The Kynges Ballade”). Henry VIII was also involved in the original construction and improvement of several significant buildings, including Nonsuch Palace, King’s College Chapel, Cambridge and Westminster Abbey in London. Many of the existing buildings Henry improved were properties confiscated from Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, such as Christ Church, Oxford, Hampton Court Palace, palace of Whitehall, and Trinity College, Cambridge. He founded Christ Church Cathedral School, Oxford in 1546.

……..Henry desired to marry once again to ensure that a male could succeed him. Thomas Cromwell, now 1st Earl of Essex, suggested Anne, the sister of the Protestant Duke of Cleves, who was seen as an important ally in case of a Roman Catholic attack on England. Hans Holbein the Younger was dispatched to Cleves to paint a portrait of Anne for the King. Although it has been said that he painted her in a more flattering way, it is unlikely that the portrait was inaccurate, as Holbein remained in favour at court. After regarding Holbein’s portrayal, and urged by the complimentary description of Anne given by his courtiers, Henry agreed to wed Anne. On Anne’s arrival in England, Henry is said to have found her utterly unattractive, privately calling her a “Flanders Mare.” Nevertheless, he married her on 6 January 1540.
Read more HERE on this link.