Anne of Cleves

Anne of Cleves
Portrait by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1539
Queen consort of England
Tenure	6 January 1540 – 12 July 1540[1]
Born	28 June or 22 September 1515 Düsseldorf, Duchy of Berg, Holy Roman Empire
Died	16 July 1557 (aged 41 or 42) Chelsea Manor, England
Burial	3 August 1557 Westminster Abbey
Spouse	Henry VIII of England ​ ​ (m. 1540; ann. 1540)​
House	La Marck
Father	John III, Duke of Cleves
Mother	Maria of Jülich-Berg
Signature

Anne of Cleves (German: Anna von Kleve; 1515 – 16 July 1557)^[2] was Queen of England from 6 January to 12 July 1540 as the fourth wife of King Henry VIII.^[2] Not much is known about Anne before 1527, when she became betrothed to Francis, Duke of Bar, son and heir of Antoine, Duke of Lorraine, although their marriage did not proceed. In March 1539, negotiations for Anne's marriage to Henry began, as Henry believed that he needed to form a political alliance with her brother, William, who was a leader of the Protestants of Western Germany, to strengthen his position against potential attacks from Catholic France and the Holy Roman Empire.^[3]

Anne arrived in England on 27 December 1539 and married Henry on 6 January 1540, but after six months, the marriage was declared unconsummated and, as a result, she was not crowned queen consort. Following the annulment, Henry gave her a generous settlement, and she was thereafter known as the King's Beloved Sister.^[4][5] Remaining in England, she lived to see the reign of Edward VI, and the coronation of Mary I, outliving the rest of Henry's wives.^[6]