|| Anne of Cleves ||

Confirmed depictions: || Holbein portraits || || Bruyn portrait || || Triptychon ||

Bruyn Copies: || St John’s/Oxford || ||Witt Library || | Hever Castle || ||Rohrich || || Eworth|| || Eworth ||

misnamed: || Anne of Hungary, also misnamed Anne Boleyn || || Hollar, probably also Anne of Hungary ||

Anne of Cleves was born a princess, sister to a Duke who inherited the combined Duchies of Kleve, Juelich, and Berg and the Counties of Mark and Ravenstein. Her elder sister Sibylla was the wife of the Elector of Saxony and as such Anne and her children could expect to inherit a great deal of wealth. Further to that her brother was attempting to marry Christina of Milan (at the same time as Henvy VIII) and he also inherited Gelderland, however briefly, the Emperor put paid to both plans, and quickly.

Over the centuries unfortunately many documents that could shed light on her life prior to the marriage no longer exist. This is in part due to dispersal of family documents from the late 16thC through to the wars of the modern era.

Neither Holbein and Anne herself would have survived any deception of the king especially related to the Tudor line. And both went on to live well while Henry was king.