Anne of Cleves

by Sarah-Beth Watkins

  The next day Southampton took her on a tour of the harbour to show her Henry’s fleet ‘which were not only right well-appointed and trimmed with streamers, banners and flags, but also no less furnished with men standing in their tops, the shrouds, the yard-arms and other places’.34 Anne was suitably impressed and overwhelmed as she was led from banquet to tournament. No expense was spared in her entertainment which had to be hastily arranged for her prolonged stay. Southampton was also impressed with Anne and reported ‘the notable virtues of my lady now with her excellent beauty, such as I well perceive to be no less than was reported’.35

  To pass the time over the coming days Anne asked Southampton to show her a card game that Henry liked to play. She wanted something to do to fill the anxious hours ahead and was worried she would have little in common with the king. ‘And so my Lord William and I played with her at cent and Mr Morison, Mrs Gilmyn and Mr Wooton stood by and taught her to play. And I assure your Majesty she played as pleasantly and with as good a grace and countenance as ever in all my life I saw any noble woman’.36

  Anne invited Southampton and other nobles to her apartments for an evening meal but the lord admiral was concerned at the king’s reaction to such informality as with the playing of cards but Anne assured him otherwise and the admiral with the Lords Howard, Hastings, Talbot, Grey and Bryan, Knyvet, Seymour and Cromwell’s son spent a pleasant evening with the bride-to-be. Anne was feeling a little homesick and a lot of apprehension as the days passed. When messages came from Flanders, she asked Southampton to see if there were any letters for her from home and was saddened when there were none. The longer she waited, the more alone she felt.

  Lady Lisle did her best to make sure Anne was comfortable and had everything she needed. Her own daughter Anne had been selected for the queen’s household in England and while Lady Lisle hoped her other daughter Katherine may find a place in the new household she wrote to England with news from Calais. Anne replied ‘I humbly thank your ladyship of the news you write me of her Grace, that she is so good and gentle to serve and please. It shall be no little rejoicement to us, her Grace’s servants here, that shall attend daily upon her. And most comfort to the king’s majesty, whose Highness is not a little desirous to have her Grace here’.37

  Henry was growing more and more impatient by the day but finally the weather changed and Anne departed Calais for her new home and new husband on 27 December.

  Princess Elizabeth

  Chapter Four

  The Marriage

  1539–1540

  Anne arrived at Deal on the east coast at 5 pm to be greeted by Sir Thomas Cheyne, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. She was escorted to the newly built Deal Castle, one of three new fortifications built to protect the Kent coast from invasion, to rest but as it was a small garrison fort, it was deemed more appropriate that she should spend the night at Dover Castle which had been sumptuously refurbished for her arrival. She was introduced to the Duke and Duchess of Suffolk, who would become her friend throughout her life, and Richard Sampson, the Bishop of Chichester, who were to escort her along the coast to more suitable accommodation. Exhausted from her whole day’s voyage she was grateful to arrive at 11 pm and have the next day to rest before continuing her journey. Henry was waiting for news at Hampton Court, anxious that all should go well on his bride’s journey up to London where they would officially meet for the first time.

  The weather was foul on 29 December 1539 but Anne refused to be put off and once all her baggage and train was assembled, she set off for Canterbury. Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, and Cheyne reported to Henry in the evening that even though wind and hail blew ‘contynuelly in her face’, Anne was ‘desirous to make haste to the King (’s Highness) that her Grace forced for no nother, which (we) perceyvyng were very gladde to set her G(race) furthwards, considering if we should h(ave) lost this day’.1

  Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, met Anne halfway on the sixteen-mile journey to Canterbury at Barham Down. He had worried that the pouring rain would put off the gentlemen of the county. He detained one of Cromwell’s servants to help rally attendees. ‘In case he and other gentlemen of the country, with mine own retinue, had not the better assisted me, over and besides the number appointed, I should have received her Grace but with a slender company. For the whole number appointed to me, besides mine own company, was not six score, and yet some of them failed; so that if, partly by mine own company, and partly by other gentlemen’s assistance; it had not been supplied, I should not have received her with a convenient number.’2 But whether she noticed a smaller group or not, Anne was anxious to continue the journey and get out of the driving rain. After being presented with a cup full of gold coin, she was escorted to St Augustine’s Abbey which had been refurbished and new queen’s lodgings added especially for her visit. James Needham, Surveyor of the King’s Works, had been in charge of ‘350 craftsmen and labourers on the site’ who had worked through the nights using ‘31 dozen candles’.3 As well two new ranges of chambers, Anne’s arms were placed in the waiting chamber, two in her presence chamber and one over the stairs as well as the stained-glass windows carrying depictions of her badges alongside Henry’s. All for just a one night stay.

  Anne was gladdened by so much effort having been made on her behalf and even more so by the ‘40 or 50 gentlewomen (who waited) in velvet bonnets to see her, all which she took very joyously, and was so glad to see the King’s subjects resorting so lovingly to her, that she forgot all the foul weather and was very merry at supper’.4 The next night’s accommodation was not as impressive being in Sittingbourne where an inn, possibly The Lion where Henry had stayed in 1532, had to be utilised but they soon travelled on to Rochester. The Duke of Norfolk, Lord Dacre, Lord Mountjoy and their men met her at Rainham Down and escorted her to the Bishop’s Palace there.

  Anne must have been overwhelmed by all the new places and people, especially as they were all talking to her in a language she did not know. None of the nobles had sent back any reports to Henry that depicted Anne in a harsh light but in Rochester she would meet Lord and Lady Browne who would supervise her maids. Lady Browne was appalled by what they saw. Perhaps knowing the king’s taste Lady Browne despaired of the wedding to come and felt that ‘the King should never heartily love her’.5 Her husband was also troubled. When sent to Anne for the first time with a message from the king:

  Having conceived in his mind, what was by picture and advertisements signified of her beauty and qualities, at the general view of the ladies he thought he saw no such thing there, and yet were thither of better favour than the queen. But when he was directed unto herself, and advisedly loked upon her, he saith, he was never more dismayed in all his life, lamenting in his hart, which altered his outward contenace, to se the lady so far and unlike that was reported, and of such sort as he thought the King’s Highnes should not content himself with her. Nevertheles at his retorne to the Kings Majesty with her answer, the said Sir Anthony said nothing, ne nurst not.6

  Henry had grown impatient to see his intended. Burning with the ideal of chivalric love, so much a part of his youth, he rode down to Rochester on New Year’s Day to see his wonderful new bride and ‘nourish love’. Browne had not warned him nor had any one else mentioned Anne’s appearance. They were obviously waiting for the king’s reaction but many could see this young girl from Germany would not be to his liking. There are several accounts of their first meeting but Chapuys, the Spanish ambassador wrote:

  And on New Year’s day, in the afternoon, the king’s grace with five of his privy chamber, being disguised with mottled cloaks with hoods so that they should not be recognised, came secretly to Rochester, and so went up into the chamber where the said lady Anne was looking out of a window to see the bull-baiting which was going on in the courtyard, and suddenly he embraced and kissed her, and showed here (sic) a token which the King had sent her for (a) New Year’s gift, and she being abashed and not knowing who it was thanked him, and so he spoke
with her. But she regarded him little, but always looked out the window… and when the King saw that she took so little notice of his coming he went into another chamber and took off his cloak and came in again in a coat of purple velvet. And when the lords and knights saw his grace they did him reverence… and then her grace humbled herself lowly to the king’s majesty, and his grace saluted her gain, and they talked together lovingly, and afterwards he took her by the hand and led her to another chamber where their graces amused themselves that night and on Friday until the afternoon.7

  Anne can hardly be blamed for not recognising the king. He was just another courtier in a sea of unfamiliar faces that she had seen since her arrival in England. Henry had expected her to see him for who is was even in disguise as true love would always know its mate. What happened next also has different versions. Wriothesely echoed Chapuys when he wrote in his chronicle that the king spoke lovingly to Anne and spent the evening with her. Sir Anthony Browne however, echoing his wife’s previous assumption, had Henry practically running for the door. As Starkey has pointed out Browne was one of Henry’s closest men and would have seen Henry’s reaction and felt his displeasure when the king was once more alone in his rooms. Wriothesely only saw what was a public display.

  Henry had seen Anne’s portrait so seeing his bride in reality should have been no shock. Holbein was known for his lifelike paintings. Even if he had embellished her attributes the painting must have shown a relatively good resemblance. Given what was to follow, Holbein would have been the first to feel Henry’s wrath if the picture had been misleading. Admittedly Anne looked different in her German dress and spoke differently in her native tongue but what really irked Henry is that she had embarrassed him in front of his nobles. But for Henry to treat Anne in any other way than respectful would cause a diplomatic crisis. He left the next day to return to Greenwich and it is then that he began to talk of his displeasure with those closest to him. We know how he felt from the dispositions that would be later be given as evidence for the dissolution of his marriage. Henry then admitted ‘…when I saw her at Rochester, the first time I saw her, it rejoiced my heart that I had kept me free from making any pact or bond before with her till I saw her myself; for then I assure you I liked her so ill, and so far contrary to that she was praised, that I was woe she ever came into England’.8

  At the time the king did not know what to do. He was so unhappy with what he had seen, he left before giving Anne her New Year’s gift of sable furs telling Browne to give them to her and moaning ‘I see nothing in this woman as men report of her, and I marvel that wise men would make would make such a report as they have done!’9 The Earl of Southampton had been one of the last to send his comments on Anne to the king. Henry took him to task asking ‘How like you this woman? Do you think her so fair and of such beauty as report hath been made unto me of her? I pray you tell me the truth’. The earl diplomatically answered that ‘he took her not for fair, but to be of a brown complexion’.10 Never once did Henry call her a Flanders mare. This would be suggested in Gilbert Burnet, Bishop of Salisbury’s book, The History of the Reformation of the Church of England, written in 1679 that Henry ‘swore they had brought over a Flanders mare to him; and was sorry it had gone so far, but glad it had proceeded no further’ and echoed in Smollett’s History of England not published until 1759.

  Henry wanted answers from Cromwell. It was he who had arranged this marriage and Henry no longer wanted it to go ahead. Whilst Anne was moving from Rochester to Dartford, coming ever closer to London, Henry was demanding a remedy to the situation. Cromwell ‘knew none’11 and tried to blame the Earl of Southampton for bringing Anne to England knowing that Anne ‘was not so handsome as had been represented’.12 But the earl was furious and told them that he had done exactly as he had been ordered and that ‘as the Princess was generally reported for a beauty, he had only repeated the opinions of others, for which no one ought reasonably to blame him, especially as he had supposed she would be his queen’.13 Henry didn’t blame him. He blamed Cromwell.

  It was too late to do anything for now. Anne’s formal reception at Greenwich was organised for the next day, 3 January. Proclamations had already declared ‘that all who loved their lord the King should proceed to Greenwich to meet and make their devoir, to my Lady Anne of Cleves, who would shortly be their queen’.14 Anne was escorted by the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk, the Archbishop of Canterbury and other nobles to Shooters Hill, near Blackheath where luxurious tents of cloth of gold had been prepared for her with scented braziers warming the air. Nothing as grand as the Field of the Cloth of Gold but still a magnificent display of Henry’s wealth and a heartfelt welcome for the queen to be. She was greeted by the nobles of her new household, the Earl of Rutland and Sir Thomas Denny who presented her to the other officers that would serve her. Then

  …doctor Daye appointed to her Almoner, made to her an eloquent oration in Latin, presenting to her on the kynges behalf all the officers and servauntes: which oracion was aunswered unto by the Duke her brothers Secretarie there being present, whiche done, the lady Margarete Doglas, daughter to the Quene of Scottes, the lady Marques Dorcet, daughter to the French Quene being nieces to the kyng, and the Duches of Rychemond, and the Countesse of Rutland and Herfford with divers other ladies and gentlewomen, to the number of xv saluted and welcomed her grace, whiche alighted out of her chariot in the which she had ridden all her long journey, and with most goodly demeanour and loving countenaunce gave to them hertie thankes and kissed them al, and after all her counsellors and officers kissed her hand, which done, she with al the ladies entered the tentes and there warmed them a space.15

  Her brother’s secretary who had travelled with her interpreted their addresses and stood by her side until all the introductions were finished. With great relief Anne took refreshment and steeled herself for the next round of greetings and her meeting with the king.

  Henry was waiting just through the park at Greenwich for word of Anne’s arrival. The whole route was lined with merchants from the Steelyard, aldermen and city officials, knights and pensioners all wearing their finest clothes to witness the meeting of Henry and Anne. Barriers had been erected along by the river so that no one could fall in. Not to be outdone the people of London had taken to the Thames in boats and barges and sailed up and down trying to catch a glimpse of the proceedings. It was estimated that as many as 6000 people had turned out to see the new queen.

  As Henry rode out his trumpeters announced his coming. They were followed by members of the king’s council and the privy chamber, nobles of the realm, bishops and foreign dignitaries and finally the king.

  His persone was apparelled in a coate of purple velvet, somewhat made lyke a frocke, all over embroidered with flatte golde of Damaske wih small lace mixed between of the same gold and other laces of the same so goyng traverse wyse, that the ground little appered: about whiche garment was a ryche garde very curiously embroidered, the sleves and brest were cut, lined with cloth of golde, and tied together with great buttons of Diamondes, Rubyes and Orient Perle, his sworde and swordgyrdle adorned with stones and especial Emerodes, his night cappe garnished with stone, but his bonnet was so ryche of Juels that fewe men coulde value them. Beside all this he ware in baudrike wyse a coller of such Balistes and Perle that few men ever sawe the lyke.16

  Anne too had dressed in a fine gown of cloth of gold in the German fashion with a cap of pearls and her hair covered in black velvet. Jewels adorned her neck and she looked every inch a queen albeit a foreign one. Marillac, the French ambassador, thought she looked older than her twenty-four years nor was she ‘so beautiful as everyone affirmed. She is tall and very assured in carriage and countenance, showing that in her turn and vivacity of wit supplies the place of beauty. She brings from her brother’s country 12 or 15 damsels inferior in beauty even to their mistress and dressed so heavily and unbecomingly that they would be thought ugly even if they were beautiful’.17

  Anne rode out to meet the king.
It’s hard to guess which one of them was dreading this meeting more. Anne was anxious but may not have any idea of how much Henry disliked her at this point. He acted with honour, saluted and embraced her and Anne made a short speech in English that she had well-rehearsed. They rode on to Greenwich Palace. The chronicler Hall was so spellbound he wrote ‘Oh! what a sight was this, to see so goodly a prince and so noble a king to ride with so fair a lady, of so goodly a stature, and so womanly a countenance, and in especial of so good qualities; I think no creature could see them but his heart rejoiced’. Once there Henry embraced Anne again and led her to the queen’s apartments. Then he went to find Cromwell.

  Their wedding was supposed to take place the next day but Henry now frantically sought a way out. He admitted Anne was ‘well and seemly’18 but he had no wish to marry her. Calling his council, he ordered them to find a way to put a stop to it. Perhaps Anne’s pre-contract with the Duke of Lorraine could be used as a way out. The Cleves ambassadors headed by Olisleger were called to clarify the matter but asked to speak to the Council the next morning so they could prepare their response. More than anything they were shocked to have been asked for documentation of a pre-contact that had already been discussed and found invalid. Did Anne have any idea as she sat at the evening banquet dressed in a gown trimmed with sable, her expensive cap covered in jewels and pearls, that Henry was trying his hardest to wrangle out of making her his bride?