Richmond, 1540
The king's servants wrote that she was 'content always with your Majesty', thus accepting Henry's judgment, and in her letter of submission she signed herself 'daughter of Cleves', not 'queen of England'. She agreed the marriage had never been consummated and signed all necessary documents. For his part, Henry was now prepared to be generous. Anne was to enjoy precedence over all the ladies in England, except the Queen and the king's daughters. She was to be known as the king's 'good sister' and received a very nice settlement of manors and estates, some of which belonged to Cromwell. This guaranteed her an income of 3000 pds a year, making her one of the wealthiest women in England. All this depended upon her remaining in England, and this Anne was more than willing to do. 'The King's highness whom I cannot have as a husband is nevertheless a most kind, loving and friendly father and brother,' she wrote to her brother. Why should she return home in ignominy, dependent upon her brother's generosity, when she could remain in England and live a comfortable, independent life?
Anne was perhaps as content with the arrangement as Henry. She grew to enjoy English ale and gambling; she spent large sums on gowns; she visited with the king's children and occasionally the king himself. She was heard to remark that she was more attractive than Katharine Parr, to whom the king's attention turned in 1543. In fact, upon Catherine Howard's execution in 1542, rumors circulated that perhaps the king would take back his former bride. The French ambassador was suitably impressed with Anne's handling of a delicate situation, observing that 'all her affairs could never make her utter a word by which one might suppose that she was discontented.'
These rumors were understandable enough; Anne occupied a nebulous place in English society, unmarried but wealthy and independent. She was not an heiress but still honored as a royal. She answered to no male authority but that of the king, and he did not choose to trouble her.
http://englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/cleves.html
Anne was perhaps as content with the arrangement as Henry. She grew to enjoy English ale and gambling; she spent large sums on gowns; she visited with the king's children and occasionally the king himself. She was heard to remark that she was more attractive than Katharine Parr, to whom the king's attention turned in 1543. In fact, upon Catherine Howard's execution in 1542, rumors circulated that perhaps the king would take back his former bride. The French ambassador was suitably impressed with Anne's handling of a delicate situation, observing that 'all her affairs could never make her utter a word by which one might suppose that she was discontented.'
These rumors were understandable enough; Anne occupied a nebulous place in English society, unmarried but wealthy and independent. She was not an heiress but still honored as a royal. She answered to no male authority but that of the king, and he did not choose to trouble her.
http://englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/cleves.html
posted by Neil Young at 4:15 PM
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