Today I'm going to be telling you guys a little bit about Anne of Cleves, a German noble-woman that Henry never wanted in the first place. She was Henry's fourth wife and only ruled from January to July of 1540! Despite Henry's vocal annnoyance at having to marry her, they wed in early January. After she arrived to England, she was forced to convert to Anglicanism as was customary with people in England at the time after Henry annulled the church and made himself Head of England.
Henry's most famous words about his fourth wife were the ones that he said to Cromwell after their first night as husband and wife: "I liked her before not well, but now I like her much worse."
By June 24th, Anne was forced to leave court and then, in July, she was told that Henry had decided to annull the marriage. He took witness statements explaining how it didn't like her physical appearence and that he didn't believe she was a virgin because she had a puffed belly and breasts (and because he's a douchebag.) Anne was soon asked to agree with the annulment and of course, she said yes. July 9th, 1540 was the day that the marriage was annulled on the ground that they had never consummated the marriage and it was absolutely her fault because he had two "noctural emissions" that night so it wasn't his problem.
After the breaking of the marriage, she got to keep plenty of castles including the ones that used to belong to the Boleyns. Henry and Anne, despite everything that transpired, ended up becoming very good friends and she was frequently invited to court and called "the King's Beloved Sister." He was even caught saying that she was more important than all the women in England to him excluding his wife (at the time) and daughters.
Anne never returned to England because her brother refused her after her conversion to Anglicanism, even though he pushed for the marriage since the beginning. But she didn't mind, it is said that Anne was perfectly happy in England and even made an appearence at Mary I's wedding.
AND I have a teaser from the novel for you!
“Skeletons in your cupboard?” William asked with a grin.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“Actually,” he said, “I find secrets get in the way.” And suddenly his expression opened. Vulnerable. I could read everything he was thinking. He looked shy. And hopeful.
“That’s good,” I said. “Because I have none.” None of my own, anyway. I looked away to hide the hope my own face reflected.
Westminster Palace stared back at me from its empty eye sockets. I remembered what William had said before I fell into the mud.
“Is it really more beautiful up close?” I asked. From Lambeth, it didn’t look beautiful at all.“I didn’t mean Westminster,” he said quietly. I felt his gaze on my face and couldn’t move. Could hardly think. “I meant you.”
And now, for the giveaway!
You have to fill out this sentence (the tagline OR you can visit all the sites listed in the banner above):
In the ____ of King ____ VIII, who you ____ can get you in, but ___ you ____ can get you ______.
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