The MARRIAGE SETTLEMENT of Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves | Six wives documentary | @HistoryCalling

How was the marriage of Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves meant to pan out? As with virtually all royal unions at the time, the pair had a marriage settlement. It was drawn up in 1539, before the wedding in January 1540 and it explained what should happen directly before the ceremony, what Anne should get in money and goods if she was widowed and what would happen to her depending on if she had children and if she became her brother’s heir or not. Of course as we all know, Henry VIII’s fourth marriage lasted just six months and was one of the shortest royal marriages in English history. In July 1540 he annulled their union so that he could marry Anne’s lady-in-waiting, Katherine Howard and had his former favourite, Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, executed in part because he had promoted the union. In the end, the Tudor-Cleves marriage settlement wasn’t worth the paper it was written on, as a new agreement was negotiated for the ex-Queen once she became Henry’s legal sister. In this week’s six wives documentary from History Calling, we look at a series of historical what ifs. What if Henry VIII hadn’t left Anne of Cleves? What if they’d stayed married and she’d become his widow? What if they’d consummated their union and she’d become the mother of one or more of his children? In short, what if the marriage settlement of Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves had actually been followed? Within the video, I’ll tell you how much money Anne of Cleves was scheduled to bring as part of her dowry, how much money this Tudor Queen should have received as Henry VIII’s widow and how the life of Anne of Cleves was intended to play out.

OTHER VIDEOS YOU MIGHT LIKE:

WAS ANNE OF CLEVES HENRY VIII’S LUCKIEST WIFE?
IS PICTURE OF KATHERINE HOWARD REALLY ANNE OF CLEVES?
FACE OF ANNE OF CLEVES
COULD ANNE OF CLEVES HAVE REMARRIED?
ANNE OF CLEVES: THE DYING WISHES OF A FORMER QUEEN
THE FUNERAL OF ANNE OF CLEVES

GEAR USED

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Thumbnail: Portrait of Henry VIII: National Museum in Warsaw, public domain

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[sweptashore]

I have a soft spot in my heart for Anne. She clearly understood how to maneuver a very tricky situation, and she left the marriage *alive* and with assets. And, from the portraits, she was charmingly pretty. I find her life story quite sad.

[tidycats]

Ive read that Anne requested to stay in England. Her brother was extremely physically abusive of both Anne & her Sister. As well as any funds she was given would belong to her brother. And she'd be back in a country where she'd have to stay veiled, give up cards and music and been immediately sold off into another marriage of her brothers choice. Henry did her a favor granting her request and writing it into her divorce to protect her from her brother demanding she return to Cleves. Smart Girl.

[amandagreen]

I’ve always wondered what would have happened if Henry didn’t try to surprise her with the clandestine early visit. Her response to Henry would have been very different during a proper introduction, and he might not have been offended.

[margo]

Better to be Henry’s “sister” than his wife. I think it’s a shame she wasn’t allowed to return home, but she seemed to be good at rolling with the punches, as the saying goes. Have a great weekend, HC! ❤✌️🌷

[teresawelter]

I'm currently reading "Anna Duchess of Cleves - the King's 'beloved sister' " by Heather Darsie Highly recommend it! I'm from Germany, from what would have been Guelders at the time. I never expected to learn so much about rural Germany, when researching a wife of Henry VIII. 😂 I also learned that Anna's grandpa attacked and besieged my hometown, don't know how I feel about that 😂😂

[onemercilessming]

Anne of Cleves was clever enough to avoid being executed. Of course Henry VIII didn't want to end up in a war with the Protestant nations, so he offered her a way out and she accepted it. She outlived Henry and his five other wives, Catherine Parr the only other wife who outlived Henry, but died before Anne of Cleves.

[DarthDread-ohne]

Hello, history calling. I was on Reddit last night, looking over the great history YouTube channels. And they didn't have you on there. I was outrage 😡 how dare they not have the great history calling.

[melissanurczynski]

Anne of Cleves is one of those historical figures I would love to be able to sit down and just chat with. Her perspective must be fascinating. She's not going to solve any big historical mysteries or anything, but I am sure she'd have a lot of tales to tell. She may well have enjoyed being Queen and done a good job, if Henry hadn't been so blind to his own faults and thought he could do "better." And yes, things would have been far better for Catherine and Katherine as well as Princess Elizabeth.

[lykacastuciano]

History calling you are the best history YouTuber ever! You are also my fave history YouTuber. Thank you for uploading ever week on Friday at 7pm

[caeridlock]

I'm so glad I discovered this channel a few days ago. I've learned so much, and just been happy as could be since then. :D

[jamesmackey]

Hi HC, yes a very thoughtful hypothesis that I’ve never heard being considered before.
It could have changed the course of English history as you said.
It’s similar to the question if Arthur Tudor had survived.
Brilliant as always.
Thanks.

[thomashavard-morgan]

I agree with you, due to Henry's fertility issues Anne would never have fallen pregnant and as in our timeline, I think it pretty much remains the same, with everything just happening slightly later. Anne herself is ultimately underrated, she played the game well and ultimately benefitted in ways none of his other wives did.

[LyleFrancisDelp]

Anne made out like a bandit…much better than most of Henry’s wives. At the very least, she kept her head on straight and somehow got a very generous offering for the annulment. She outlived, not only Henry, but also the rest of his wives (I think), and she lived quite well in her own place in the English countryside. I think she did pretty good.

[KarenOCallaghan-uo]

If Catherine Parr had married Seymour earlier, they may have had several children who survived. As the Seymour’s were a prominent family, the children would have married into other prominent families and might have been rich and powerful.

[katebowers]

I’ve just finished reading “The Mirror and the Light” so the timing of this video coming out is excellent for me! The book’s fictionalized account of the first meeting between Anna and Henry and Henry’s unchecked narcissism make the historical facts very approachable and intuitive as outcomes from the circumstances and personalities.

[maryloumawson]

I have always wondered what the purpose of designating Anne of Cleves as Henry's sister was? Since the marriage was annulled, wouldn't she have returned to her brother, who might have been eager to continue to use her as a pawn in making alliances? Or would she have been deemed a failure, tainted by Henry's rejection, and so, not worth much on the marriage mart. It does seem strange that, as a single, wealthy, young woman, no one seemed eager to marry her and take control of her lands. Nor did Henry require her to marry a foreign prince to make a state alliance as he did his true sister. I wonder what Anne's brother the Duke of Cleeves thought about Henry's repudiating the marriage, but keeping his sister?

[mssabin]

I've researched Anne for well over 40 years, and while I've learned nothing new from your videos, I can most certainly vouch for their accuracy. Moreover, I find your pragmatic, nonspeculative approach quite refreshing. You are to be greatly commended!

[chrisbanks]

Hiya HC. Am hoping you are well? I am going to watch now as I'm not allowed out to play this week 😊

[Susan-grxd]

How interesting--the idea of Anne and Henry staying together. As you point out, the last two wives would have been much better off. I do think, though, that Anne of Cleves was much too smart to have ever risked childbearing with Henry. It was the ultimate gamble, and I think she would have found ways to prevent that happening even if it had become possible. She was well aware of Henry's age and the stakes. (I just can't resist a sort of off-topic question: Anne of Cleves ultimately got possession of Hever Castle, the Boleyn family home? I had thought that Thomas Boleyn returned to court some time after the beheading of his daughter. How did the castle fall out of the family's hands?)

[angelinasmith]

I just found your channel about week ago needless to say I'm obsessed I could listen to your narrations all day thank you❤