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| 9 | <title>Primary Sources - Letter of Anne of Cleves to her husband, King Henry
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| 10 | VIII, 11 July 1540 </title>
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| 31 | <p align="center"><b><FONT size=+1>Letter of Anne of Cleves to her husband, King
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| 32 | Henry VIII<br>11 July 1540</FONT> </b> </p>
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| 33 | <p><FONT size=-1><b>Background<br></b>The following letter was Anne of Cleves's very
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| 34 | diplomatic response to Henry VIII's request for an annulment of their brief
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| 35 | marriage. Though her brother pressed her to return home to the duchy of
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| 36 | Cleves, Anne was content to remain in England. There were two reasons
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| 37 | for this - first, Henry was so grateful for her easy submission and gracious
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| 38 | manners, he rewarded her with a very comfortable lifestyle. She was able
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| 39 | to live as a wealthy dowager and enjoyed a close relationship with the king
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| 40 | (now termed her 'brother') and his three children. Secondly, she did not
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| 41 | want to face an ignominious return to Cleves. After Henry's public
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| 42 | rejection of their union, she would not have found another husband and would
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| 43 | have been forced to rely on her brother's generosity.</FONT>
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| 44 | </p>
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| 45 | <p><FONT
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| 46 | size=-1>Henry was very impressed by this letter. Its tone of respectful
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| 47 | subservience to his wishes inspired his gratitude. Despite his
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| 48 | reputation for tyranny, the great king could be kind and generous. Anne
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| 49 | had little cause to think ill of him. After all, most historians focus
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| 50 | on Henry's feelings in this matter - but perhaps the lady from Cleves was less
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| 51 | than enamored with her husband and was equally desperate to escape the
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| 52 | marriage. According to all reports, she learned to love English beer and
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| 53 | grew plump and happy in her adopted country.</FONT>
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| 54 | </p>
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| 55 | <hr>
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| 56 | <p>Pleaseth your most excellent majesty to understand that,
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| 57 | whereas, at sundry times heretofore, I have been informed and perceived by
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| 58 | certain lords and others your grace's council, of the doubts and questions
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| 59 | which have been moved and found in our marriage; and how hath petition
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| 60 | thereupon been made to your highness by your nobles and commons, that the
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| 61 | same might be examined and determined by the holy clergy of this realm; to
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| 62 | testify to your highness by my writing, that which I have before promised by
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| 63 | my word and will, that is to say, that the matter should be examined and
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| 64 | determined by the said clergy; it may please your majesty to know that,
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| 65 | though this case must needs be most hard and sorrowful unto me, for the
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| 66 | great love which I bear to your most noble person, yet, having more regard
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| 67 | to God and his truth than to any worldly affection, as it beseemed me, at
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| 68 | the beginning, to submit me to such examination and determination of the
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| 69 | said clergy, whom I have and do accept for judges competent in that
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| 70 | behalf. So now being ascertained how the same clergy hath therein
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| 71 | given their judgment and sentence, I acknowledge myself hereby to accept and
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| 72 | approve the same, wholly and entirely putting myself, for my state and
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| 73 | condition, to your highness' goodness and pleasure; most humbly beseeching
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| 74 | your majesty that, though it be determined that the pretended matrimony
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| 75 | between us is void and of none effect, whereby I neither can nor will repute
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| 76 | myself for your grace's wife, considering this sentence (whereunto I stand)
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| 77 | and your majesty's clean and pure living with me, yet it will please you to
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| 78 | take me for one of your humble servants, and so determine of me, as I may
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| 79 | sometimes have the fruition of your most noble presence; which as I shall
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| 80 | esteem for a great benefit, so, my lords and others of your majesty's
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| 81 | council, now being with me, have put me in comfort thereof; and that your
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| 82 | highness will take me for your sister; for the which I most humbly thank you
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| 83 | accordingly. <BR>Thus, most gracious prince, I beseech our Lord God to send
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| 84 | your majesty long life and good health, to God's glory, your own honor, and
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| 85 | the wealth of this noble realm. <BR>From Richmond, the 11th day of July, the
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| 86 | 32nd year of your majesty's most noble reign. <BR>Your majesty's most humble
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| 87 | sister and servant, Anne the daughter of Cleves. </p>
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| 88 | <p> </p>
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| 89 |
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| 90 | <BLOCKQUOTE>
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| 91 | <P>
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| 92 | <HR width="100%">
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| 93 | </BLOCKQUOTE>
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| 94 | <p align="center"><FONT size=-1><A
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| 95 | href="letters.html">to Letters of the Six Wives
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| 96 | of Henry VIII</A></FONT></p>
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| 97 | <p align="center"><FONT size=-1><A href="primary.html">to
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| 98 | Primary Sources</A></FONT><BR><FONT size=-1><A
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| 99 | href="http://englishhistory.net/tudor.html">to Tudor England</A></FONT><BR><FONT size=-1>
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| 100 | <a href="monarchs/cleves.html">to Anne of
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| 101 | Cleves website</a></FONT></p>
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