#maria of julich-berg

[edwardseymour]

This is probably a huge question but do we know much about the six wives and their relationships to their mothers?

you would be much better off asking the coa/ab/kp blogs this about their fave wives, because i don’t know every woman in depth! we naturally don’t have an equal level of source about these relationships for all women, and as it is a relationship between women the scholarship also often underserves us!

catherine of aragon and isabel seem to have been close, but of course i doubt catherine had the opportunity nor inclination to insult or diminish her connection with her mother, considering isabel of castile’s importance. tremlett describes isabel as a surprisingly “affectionate and attentive mother”, citing a source where “the queen held up her youngest daughter” to watch a bullfight with her. catherine’s predicament following arthur’s death leads me to assume isabel must have felt some genuine concern for her daughter, as she attempted to push for catherine to return home or marry henry, and financially maintained the spanish ladies in her daughter’s household iirc.

i believe anne boleyn and her mother, elizabeth howard, were genuinely close. elizabeth played the functional role as mother (acting as chaperone for anne and henry, for example) — but it seems like they had an affectionate relationship. in letters, anne described her affectionately: “next to my own mother, no woman alive I love better”, and when anne boleyn was in the tower, she had an outburst that “oh my mother, thou wilt die with sorrow”.

we know next to nothing about jane’s relationship with her mother, margery, unfortunately!

anne of cleves seems to have been close with her mother, maria! according to darsie: “from henry viii’s ambassadors it is known that maria of jülich-berg shared a close relationship with anna”. anne continued to write to her mother once in england, and reportedly maria was thrilled to hear from her, described as “she showed great joy” upon receiving anne’s letter.

katherine howard’s mother, jocasta, died when she was very young, so they were not able to have a relationship. i suppose you could argue that the dowager duchess, agnes, functionally filled that role, but i do not think there’s evidence that she served that role on an emotional capacity, nor that either felt that intimately close to the other. in any case, katherine left us no evidence of her feelings regarding her parents.

i haven’t focused much on maud, katherine parr’s mother, so i don’t know much about their relationship. she worked hard for her daughter’s prospects, but i don’t know much about their personal relationship. i can’t imagine she was around much in katherine’s early years, considering her court career, but i must confess i haven’t looked too deeply into it so i genuinely don’t know!

[shewhoworshipscarlin]

Archduchess Maria of Austria, Duchess of Julich-Cleve-Berg by Hans Besser, 1555.

[247reader]

Day 21: Anne of Cleves!

Anna von Kleve was born in 1515, daughter of Johann “the Peaceful,”Duke of Cleves, a territory on what is now the border between Germany and the Netherlands, and Maria, Duchess of nearby Julich-Berg in her own right. Her father earned his nickname striving for religious harmony during the tumult of the Reformation, but his feuds with his nominal overlord, the Holy Roman Emperor, pushed the family towards Protestantism - and a political alignment with England.

In 1539, Anne’s portrait was painted by Hans Holbein, court artist of Henry VIII, as preparation for a possible marriage. Henry, a widower three times over, was reputedly thrilled by the painting, and the alliance went forward. Anne, a very sheltered young woman who spoke no English and had received little of the education offered to her brother, sailed to England - and for the first months of her distant, unconsummated marriage, had no idea anything was out of the ordinary, much less that Henry was complaining to anyone who would listen that she was “nothing so fair as she has been reported.”

By the time Henry sent her away from court, however, Anne, a deceptively intelligent woman who was learning English quickly, was well aware of the fate of his previous unwanted wives. The annulment seems to have been something of a relief, considering the alternative, and Henry offered her generous terms, including multiple castles and the status of the king’s sister. Remarkably, she and Henry became friends, and she grew close to both her former stepdaughters Mary and Elizabeth.

Anne settled in to an independent life in England, becoming known for hosting a fine table. She died in 1557, the longest surviving of Henry’s wives, and is buried in Westminster Abbey.

[widvile-blog]

Maria of Austria, Duchess of Jülich-Cleves-Berg (15 May 1531 - 11 December 1581)

[thebritishmonarchycouk]

Historic Royal Signatures

Anne of Cleves, queen consort of England from 6 January to 9 July 1540 as the fourth wife of King Henry VIII.

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She was born in Düsseldorf, the second daughter of John III, Duke of Cleves, & his wife Maria, Duchess of Julich-Berg. She grew up in Schloss Burg on the edge of Solingen. Very little is known of her life before coming to England.

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Anne had received no formal education but was skilled in needlework & liked playing card games. She could read & write, but only in German. Anne was considered gentle, virtuous & docile, which is why she was recommended as a suitable candidate for Henry.

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Anne was described by the French ambassador, Charles de Marillac, as tall & slim, "of middling beauty & of very assured & resolute countenance". She was fair haired & was said to have had a lovely face. In the words of the chronicler Edward Hall, "Her hair hanging down, which was fair, yellow & long ... she was apparelled after the English fashion, with a French hood, which so set forth her beauty & good visage, that every creature rejoiced to behold her". She appeared rather solemn by English standards, & looked old for her age. Holbein painted her with high forehead, heavy-lidded eyes & a pointed chin. 

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When the king finally met Anne, he was reportedly shocked by her plain appearance. The marriage was annulled later in the year & the former queen received a generous settlement, including Richmond Palace, & Hever Castle. Henry & Anne became good friends—she was an honorary member of the King's family & was referred to as "the King's Beloved Sister". She was invited to court often &, out of gratitude for her not contesting the annulment, Henry decreed that she would be given precedence over all women in England save his own wife & daughters.

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Despite occasional feelings of homesickness, Anne was generally content in England & was described by Holinshed as "a ladie of right commendable regards, courteous, gentle, a good housekeeper & verie bountifull to her servants.

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Anne dictated her last will in July 1557. In it, she mentions her siblings, as well as the future Queen Elizabeth. She left some money to her servants & asked Mary & Elizabeth to employ them in their households. She was remembered by everyone who served her as a particularly generous & easy-going mistress.

[tudorsweekly]

The Life of Anne of Cleves (Part One)

The Life of Anne of Cleves (Part One)

Born on the 22nd of  September 1515 in Dusseldorf, Anne of Cleves was the daughter of John III, Duke of Cleves and Maria of Julich Berg. Like Katherine of Aragon, Anne of Cleves had the grandest lineage of any of his other wives. She was descended from Edward I of England and Louis XII of France. Anne’s education was not that of a future queen, it was as a lady who would one day marry a duke or…

[dontdenymeshakespeare]

Anne of Cleves

On 22 September 1515, a second daughter was born to John and Maria, Duke and Duchess of Julich-Berg. They would call her Anne.

Anne grew up in Schloss Berg, on the edge of Solingen with her siblings Sybille, William and Amalia. Her father was Protestant and her mother was Catholic, so the family was unaffiliated religiously. When she was 11, she was betrothed to the son and heir of the Duke of…

[thebritishmonarchycouk]

On This Day In History . 22 September 1515 . Anne of Cleves was born . . 👑 Anne was born on 22 September 1515 in Düsseldorf, the second daughter of John III of the House of La Marck, Duke of Jülich jure uxoris, Cleves, Berg jure uxoris, Count of Mark, also known as de la Marck & Ravensberg jure uxoris (often referred to as Duke of Cleves) who died in 1538, & his wife Maria, Duchess of Julich-Berg (1491–1543). . ◼ Anne of Cleves was Queen of England from 6 January 1540 to 9 July 1540 as the fourth wife of King Henry VIII. . The marriage annulled, never consummated, & as a result, she was not crowned queen consort. . Following the annulment of their marriage, Anne was given a generous settlement by the King, & thereafter referred to as the King's Beloved Sister. . She lived to see the coronation of Queen Mary I, outliving the rest of Henry's wives. Anne died at Chelsea Old Manor on 16 July 1557. . . . #OnThisDayInHistory #ThisDayInHistory #TheYear1515 #AnneofCleves #QueenofEngland #QueenConsort #historyfacts #TheQueen Monarchy #OnThisDay #Düsseldorf #RoyalHistory #royalfamily #Historylover #HouseofLeMarck #HouseofTudor #Royalty #History #EnglishMonarchy #BritishMonarchy #D22Sep (at Düsseldorf, Germany) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2uld5ugZE7/?igshid=11c4i26caiam5