Henry VIII Marries Anne of Cleves: His Worst Match Yet
Henry VIII had never met her before the wedding. He'd agreed to the match based on a portrait — Holbein painted Anne of Cleves as attractive and serene. When Henry finally saw her in person on January 1, 1540, he was appalled. Called her "a Flemish mare." The wedding went ahead anyway on January 6 for diplomatic reasons. Six months later, Henry had the marriage annulled, citing non-consummation. Anne accepted quietly and kept her head, which was rare. She outlived Henry, received a generous settlement, and reportedly called herself "the happiest of women." She was probably right.
January 6, 1540
486 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on January 6
Mit einer Ansprache an die Prätorianer eröffnet Kaiser Mark Aurel den römischen Feldzug im Ersten Markomannenkrieg.
Pope Stephen II crossed the Alps in winter — the first pope to do so — to meet Pepin III at Saint-Denis on January 6, 754. He re-anointed Pepin as King of the F…
au palais de Ponthion, entrevue entre le roi franc Pépin le Bref et le pape Étienne II.
Eine polnische Delegation kündigt in Allstedt dem ostfränkisch-deutschen König Heinrich II. das Kommen des polnischen Kronprinzen Mieszko II. Lambert an, der ei…
Knud Ier le Grand est proclamé roi d'Angleterre.
Pan American Airlines flew the first scheduled round-the-world commercial flight on January 6, 1947. The route took passengers from New York westward: San Franc…
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