by Heather R. Darsie, JD Please note that this was originally published at On the Tudor Trail. After decades of being on display at the renowned Louvre Museum in Paris, the dark, shadowy portrait of Anna of Cleves has been restored. The portrait was executed by Hans Holbein the Younger in 1539. An eager Henry VIII of England sent the German master to the United … Continue reading Restoration of Anna of Cleves Portrait
by Heather R. Darsie, J.D. For decades, if not centuries, it has been assumed that Henry VIII of England and Anna of Cleves never consummated their marriage. The Secret Council that met to devise a way for Henry to have an annulment of his marriage to Anna, rather than a divorce, knew that they had to create air-tight documents to support the idea that Henry … Continue reading The Consummation of Anna of Cleves’ and Henry VIII’s Marriage
by Heather R. Darsie, J. D. Anna von der Mark and her siblings, deemed by their father to be known as being “of Cleves”, his family’s territory, came from a somewhat new line of ducal power. The Duchy of Cleves existed as a county for hundreds of years before becoming a duchy. From whom the dynasty descends is a bit of a mystery, but thankfully, … Continue reading Origin of Anna of Cleves’ Family
by Heather R. Darsie, J. D. Illness of the human body is nothing new. Humans have contended with bacterial and viral infections, and injuries, since time immemorial. One thing which has fortunately changed since the 16th century is medical treatment. Before science provided modern society with antibiotics, medical doctors relied on sometimes ancient remedies to heal their patients. This was particularly true of the 16th … Continue reading Medical Treatment in the 16th Century
by Heather R. Darsie, J. D. Anna of Cleves died in July 1557, having reached her forty-second birthday weeks before. Curiously, in 1558, a woman who possessed Anna’s signet ring showed up at the court of Anna’s nephew, John Frederick the Middle. She had an interesting story for the young man, Who was this woman? Was she an illegitimate half-sister of Anna’s, or a cousin? … Continue reading The False Anna of Cleves
by Heather R. Darsie, J. D. Sybylla of Cleves, Anna of Cleves’ elder sister, married into the powerful ruling Saxon family. Several members of the family, all prince-electors and including Sybylla’s husband Johann Friedrich, protected Martin Luther. In particular, Sybylla’s father-in-law John the Steadfast, embraced Lutheranism and did not avoid rubbing it in the Holy Roman Emperor’s face. From the beginning, the Electors of Saxony … Continue reading Martin Luther and the House of Saxony
by Heather R. Darsie, J. D. Anna of Cleves’ life in England improved substantially after her stepson Edward VI died in 1553. Anna and Mary I of England were very friendly with each other. Anna resumed coming to court, and even tried to help her friend Mary find a suitable husband. Mary wound up desiring a Spanish match, of which some in England unfortunately did … Continue reading Anna of Cleves and the Wyatt Rebellion
by Heather R Darsie, JD Dear Reader, I thought I would share with you a couple historical cookie recipes that I make for my family. They come from 12th and 16th century recipes. Our first recipe comes from St Hildegard von Bingen, with recipe following the image of Hildegard. Our second cookie recipe comes from a 16th century English manuscript, and can be found after … Continue reading Medieval and Early Modern Cookies: A Tasty Dalliance
The links below will be for Amazon purchases. Please note that the books are available at your favorite bookstore too, like Waterstones or Barnes & Noble. Continue reading Non-Fiction Books by Heather R Darsie & Links for Purchase
by Heather R. Darsie, JD Anna von der Mark was born on 28 June 1515 as the second daughter and second child of Johann III of Cleves-Mark and Maria of Jülich-Berg. She followed another daughter, Sybylla, who was born 17 July 1512. Anna was named after her paternal aunt Anna, the only legitimate daughter of Duke Johann II of Cleves-Mark. Anna’s place of birth is … Continue reading Anna of Cleves’ Early Life and Court Culture
Maidens and Manuscripts: Taking a fresh look at people and events from 1347 to 1625, with a focus on women and illuminated manuscripts 