morticia monroe
the ten of wands in this deck is one of my favorites. Anne of Cleves is perfect.
After Jane Seymour died, Henry VIII was again looking for a wife and an alliance. He sent the artist Holbein to the Court of Cleves (which is in modern day Germany) and ordered that portraits be painted of both Anne and her sister Amelia,,, according to theory, Holbein is said to have been a little too kind to Anne's true physical likeness, and Henry chose her over her sister,,,,unfortunately he found her to be unattractive. She is said to have been slightly bucktoothed, pockmarked, and with a bulbous nose,,,,Henry is said to have called her the Flanders Mare. (Playing Devil's advocate for Anne, she was probably equally repulsed by the fat, balding, selfish, spoiled, smelly old man she found herself presented with.) She was not proficient in music and dance as were the ladies of the English court, but was instead schooled in the domestic arts and was said to be a heck of a card player.
When it became obvious (and Henry made it very obvious the day after the wedding when he loudly proclaimed that he was so repulsed he couldn't sleep with her) that Henry wanted no part of Anne, she was terrified, knowing what Henry had done to the two previous wives he had wanted to be rid of.
Henry presented her with an offer,,if she would give him his annulment, testify that the marriage had never been consummated, and claim a precontract with another man that had never been officially broken, he would give her lands, houses, an allowance, and a title, and be known as the "King's Dear Sister". She did not want to go home to spinsterhood and disgrace and had grown fond of England, so she sent Henry a letter playing on his vanities and feelings, agreeing to everything he said and begging his humble forgiveness for having caused him so much trouble,,
Henry and Anne of Cleves DID become very close as friends, and she was close to his daughters Mary and Elizabeth as well. She lived a good, long life in England as a rich woman, never married, and by using her head and keeping her cool, she KEPT her head,,,unlike two of Henry's wives.
After Jane Seymour died, Henry VIII was again looking for a wife and an alliance. He sent the artist Holbein to the Court of Cleves (which is in modern day Germany) and ordered that portraits be painted of both Anne and her sister Amelia,,, according to theory, Holbein is said to have been a little too kind to Anne's true physical likeness, and Henry chose her over her sister,,,,unfortunately he found her to be unattractive. She is said to have been slightly bucktoothed, pockmarked, and with a bulbous nose,,,,Henry is said to have called her the Flanders Mare. (Playing Devil's advocate for Anne, she was probably equally repulsed by the fat, balding, selfish, spoiled, smelly old man she found herself presented with.) She was not proficient in music and dance as were the ladies of the English court, but was instead schooled in the domestic arts and was said to be a heck of a card player.
When it became obvious (and Henry made it very obvious the day after the wedding when he loudly proclaimed that he was so repulsed he couldn't sleep with her) that Henry wanted no part of Anne, she was terrified, knowing what Henry had done to the two previous wives he had wanted to be rid of.
Henry presented her with an offer,,if she would give him his annulment, testify that the marriage had never been consummated, and claim a precontract with another man that had never been officially broken, he would give her lands, houses, an allowance, and a title, and be known as the "King's Dear Sister". She did not want to go home to spinsterhood and disgrace and had grown fond of England, so she sent Henry a letter playing on his vanities and feelings, agreeing to everything he said and begging his humble forgiveness for having caused him so much trouble,,
Henry and Anne of Cleves DID become very close as friends, and she was close to his daughters Mary and Elizabeth as well. She lived a good, long life in England as a rich woman, never married, and by using her head and keeping her cool, she KEPT her head,,,unlike two of Henry's wives.
Thanks for that!
) in a real way so far...
