#theyear1540

[thebritishmonarchycouk]

On This Day In History . 18 April 1540 . . King Henry VIII made Thomas Cromwell Earl of Essex & the senior Court office of Lord Great Chamberlain, just three months before he was executed after being found guilty of treason, heresy, corruption & more. . . About Thomas Cromwell; . Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex (born. c. 1485 – executed. 28 July 1540) was an English lawyer & statesman who served as chief minister to King Henry VIII of England from 1532 to 1540. . ◼ Cromwell was one of the strongest & most powerful advocates of the English Reformation. He helped to engineer an annulment of the king’s marriage to Queen Katharine so that Henry could lawfully marry Anne Boleyn. Henry failed to obtain the Pope’s approval for the annulment in 1534, so Parliament endorsed the king’s claim to be Supreme Head of the Church of England, giving him the authority to annul his own marriage. Cromwell subsequently charted an evangelical & reformist course for the Church of England from the unique posts of vicegerent in spirituals & vicar-general. . ◼ During his rise to power, Cromwell made many enemies, including his former ally Anne Boleyn. He played a prominent role in her downfall. . ◼ He later fell from power, after arranging the king’s marriage to German princess Anne of Cleves. Cromwell had hoped that the marriage would breathe fresh life into the Reformation in England, but Henry found his new bride unattractive & it turned into a disaster for Cromwell, ending in an annulment six months later. . ◼ Cromwell was arraigned under a bill of attainder & executed for treason & heresy on Tower Hill on 28 July 1540. The king later expressed regret at the loss of his chief minister. . . . #onthisdayinhistory #thisdayinhistory #theyear1540 #d18apr #ThomasCromwell #EarlofEssex #History #EnglishMonarchy #EnglishReformation #Britishmonarchy #RoyalHistory #OnThisDay #Cromwell #england #minister #lord #statesman #chiefminister #Tudors #TudorHistory #Tudor #Henryviii #KingHenryVIII #KingofEngland #HistoryFacts (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_H4N6vj6Zp/?igshid=1uy8vlbr4smuv

[thebritishmonarchycouk]

On This Day In Royal History . 9 July 1540 . King Henry VIII annuls his marriage to his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves. . . ◼ Anne was commanded to leave the Court on 24 June, & on 6 July she was informed of her husband’s decision to reconsider the marriage. . ◼ Witness statements were taken from a number of courtiers & two physicians which register the king’s disappointment at her appearance. Henry had also commented to Thomas Heneage & Anthony Denny that he could not believe she was a virgin. . ◼ Shortly afterwards, Anne was asked for her consent to an annulment, to which she agreed. Thomas Cromwell, the moving force behind the marriage, was attainted for treason. . ◼ The marriage was annulled on 9 July 1540, on the grounds of non-consummation & her pre-contract to Francis of Lorraine. . ◼ On 28 July Henry married his fifth wife, Catherine Howard: on the same day Thomas Cromwell was executed, in theory for treason, but in practice as a scapegoat for the doomed marriage. . ◼ The former queen received a generous settlement, including Richmond Palace, & Hever Castle, home of Henry’s former in-laws, the Boleyns. Anne of Cleves House, in Lewes, Sussex, is just one of many properties she owned; she never lived there. . ◼ 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. . . . #OnThisDayInHistory #ThisDayInHistory #TheYear1540 #d9jul #HenryVIII #KingHenryVIII #HenryVIIIofEngland #QueenConsort #AnneofCleves #HouseofTudor #TheTudors #Tudor #TudorDynasty #Monarchy #History #Royalty #EnglishMonarchy #theking #RoyalHistory #KingofEngland #BritishMonarchy Royal #otd Collection Trust/© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2020 (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCb2uqxDKXJ/?igshid=ld01x4de0kfz

[thebritishmonarchycouk]

On This Day In Royal History 6th January 1540 - King Henry VIII married Anne of Cleves . Around the year 1539, Henry wished to marry once again to ensure the succession. Thomas Cromwell, now Earl of Essex & chief minister to Henry, suggested Anne, the sister of the Duke of Cleves, who was seen as an important ally in case of a Roman Catholic attack on England, for the duke fell between Lutheranism & Catholicism. ◼ Hans Holbein the Younger was dispatched to Cleves to paint a portrait of Anne for the king. Despite speculation that Holbein painted her in an overly flattering light, it is more likely that the portrait was accurate; Holbein remained in favour at court. ◼ After regarding Holbein’s portrayal, & urged by the complimentary description of Anne given by his courtiers, the king agreed to wed Anne. ◼ Despite Henry’s very vocal misgivings, the two were married on 6 January 1540 at the royal Palace of Placentia in Greenwich, London by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer. ◼ The phrase “God send me well to keep” was engraved around Anne’s wedding ring. Immediately after arriving in England, Anne conformed to the Anglican form of worship, which Henry expected. ◼ It was not long before Henry wished to annul the marriage so he could marry another (Catherine Howard, they married on 28th July 1540). Anne did not argue, & confirmed that the marriage had never been consummated. ◼ The subject of Anne’s previous marriage arrangements with the Duke of Lorraine’s son eventually provided for the answer, one complicated enough that the remaining impediments to an annulment were thus removed. ◼ Henry’s fourth marriage was subsequently dissolved, & Anne received the title of “The King’s Beloved Sister”, two houses & a generous allowance. . #OnThisDayInHistory #thisdayinhistory #theyear1540 #d6jan #HenryVIII #HenryVIIIofEngland #RoyalWedding #KingHenryVIII #AnneofCleves #History #houseoftudor #EnglishMonarchy #BritishMonarchy #Wedding #London #Greenwich #OTD #OnThisDay #RoyalHistory #Instahistory #instaroyals #TudorHistory #tudor #Tudors (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6_vo-ugtTB/?igshid=1frmopfkh4ynt

[thebritishmonarchycouk]

On This Day In History . 6th January 1540 . - King Henry VIII married Anne of Cleves . . Around the year 1539, Henry wished to marry once again to ensure the succession. Thomas Cromwell, now Earl of Essex & chief minister to Henry, suggested Anne, the sister of the Duke of Cleves, who was seen as an important ally in case of a Roman Catholic attack on England, for the duke fell between Lutheranism & Catholicism. . ◼ Hans Holbein the Younger was dispatched to Cleves to paint a portrait of Anne for the king. Despite speculation that Holbein painted her in an overly flattering light, it is more likely that the portrait was accurate; Holbein remained in favour at court. . ◼ After regarding Holbein's portrayal, & urged by the complimentary description of Anne given by his courtiers, the king agreed to wed Anne. . ◼ Despite Henry's very vocal misgivings, the two were married on 6 January 1540 at the royal Palace of Placentia in Greenwich, London by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer. . ◼ The phrase "God send me well to keep" was engraved around Anne’s wedding ring. Immediately after arriving in England, Anne conformed to the Anglican form of worship, which Henry expected. . ◼ It was not long before Henry wished to annul the marriage so he could marry another (Catherine Howard, they married on 28th July 1540). Anne did not argue, & confirmed that the marriage had never been consummated. . ◼ The subject of Anne's previous marriage arrangements with the Duke of Lorraine's son eventually provided for the answer, one complicated enough that the remaining impediments to an annulment were thus removed. . ◼ Henry's fourth marriage was subsequently dissolved, & Anne received the title of "The King's Beloved Sister", two houses & a generous allowance. . . . #OnThisDayInHistory #thisdayinhistory #theyear1540 #d6jan #HenryVIII #HenryVIIIofEngland #RoyalWedding #KingHenryVIII #AnneofCleves #History #houseoftudor #EnglishMonarchy #BritishMonarchy #Wedding #London #Greenwich (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/BsTPH31FyB9/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=vieslmjok029