Anne, of Cleves, Queen, consort of Henry VIII, King of England, 1515-1557

Anne of Cleves was Queen of England from 6 January to 9 July 1540 as the fourth wife of King Henry VIII. In March 1539, negotiations for Anne's marriage to Henry began, as Henry believed that he needed to form a political alliance with her brother, William, who was a leader of the Protestants of western Germany, to strengthen his position against potential attacks from Catholic France and the Holy Roman Empire. The two married on 6 January 1540, but after six months, the marriage was annulled; following the annulment, Henry gave her a generous settlement, and she was thereafter known as the King's Beloved Sister.