Anne of Cleves Tomb - Westminster Abbey, London, UK
N 51° 29.985 W 000° 07.636
30U E 699386 N 5709314
Anne of Cleves received notoriety as she was one of Henry VIIIs six wives. Anne was number four and married Henry in January of 1540 she lasted until July of the same year when the marriage was annulled. Only a small part of her tomb is visible.
Waymark Code: WM13BDY
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 11/01/2020
Views: 2
The
inscription, that was added in the 1970s, reads:
Anne
of Cleves
Queen of England
Born 1515 - Died 1557
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The Westminster
Abbey website has an article about Anne and her tomb that tells
us:
Anne of
Cleves was born at Düsseldorf on 22nd September 1515, daughter
of Johann III, Duke of Cleves, and his wife Marie.
Marriage
Anne married Henry VIII as his fourth wife at Greenwich on 6th
January 1540 but the marriage was annulled in July of that
year. So she was never crowned queen. He found she was not as
attractive as her portrait had suggested and called her a
'Flanders mare'. The king gave her a handsome divorce
settlement and she was on affectionate terms with the future
Elizabeth I.
Burial
She died at Chelsea on 17th July 1557. Mary I ordered her
burial in the Abbey, and the magnificent funeral was conducted
according to Catholic rites as Anne had wanted. She lies on
the south side of the High Altar and her monument is a low
stone structure of three sections with carvings showing her
initials AC with a crown, lions' heads and skulls and crossed
bones (symbols of mortality). It was probably made by Theodore
Haveus of Cleves but was never finished. The back part of the
tomb has been mostly obscured by later monuments. The
inscription on the back, visible from the south transept,
reads "Anne of Cleves Queen of England. Born 1515. Died 1557"
but this was not added until the 1970s.
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Note:
With
the re-opening of Westminster Abbey after Covid-19 lockdown
photography, for private use, has been allowed in most areas
of the Abbey when services are not taking place (see here).
There is an entry fee payable to enter the Abbey that is
currently £18 for an adult (October, 2020).
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Visit Instructions: Please provide another photo of the location. You don't have to be in there shot, but you can. The photo requirement is to discourage any armchair visiting.
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