Maria Theresa of Habsburg: An Empress In a Male Charge (1717-1780)

Whenever we turn our eyes to the history of the royals who were crowned as Holy Roman Emperor, we will see that only males were referred within such an important title. Dating back to Charlemagne, the Emperor was normally elected by the independent Princes that compounded regions that in our contemporary days are known as Germany, but ruled from these lands until Transylvania, crossing Netherlands and Parma. Unlike other countries, such as England and Spain, for exmple, who accepted sole Queens, looking back to such an ancient title, it is surprising to notice that Maria Theresa, from the ancient House of Habsburg, was the only of her sex crowned as Holy Roman Empress. And this happened in 1740, with the death of her father. Even so, she had a husband to rule next to her side and afterwards, their son, Joseph II.

Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was born in May 13, 1711, at the Hofburg Palace, in Vienna. She was the eldest daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI and his wife, Empress Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. By the time of her birth, her father was the only male heir to the house of Habsburg and her brother, Archduke Leopold, came to past away.

There was, then, an issue envolving the inheritance and after the birth of Maria Theresa, she was joined by a sister, Maria Anna, the Emperor reformed the old Salic Law, which did not allow a female to inherite the throne. Other European realms were consulted on the matter, so they would recognize Maria Theresa as heiress to Charles VI instead of his niece, Maria Amalia; in result, Great-Britain, Russia, Denmark, States of the Church, and others agreed to the treaty of Vienna.

Despite the said recognition, Maria Theresa was not raised to be an Empress, for her father believed she'd give away the powers to her husband when the crown was passed to her. She received a good education, but this, as we shall see next, proved to shape her to the role of a consort, not a leading ruler.

"Maria Theresa received the upbringing and education typical of a daughter of dynastic lineage, focusing on courtly deportment, music, dancing and languages. Even the choice of languages -exclusively the Romance languages of Latin, French, Italian and Spanish, but not the tongues of the Crown Lands such as Hungarian and Czech, as was otherwise customary for heirs to the throne - shows that she was not originally prepared for a future role as ruler. Apart fro this she was given an ordinary basic classical education on strictly Jesuit principles. She received no instruction in political theory, military, science or diplomacy."

When she came of age in marrying, her father was advised to make a political alliance to a prince of considerable influence in matters where Maria Theresa was not conducted properly, as regarded in the paragraph above concerning her education, but instead he gave the decision to his daughter. Maria Theresa was then married to the Duke of Lorraine, Francis Stephen, with whom she shared a very affectionate feeling, having a love relationship that would later result in 16 children.

She was 23 when Emperor Charles VI died. By the time of his death, the lands under his rule was left broken and weakened in consideration to the previous battles fought. The duchess of Lorraine then was crowned as Holy Roman Empress, Queen of Hungaria, Bohemia, Croatia, etc, and her husband was crowned as co-regent Francis I. But this succession would give trouble to the first years of Maria Theresa's reign, resulting in the War of Succession (1740-1748). In the next paragraphs, we can have a better comprehension to what was the cause of the conflict.

"Soon after her father's death Maria Theresa found herself confronted with the claims of German princely dynasties who saw themselves as having equal rights as heirs to the Habsburg dynasty through marriage to the daughters of Emperor Joseph I - that is, Maria Theresa's cousins."

The Habsburg Monarchy was on the brink of disaster. Maria Theresa's claim to her inheritance had not been recognize by some of the European Powers. In 1740, the Prussian King Frederick the Great invaded Silesia, firing the starting shot in the war of the Austrian Succession. Until peace was concluded at Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748."

Frederick II of Prussia was joined by France and Bavaria, with Great-Britain and Russia in the opposite side. Resistance to recognize a woman before a traditional throne occupied by men followed until the end of war in 1748, but before that we must remember how  "the archduchess was determined that her internal and external policies would focus on the strenghtening of her state and the creation of positive diplomacy in order to defeat the Prussian monarch. Maria Theresa was determined not to surrender to her enemies, but to reconquer all of her lands. She began by initiating reforms. Maria Theresa strenghtened the army by doubling the number of troops from her father's reign, reorganized the tax structure to insure a predictable annual income to support the costs of the government and army, and centralized an office to assist in the collection of the taxes. Economic reform fueled prosperity for her empire. The war ended with the loss of Silesia, but her state intact, and her husband recognized as Holy Roman Emperor."

Maria Theresa's reign is also remembered by domestic reforms as mentioned before. Concerned with the poor state left after previous wars in the army, also with the cust left in the economy of the lands she ruled, "Maria Theresa set about further reforming the Habsburg government, with Silesian exile Count Frederick William Haugwitz heading up the effort. Haugwitz's reform effort focused mainly on centralization of the empire's power. He assigned Bohemia and Austria to a joint ministry, and took power away from the Provincial Estates. As a result, the affected territories lent Austria's weakened army significantly more military power. Austria also benefitted from the wealth produced by those provinces' industries. Maria Theresa also (...) reorganized several government functions, combining them in a centralized General Directory."

If in general she had learned to manage politics, thankfully aided by good advisors, turning our eyes to the familiar background, we will see she faced no less difficulties there, though. Some sources claim her husband had one or two mistresses, but even so, it seems they still had an affectionate relationship. The Holy Roman Empress filled with expectations laid upon her: she gave birth in a total of 16 children, of whom 10 survived childhood.

As they grew, she'd marry some of them to the greatest houses of Europe, though some of her daughters were not sent away due to health issues. Her favourite daughter, Maria Christina, was the only one who married for love, and even so it was a good match, politically speaking. Her favourite son, Prince Karl Joseph, was no heir to the imperial crown but his death at the age of 16 was a blow to the family. Marie Antoinette, her youngest and most famous child, was crowned Queen of France in a tender age against general expectations.

It was Maria Carolina, Queen of Naples and one of her daughters, though, who most resembled the Empress, inheriting her looks, especially in political aspects. Though earlier in her reign she favoured enlightened, liberal ideas, after the French Revolution, Antoinette's favourite sister turned to be conservative. The former Queen of Naples had two granddaughters who were Empresses themselves: Marie Louise, second wife of Napoléon I of France, was styled Empress of the French; and her younger sister, Leopoldina, who was the first Empress of Brazil.

Antoinette's own daughter was too Queen of France, though briefly. In other words, Maria Theresa of Austria had her blood in every dynastic house, be in Europe or in the tropics, as in Brazil's royal family, still found alive.

Looking back to the aspects of the reign of the only woman styled as Holy Roman Empress, not as consort, we will find good and bad positions as we would probably find in another ruler. She remained conservative all of her life, a cause of  political frictions she had with her son, Joseph. With the death of his father, he was apointed co-regent, and however enlightened he could be as monarch, Joseph was limited in rulling by his mother. For a moment of her life, Maria Theresa considered abdicating, but she never did. She continued with reforms, limiting the power of Church, despite being pious herself.

In short, she was a woman of her time, though in many ways she did not behave as one. She struggled to remain at the throne that was hers by birth right, and peace was mostly what Empress tried to seek, even if she grew more systematic in her latest years. She favoured the peasants in her policies and avoided wars; her reign is also marked for sending away from the Habsburg lands the Society of Jesus and papal bulles would only be sent with her authorization. A woman of peace, no doubt, stuck into her beliefs, she succeeded in where many failed before her.

It was at the age of 63 that Maria Theresa, sometimes styled the Great, died. She left Joseph to rule as Joseph II and a good legacy to those who succeeded her.

Sources:

http://catolicismo.com.br/index.cfm

https://www.reddit.com/r/civ/comments/2ophz4/til_maria_theresa_is_marie_antionettes_mother/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Theresa

http://www.biography.com/people/maria-theresa-9398965#late-reign-and-death

http://www.habsburger.net/en/chapter/maria-theresas-children

http://www.habsburger.net/en/chapter/maria-theresa-heiress

http://www.habsburger.net/en/chapter/maria-theresa-eyes-her-contemporaries

http://www.habsburger.net/en/chapter/dark-side-maria-theresa

http://departments.kings.edu/womens_history/mariatheres.html

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Maria_Theresa.aspx

Élisabeth of Austria (1554-1592): The White Queen of France

This Queen of France shares not only the name but the same nickname to the Queen of England, the infamous Elizabeth Woodville. Both were known for their beauty and piety, and both were not very praised by their respective mothers-in-law. Still, each one managed to be strong following the context they were in. Elizabeth Woodville was the Queen of a White House, the Yorkists brench of the Plantagenet family, whilst Élisabeth of Austria was known as la Reine blanche by the time her husband died.

Élisabeth was born in July 5, 1554. Her parents were the Holy Roman Emperor Maximillian II and Maria of Spain, and she had four older siblings before she was born, being the second daughter and fifth child. She was raised with her older sister, Anna, and a younger brother, Matthias, within the privileged palace in Vienna, where they lived secluded from the court. There, they received a good education paired for their status: Élisabeth was fluent in German, Latin, Spanish and Italian, as well as her siblings, and was praised  also for her beauty. She had blonde hair and a very soft, porcelain skin.

At the age of eight, it was considered who would have her hand. The options were the future Charles IX of France or Sebastian of Portugal. The representative of the French, upon meeting her, was reported to have found the next Queen of France. As seen below:

"In 1562 the Maréchal de Vieilleville, a member of the French delegation sent to Vienna, exclaimed after see the eight-years-old princess: "Your Majesty, this is the Queen of France!""

Although Catherine de' Medici preferred Élisabeth's older sister, Anna, this would not happen as she was already betrothed to her uncle, the King of Spain. Soon, Élisabeth and Charles, who was then the Duke of Orléans, were married by proxy, with her uncle representing the now French King. After a week of celebrations, she departed to France.

"In France, the roads proved impassable due to constant rain. The royals decided that the official wedding was to be celebrated in the small border town of Mézières-en-Champagne. King Charles IX of France & Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria were formally married there on 26 November 1570. Since the wedding took place far away from Paris, it was not until the spring that the German-French alliance was celebrated with magnificent feasts in the French capital, as she officially became queen."

Though the archduchess was said to have been in delight with her husband, kissing him in public even, her relationship with Charles was not one of love despite the mutual respect and admiration. He did not abandon his long-time mistress, though, which was encouraged by his own mother who feared that Élisabeth could influence her son. Aware of her piety nature, he worked with Catherine de' Medici to keep his Queen away from the French liberty costumes, which had shocked her. So then Élisabeth was dedicated to embroidery, reading and charitable works.

Although she was strongly against the Protestants, to the point she refused to acknowledge the leader of the Huguenots, a courtier named Gaspard II de Coligny, when the infamous event Bartholomew's Day happened, she was genuinely horrorified and upon asking Charles who was the responsible for such cruelty, Élisabeth was told it was he, so in turn she said she would "pray for his soul".

A few months later, she gave birth to a girl, named Marie Élisabeth, in honour of maternal grandmother, Holy Roman Empress Maria of Spain, and Elisabeth after the Queen of England, Elizabeth I, who was the child's godmother. 

But "by the time of her birth, the health of Marie Elisabeth's father was deteriorating rapidly, and after long suffering, in which Elisabeth rendered him silent support and prayed for his recovery, Charles IX died on 30 May 1574; Elisabeth wept "tears so tender, and so secret", according to Brantôme, at his bedside." She was also "expelled from the King's chamber by her mother-in-law, Queen Catherine de Medici." 

By then known as 'the white Queen', Élisabeth refused marrying her brother-in-law Henry III, receiving the title of Duchess of Berry. And "after a 40 days mourning period, Elisabeth was compelled by her father to return to Vienne", leaving her 3 year-old daughter behind though she visited Marie Élisabeth in the next year, 1575.

Throughout her widowhood, Élisabeth did not remarry, declining the proposal of being Phillip of Spain's fourth wife with the death of her sister, Anna. And when her daughter came to die with only six years of age, "she bought land upon which she founded a convent of the order of Saint Clare, where she spent the rest of her life." She also continued to exchange letters with Marguerite de Valois, the famous Queen Margot, with whom she was friends. To her, two books she wrote, today lost, were sent as well as part of jewelry to aid her when she was no longer married to Henry IV.

On the 22nd day of January, 1592, at age of 32, the former Queen of France died, probably the cause being pleurosy. Élisabeth was dedicated to the poor and followed the word of God until the end of her days, being a patroness of the Jesuits. It's said that "Brantôme wrote: when she died, the Empress [...] (her mother] said [...]: "El mejor de nosotros es muerto" (The best of us is dead)."

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisabeth_of_Austria,_Queen_of_France

http://bjws.blogspot.com.br/2015/10/biography-elisabeth-of-austria-15541592.html

http://royalwomen.blogspot.com.br/2011/01/elisabeth-of-austria-queen-of-france.html

http://womenshistory.about.com/od/habsburg/a/Elisabeth-of-Austria-1554.htm

Edward VI: The Tudor Boy King & The Protestant Reformation in England (1547-1553)

In general words, if it is possible to define Modern Age in Europe, one would say that several countries, if not the continent itself, were marked by the Religious Reforms that ecloded back then. Having received the name of Protestantism, this was a movement that was initiated by a monk named Martin Luther who was later followed by John Calvin and others. It is true that before these men, names as the English John Wycliffe come to our minds whenever it's about the protest and pleadge to the Catholic Church to be less corrupt and kinder to the mankind, following the true words of Jesus Christ.

Still, it was Luther who succeeded, despite being argued that his intentions were not to dissociate from Catholic Church but an attempt to reform the latter by denoucing the corruption and other practices he thought to be quite mundane incompatible to the values of Christianity. As we know, politics and religion were always entwined, so it is not so surprising to see that, following the consequences of his 95 theses, many princes joined his cause against Rome, perhaps following the benefits of breaking relations with Rome, or by genuine matters of faith. Lutheranism would then be followed by Calvinism with both reformers sharing similar views; but whilst Luther's church spread mostly in Germanic regions, Calvinism went further: it went on to receive the name of Huguenote in France, whilst in England and Scotland were to be divided in fractions known as presbyterians and puritans. And whilst the presbyterians were moderate, the puritans were the radical form of the ideas of Calvin, and in the reign of Elizabeth, these latters would cause trouble with the moderate Queen and were to be sent away to form what today is known as United States.

That being said, we return our attention to England on the grounds that its religious reform is much attribuated by King Henry VIII, who broke relations with Rome when he was denied the divorce so he could marry Anne Boleyn, when in fact it is to his son that the Protestant Church was stablished in England's soil.

Edward Tudor was born in October 12th, 1537. He received the title of Duke of Cornwall, but was not officially recognized as Prince of Wales. His parents were the infamous -and previously married twice- King Henry VIII of England and his third wife, the uncrowned Queen, Lady Jane Seymour. It is commonly known the pursuit of the king for an heir, and this, combined with the context in Europe, would provide the break of an old religion to the birth of a new one.

At first, the young boy king was raised as Catholic, especially because his father remained Catholic, despite being the Head of England's church and his mother was more sympathetic to the old religion rather to the new one. His tutors were carefully chosen to guide him that way. But when Henry VIII remarried for the last time to a very rich widow Lady Catherine Parr, his education would change, as his new--and probably most influential--stepmother supervised her stepchildren's education. And at least with Edward and Elizabeth, their models were Luther and Calvin's works.

In 1547, the young prince is crowned King Edward VI and though in his council no leader name was left by his father, we have the Duke of Somerset, his maternal uncle Edward Seymour, taking the reins of the council as being the Lord Protector of the realm. Between Somerset and Northumberland, who would replace the first as chief of the government in 1551, it was Seymour who was more Protestant, though the final word was always the kings, whose Protestant faith was molded by the circle of tutors chosen by the former Queen, Katherine Parr.

Below, we see how one of the most trusted men by the boy king, the Archbishop of Canterbury, started the transition between the reigns of one monarch to another in matters of reform of the English church:

"Cranmer and his allies sought to influence people’s beliefs gradually by focusing on liturgy first, rather than doctrinal statements, trying thus to avoid the violent repercussions of dramatic change that had dominated the continental reformation.230 Doctrinal statements would come later, after the English people had supposedly become accustomed to the new evangelical worship forms and spare church interiors."

Also, the next segment enlightens of the first years of Edward's reigns, following the concern of shaping the new protestant church:

"In July 1547 Edward VI issued his First Royal Injunctions, to be administered in official visitations of every English diocese that fall.231 They sought “the advancement of the true honour of Almighty God, the supression of idolatry and superstition throughout all [Edward’s] realms and dominions, and to plant true religion, to the extirpation of all hypocrisy, enormities and abuses,” to which the English people had (according to evangelical opinion) previously been subjected. The 1547 injunctions included reworkings of many of the same orders from Henry VIII’s 1536 and 1538 sets of injunctions, as well as some new directives. They reaffirmed Henrician principles of lay access to the Bible (and added a requirement to procure Erasmus’ Paraphrases of the Gospels), vernacular instruction in the fundamentals of faith (the Creeds, Lord’s Prayer, and Ten Commandments), and the banning of pilgrimages and abused images, plus the 1547 Injunctions expanded the use of English-language scripture readings in some parts of the Sarum liturgy, which was still the only authorized use in England at the time."

In addition, "marriage was made lawful for the clergy. Readiness and desire for fellowship with the Protestant brotherhood on the Continent were expressed in invitations to distinguished foreign divines to favor England with their presence. Such representatives of the Reformed Church as Peter Martyr and Martin Bucer received much honor, the one being installed at Oxford and the other at Cambridge, in 1549".

What can possibly be seen from the segments above? Although it might offer an understanding that the first steps of Edward's reforms came from his father's, it actually began to receive ideas from both Luther and Calvin's reformers. For example, John Knox, a staunch Calvinist, was Edward VI's chapelain. The first years were carefully prepared to the acceptance of the new faith to social segments. In fact, it is observed in the six years of the young monarch's reign the importance women as Katherine Willoughby, the Dowager Duchess of Suffolk, produced by introducing the reading of the Bible in English to the female sex, an idea that would permit all genders to read it in their natural tongue thanks to Luther. As seen below:

"John Calvin, who also was a part of the Swiss Reformation corresponded with Cranmer in regards to the English Reformation: "I long for one holy communion of the members of Christ. As for me, if I can be of service, I would gladly cross ten seas in order to bring about this unity". The result was Edward being the first monarch in England to have a Protestant education."

It was mentioned before that the regents in Edward's reign played a significant role in the building of the English's church, so in the next paragraph, we can have a better of understanding of the part of Lord Protector in this, as we are speaking of the first years of Edward VI as king.

"Somerset tries a bipartisan approach: leads an evangelical clique some of whom adopted the more radical alternatives (has Becon and Turner and Hooper in his household; reprints books by Wyclif, Tyndale, Barnes and Frith--omnibus approach), BUT forced for political reasons to attack sacramentaries to keep the centre on board while advancing Protestantism by stealth. (Problem of Princess Mary and Charles V). (...) Royal supremacy became a trojan horse for Protestantism: the model of Josiah made it imaginatively feasible for the councillors of a 'godly king' to undertake a programme of fast reformation on their own initiative. 'Imperial' status redefined as inclusive of Privy Council and Parliament"

Between the years of 1549 and 1552, the Common Book Prayer was established, a reason which caused popular revolts to break in England. This Common Book Prayer was written by the Archbishop Thomas Cranmer and contained "the structure and words for religious services in the Church of England. Versions were issued in 1549, 1552 and 1559. The services were in English and it became law for all churches to use them. (...)"

"An Act of Uniformity to enforce its use was also passed by Parliament, which suppressed the Latin Mass book of old and ordered that there should be a uniform Church service in English throughout the land."

This was the reason of conflicts between Catholics and Protestants in England, but the royal authority managed to appease them. The Common Book Prayer were to be better stablished in Edward's sister's reign, Queen Elizabeth I.

What we can conclude from these years under the government of Somerset in seen below:

"Edward VI’s government faced three distinct challenges to its program of religious reform between the introduction of the first and second Prayer Books. The sophisticated criticism Bishop Gardiner and other conservatives laid against the 1549 Prayer Book was the first. The other two challenges came from popular uprisings against innovations in worship and doctrine and challenges from radical evangelicals close to the government who wanted more wide-ranging reform at a faster pace than Cranmer would allow"

And also that:“Cranmer and his colleagues had intended their communion service to be the centre-piece of the regular weekly worship of the Church, but this was not happening; people did not want to make their communion on such a frequent basis. One problem may have been the fierce exhortations to self-examination which were already part of the prescribed rite in 1549: conscientious or shy potential communicants may have felt that they were not worthy to receive,”

From 1551 to his death, in 1553, Edward, who by now was older and, according to sources, was taking more actively roles in religious matters, In this period, now under the regency of the ambitious John Dudley, who from being Earl of Warwick rose to Duke of Northumberland, reforms improved. Points as the banishment of masses, which were replaced by the holy communion, the fact the priests were not allowed to dress elaborate vestments aside of the belief of predestination included in the doctrine, formed by then the basis of the Church, which was not known as Anglican yet.

The Common Book Prayer was, in Edward's reign, under constant changes by the reformers with whom the young was surrounded. Perhaps if he had lived more, the religion and its instrument would be promptly be absorbed. However, the further of our readings onto that matter shows us that social absorption was more difficult than seen, and that explains why in Elizabeth's reign these reforms were definitely more succesful: they take time and even in a small island as England was, there were different interpretations and struggles between parishes about them. And if we question ourselves how would this Reformation go beyond the six years of Edward had he lived longer, we have no doubt that if Mary ruled just as longer, the basis and work of Edward would have been gone.

Sociaties might change fast, but the same cannot be said of their mentalities. The reforms we speak here today were used to the Elisabethan Anglican Church, but with the next centuries, the Catholic Stuarts and the Lutheran Hanoverians would also aid in the fortification of the character of the church. In other words, it is more than fair to give credit to the young king Edward VI and his councillors for Protestantism in England and remember his importance, though short indeed, to the british society of until nowadays.

Sources:

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/tudor-england/edward-vi/

http://www.historyonthenet.com/tudors/edward_protestantism.htm

http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/schools/ks3/reformation/glossary#Ref:BkComPra

http://www.tudors.org/undergraduate/protestant-reformation-under-edward-vi-an-agenda/

http://history-christian-church.blogspot.com.br/2012/03/reformation-in-england-during-reign-of.html

https://theoluchador.wordpress.com/2015/04/28/king-edward-vi-and-the-protestant-reformation/

http://www.museeprotestant.org/en/notice/the-anglican-reformation/

http://www.mibba.com/Articles/History/6136/King-Edward-VI-and-the-English-Reformation/

http://www.historyextra.com/article/henry-viii/who-was-real-edward-vi

http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=synge&book=tudors&story=edward6

http://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1802&context=open_access_etds







.

Lady Anne of Cleves: The Queen Who Survived (1515-1557)

It is commonly thought that whenever it's about the women who married the King of England, Henry VIII, his wives were not the merriest neither the luckiest. Catherine of Aragon was forced to deal with a humiliating divorce whilst seeing her husband marrying a younger woman beneath their station; Anne Boleyn, on the other hand, despite the wrongs she caused, payed with her life in a very unfair execution. Then there's Jane Seymour, who died giving the King a son and heir in a very difficult labour. After his grief, marrying again was necessary for political and, by then, religious reasons as well. 

Coming across with his wives, we know his fourth marriage was brief and, again, a divorce came on its way. But what's to know about her? Her sucessor, Catherine Howard, whom she was fond of, met the same destiny that of her cousin, Anne Boleyn, had years before; afterwards, the one who Henry VIII finally settled down with was Catherine Parr. All of the ladies above awoke the interest of the majority, except, perhaps the woman whom he divorced from because he found her 'ugly'. 

And what's so interesting about this german wife, whose life was out of common? Not only she outlived the King of England and his sixth consort, but that she witnessed the reigns of Edward VI and Mary I, though not living enough to see Elizabeth being crowned Queen. And that is precisely what it is to be discussed here. Considering the context which these ladies were born and raised, regardless of the country they lived, the higher their status was, the higher were the chances that one was meant to marry according to the family's wishes, following always their interests in order to enrich or improve their connections, those being marked in a world where it seemed to be divided in Catholics and Protestants.

Anne of Cleves was, then, born on the 22nd day of September in 1515, in the region of Dusseldorf, Germany. She was the second daughter of the Duke of Cleves, Johann III, and the sister of his heir, named Wilhelm. Raised by a very strict Catholic mother, the Dowager Duchess Maria, Anne was betrothed at the age of eleven to the heir of the dukedom of Lorraine, François. But the match was cancelled. 

The background those days remeted to the Reformists who chose to opposite Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and support Luther in a movement that would later be known as Protestantism. Lady Anne's father was a man who followed Eramus' ideas in such matters, though he renegated the pope authority in his duchy, much what Henry VIII did in England. But, whilst it was said before that her mother was a Catholic, the same cannot be said of her brother. He was a staunch Protestant and made sure the family followed this way, especially when he married his oldest sister to the Elector of Saxony, whose family was the head of the Lutheran families.

In the meantime, Henry VIII's third wife came to past away after complications resulted from a difficult labour. After twelve days, Lady Jane Seymour left the King a widow and her son, the future Edward VI, motherless. Pressed by his councillors, permission was granted that a new wife to be found. As we can see below:

"His two great rivals, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and French king Francis I, had forged a treaty, and to make matters worse, a short while later Pope Paul III had reissued the bull of excommunication against the English king. (...) An alliance with Cleves would (...) provide a major boost to the Reformation in England, and it was for this reason that Henry's chief minister, Thomas Cromwell, championed it so enthusiastically."

"In March 1539, Henry finally agreed that negotiations could begin. Cromwell was quick to relay reports of Anne's beauty, assuring his sovereign: "Every man praiseth the beauty of the same lady as well for the face as for the whole body... she excelleth as far the duchess [of Milan] as the golden sun excelleth the silver moon." But Henry (...) dispatched (...) Hans Holbein to Cleves (...)."

"The king was delighted with the result. Holbein's portrait showed a pretty young woman with fair hair, a doll-like face, delicate eyes, mouth and chin, and a demure, maidenly expression. The match was confirmed and a treaty was signed on 4 October 1539. A few weeks later, Anne embarked upon her journey to England."

But one small incident would change the course of their lives: for when Anne had arrived in her new homeland, Henry decided to visit and surprise her bride to be. What happens next is only the cause of the misfortune that would mark their marriage:

"Henry disguised himself in ugly old clothes, and rode to the place where Anne was staying. He burst in on Anne in her guest room, and pretended to be a messenger from the king. Anne, who was watching a bear-baiting out the window, didn't act too interested in this odd visitor. She barely glanced at him, and answered his questions without much attention or enthusiasm. When he finally reveleaded his true identity as her bridegroom, Anne of Cleves was shocked. Henry may have still thought himself the handsomest prince in Christendom, but in all reality, he was no longer the golden Adonis of his youth. In his royal garments, he could present the illusion of his former self, and hide some of his fat, but his messenger outfit didn't flatter him in the least."

Still, proceedings were made to have the marriage going... despite it lasting only for six months and Anne being wise enough in agreeing with the divorce. In matters concerning her relationship with her stepdaughters, as Edward had his own household and was but a baby still, records claim she had a good relationship with both Elizabeth and Mary. Below, a letter written by Elizabeth to Anne, by the time she probably had six years old.

"Madame, --I am struggling between two contending wishes--one is my impatient desire to see your Majesty, the other that of rendering the obedience, I owe to the commands of the King my father, which prevent me from leaving my house till he has given me full permission to do so. But I hope that I shall be able shortly to gratify both these desires. In the meantime, I entreat your Majesty to permit me to show, by this billet, the zeal with which I devote my respect to you as my queen, and my entire obedience to you as to my mother. I am too young and feeble to have power to do more than to felicitate you with all my heart in this commencement of your marriage. I hope that your Majesty will have as much good will for me as I have zeal for your service."

And, according to this same source,"Anne showed the letter to the king and he would not let Elizabeth come to court. Henry "took the letter and gave it to Cromwell" ordering him to write a reply. "Tell her", he said brutally, "that she had a mother so different from this woman that she ought not to wish to see her" (Weir 408). Whether or not the story is true, Henry did not withhold permission for long as Elizabeth was eventually brought to Court from Hertford Castle to meet Anne."

Also, "Leti reports that "Anne of Cleves, when she saw Elizabeth, was charmed by her beauty, wit, and... that she conceived the most tender affection for her. Anne claimed that to have had Elizabeth "for her daughter would have been greater happiness to her than being queen" (Strickland Life of Queen Elizabeth I, 15) This sentiment should not be diluted by the fact that Anne was queen for only six months."

"When the "conditions of her divorce were arranged, she (Anne) requested, as a great favour, that she might be permitted to see her (Elizabeth) sometimes" (Strickland Life of Queen Elizabeth I 15). Henry agreed as long as Elizabeth addressed her as Lady Anne instead of Queen Anne. (Lindsey 156). Anne's relationships and status were established by that new title."

As for her relationship with Mary, they seemed to have got along well, despite the weirdness at first, though for no reason known and what could be speculated is that Anne might have felt at uneasy for having a steppdaughter that is close to her in age. Nevertheless, "(...) the two struck up an apparently warm friendship. It is an indication of how likeable Anne was that Mary overcame her natural aversion to reformers and refused to listen to the rumours that Anne was conspiring against her when she became queen"

Following the grounds of the divorce, which was seemingly to have been taken well by Anne, who was probably aware of what had happened to the wives before her who refused to attend the will of the monarch, she "wrote a letter of submission to the king, referring to 'your majesty's clean and pure living with me', and offering herself up as his 'most humble servant'. Anne was richly rewarded for her compliance. She was given possession of Richmond Palace and Bletchingly Manor for life, together with a considerable annual income. This was further boosted by her right to keep all of her royal jewels, plate and goods (...). Moreover, she was to be accorded an exalted status as the king's 'sister', taking precedence over all of his subjects, with the exception of his children and any future wife that he might take"

And finally, "Henry later granted her some additional manors, including Hever Castle, the former home of Anne Boleyn. This was to become her principal residence, and she lived very comfortably there on the fringes of public life."

Unusual for a woman those days, Anne of Cleves was smart by knowing where she should not repeat the mistakes her predecessors did. Although it was clear in moments when the divorce and the love affair with Catherine Howard distressed her, no other reward could have made her happier. She had her own households, mini courts, and was always kind with her servants. She often received her stepdaughters, and when Mary ascended as Queen, Anne had predecense only after Elizabeth. There is also a letter where she congratulates her for the marriage with Philipp of Spain. But with Wyatt's rebellion, she lost royal favour, following rumours -which were probably untrue considering her sensitive nature- that she was conspiring with Elizabeh as they both had not joined to attend the mass.

Which might explain why Anne died as Catholic can be read below:

"Although 'Madam of Cleves always paid great honour to Madam Mary' (Hume 92), Anne did create controversy when she joined Elizabeth in not attending the Catholic Mass during the early part of Mary's reign. The Queen had words with Anne and she afterwards did attend services.(Ridley 47)"

Nevertheless, it seemed the favour was restored and friendly terms remained between them, though Anne had retired for good. What is curious to note is that it was with Elizabeth Anne was closer to and one suspects she had influenced the Princess in her life style as unmarried woman, besides shaping the character of the future Gloriana in matters of religion and man.

Lady Anne of Cleves was, from the six wives of Henry VIII, the one who had a very desirable life...and without a husband or a crown. This perspective inside the context of sixteenth century was just as problematic as when Elizabeth I vowed to have married to England. Yet, she achieved her happiness and lived well in a foreigner country. Though she wished she had remarried Henry VIII, who instead had chosen Catherine Parr instead -of whom she was resented-, accounts claims the loss of a husband barely troubled the peace of her mind. She was strong and charismatic, a woman who was not simple for lacking qualities that Anne Boleyn and Catherine of Aragon had for the demands of the Tudor court, and it was her good nature that had saved from situations that others failed in succeeding. It is also proper to remind that, despite the nature of Henry VIII, he was not the one to call her a "flander's mare", this was actually a rumour spread in the following century.

So, it was with 41 years of age, in 1557, that she left the world -one hopes in peace- after a struggle with disease.  And we can conclude with this, reaffirming with what as said above: 

"It is a testament to her sensible and cheerful nature that she had managed to stay in everybody's good graces throughout those turbulent times. Even her dogmatic stepdaughter Mary (...) held Anne in such esteem that she ordered the full pomp and ceremony of a royal funeral at Westminster Abbey. It was a lesson that was not lost on her younger stepdaughter, Elizabeth: to succeed in the dangerous and volatile world of the Tudor court, one must be guided by pragmatism, not principle."

And her life was, after all, what her motto translate well: "God send me well to keep"

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_of_Cleves

https://elizregina.com/2013/05/23/the-second-step-mother-to-elizabeth-anne-of-cleves/

http://mary-tudor.blogspot.com.br/2009/04/anne-of-cleves-and-princess-mary.html

http://www.royalpaperdolls.com/ACStory.htm

http://www.historicroyalpalaces.com/henry-s-wives-tree-decorations-anne-of-cleves.html

http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/record.asp?MSID=2160&CollID=28&NStart=2809

http://www.historyextra.com/article/premium/anne-cleves-henry-VIII-most-successful-queen

http://englishhistoryauthors.blogspot.com.br/2013/05/seven-surprising-facts-about-anne-of.html