A Political Match Made In Heaven
The Tudors did not consider love to be important when they set out to find a match. Rather, marriages were established based on the political advantages that could be found. The case of Anne of Cleves’ marriage to King Henry VIII was then one of many power plays. This princess, born to the noble German man named John III, was regarded by Thomas Cromwell (Henry’s most trusted adviser) to be a highly beneficial match for the king.
A Political Match Made In Heaven
John and Henry both found a common enemy in the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Charles and John had clashed over land claims, whereas Henry and Charles were politically at odds regarding the Protestant Reformation. Considering this new allegiance in the face of the Spanish leader, Henry’s most valued minister’s view was that Henry would find much strength in marrying Anne of Cleves, the daughter of the duke. But would this all work out in the way that they thought?
The Commissioned Portrait Was Meant To Secure The Transaction
In modern times, we see and take dozens of pictures weekly thanks to the power of our smartphones and social media. During the Tudor times, however, the only way that people could show each other how they looked was through painting. Photography would not be invented for a few hundred years, and so people could only reveal their likeness was through a far slower process. What could this possibly entail, you might be wondering to yourself?
The Commissioned Portrait Was Meant To Secure The Transaction
Henry wanted to get a better picture of the woman that he potentially intended to marry, as well as her younger sister, called Amalia, who he also regarded as a potential wife. Henry, being a king, was not interested in any average work – he needed Hans Holbein the Younger, an artist, to make something that was completely lifelike. He also did not want any alterations from the real deal to come through in the painting process.
