Wednesday 3 June 2020

Queens Born in June

Anne of Cleves


Two Queens of England have been born in June. So far. A medieval matriarch and a rejected consort who ended up being the biggest winner of the Tudor era - quite a collection of June queens.




Philippa of Hainault was born on June 24th 1310 at Valenciennes then part of Hainault which was ruled by her father, William I, Count of Hainault. Her mother was Joan of Valois, a granddaughter of King Philip III of France to whom she quite possibly owed her name. She became Queen of England on January 28th 1330 on her marriage to Edward III. Valenciennes is now the very north east of France. 


A 1540s portrait of Anne of Cleves by Bartholomaus Bruyn

Anne of Cleves was born on June 28th 1515 in Dusseldorf, now in Germany but at the time part of the Duchy of Berg. Her father was John III who ruled Cleves and her mother was Maria who was Duchess of Julich-Berg. She became Queen of England on January 6th 1540 on her marriage to Henry VIII. That union was annulled on July 9th 1540 with Anne receiving a large estate of her own and the title of the King's Sister. She outlived Henry by ten years. 


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