ABSTRACT
In November 1539, Anne of Cleves travelled from her homeland, leaving Düsseldorf for Greenwich. She travelled with 263 attendants and 228 horses, making her journey much slower than anticipated. Anne’s expected arrival date was pushed back several times, such that she and Henry VIII did not marry until 6 June 1540. This chapter will first explore the logistics of Anne’s progress, including made and abandoned plans for her possible journey by both land and sea and an evaluation of an extant map made for the journey by Anthony Anthony. Next, it will examine English preparations for her arrival, such as readying of roads and updating of palaces. It will then cover the progress itself, from her major stops through the Low Countries, to her two-week stay in Calais, to her progress through southern England before reaching London. It was during this progress that Anne first interacted with members of the English court and learned her first words of English. The chapter argues that the six-week progress from Cleves to London was instrumental in her preparations to become an English queen.
