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| Depiction by Percy Anderson (1906) |
- King Richard II of England (m. 1382 - 1394)
- N/A
Appearance:
Anne was described as being pretty and likely had blonde hair that darkened as she aged. She apparently had a gentle appearance, pale skin, and a 'beauteous body'.
She was well known for her Bohemian fashion sense, often being seen wearing the horned Bohemian headdress, which she popularised.
Character:
She was well known for her kindness, piety and peaceful nature. She was also quite intelligent, able to speak many languages, including German, Czech, and Latin. She was also described as very humble.
What endeared her most to people was her compassion - always trying to help the poor, and begging her husband to spare the lives of those who had crossed him. She was very loving and loyal to her husband and was apparently able to calm his fiery temper and more erratic nature.
She also enjoyed poetry, particularly those with themes of chivalry, and influenced fashion within the English court.
Anne was beloved by the people of England, despite a rocky start to her time as consort in which she was initially described as a 'tiny scrap of humanity.'
Biography:
Anne was born in 1366 in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia, and was the eighth of fourteen children born to Holy Roman Emperor, Charles IV. She was the eldest child of her mother, Princess Elizabeth of Pomerania, who was Charles IV's third wife, and was the mother of six of his fourteen children. Anne's family was one of the most powerful royal houses within Europe at the time.
Most of her early life was spent in Prague under the care of her older half-brother, King Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia. She received an excellent education, with a focus on foreign languages.
In 1378, The Great Schism had begun within Europe, in which two rival Popes fought for control over the Catholic Church. Pope Urban VI granted a betrothal between Anne and King Richard II of England in the hopes of gaining the Kingdom of England as an ally against Pope Clement VII, who was favoured by the Kingdom of France. However, this match was not popular with the people of England as it brought the kingdom little benefits, and Anne brought no dowry with her. The marriage negotiations were also dragged out by Richard II's diplomats being held for ransom while travelling through Europe. However, in 1381, the marriage treaty was officially signed, and Anne began her journey to England.
Unfortunately, Anne's voyage to England was not an easy one, and was heavily delayed by stormy weather. When Anne finally disembarked from her ship, it disintegrated and fell apart behind her, which many people interpreted to be a bad omen. The population of England remained hostile towards her, but the wedding went ahead regardless, with Anne finally marrying Richard II in 1382, when both of them were aged 15 years old.
Despite being a political marriage, both Anne and Richard would fall deeply in love with each other, and rarely left each other's sides. It could be argued that Richard's affections for her grew into obsession, with him insisting that Anne was to never leave his side.
Anne devoted herself to the traditional role of a royal consort, that of a peace-maker, and would frequently intercede on behalf of those who had angered her husband, including the participants of the Peasants' Revolt. She would throw herself at the feet of her husband and beg for the mercy of his enemies, which began to greatly endear her to the English people.
Both Anne and Richard never had any children together, despite twelve years of marriage. It's likely that at least one of them (or even both of them) may have been infertile. Nevertheless, the relationship remained loving and loyal, and her popularity only continued to increase due to the sway she had over her husband's infamous temper, as well as her kindness and compassion.
Her life would tragically be cut short in 1394, when she contracted the bubonic plague, which would end her life soon afterwards.
Rule:
Even before she arrived in England, Anne was very unpopular with the people of England, mainly due to them disagreeing with the political match. However, over time, Anne began to grow more popular as a consort.
She saved the lives of many from her husband's wrath, including the Mayor of London, and interceded on behalf of those who took part in the Peasants Revolt of 1381. She supported both the church and the poor, and frequently donated to charity.
Although arguably she failed in one of her main roles of a consort (providing an heir), the people of England seemed to have looked past this, and loved her regardless of hers and her husband's fertility issues. She was apparently incredibly kind to pregnant women and was greatly admired for this.
Anne also brought with her the more gothic styles of Bohemia and inspired many fashion trends. She popularised the side-saddle and influenced cart designs.
The people of England deeply mourned when she passed away. She was notably popular with both the nobility and the common people alike.
- Due to her popularity, she became known as 'Good Queen Anne.'
- After her death, Richard grieved heavily and ensured that the palace in which she died was completely destroyed.
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