Anna of Cleves

**Anna of Cleves** (historically **Anne of Cleves**) was the fourth wife of Henry VIII. Unlike the other queens, she and Henry were good friends and remained that way even after divorce. Despite Catherine Parr being known as the survivor, Anna outlived all of the other queens and Henry.

## Appearance

### Main

Anna generally has short hair or wears it in a bun. She has a spiky crown, and her **Broadway** outfit consists of a sparkly red leotard and a short, puffy, red-and black jacket and red-and-black shorts over it. (The shorts and jacket come off during *Get Down*). (On West End, Anna wears a black crop top, jacket, and shorts.) Anna wears tights, black boots, and long armbands.

### Swings

She wears her swing's main outfit, with her hair up/back and with a spiky crown.

### Historical

* *"Her hair hanging down, which was fair, yellow and long ... she was apparelled after the English fashion, with a French hood, which so set forth her beauty and good visage, that every creature rejoiced to behold her."*
* *"...of middling beauty and of very assured and resolute countenance."*

## In History

Anna was born on July 28th or September 22nd 1515, in Dusseldorf, Germany. She became engaged at 11 to Francis, a 9-year-old heir to the Duke of Lorraine. This betrothal was eventually called off. She and her family were suitable to be the king's allies, and she and her sister were both considered for the King's wife. Henry send Hans Holbein the Younger to paint her and her sister, Amalia's, portrait, wanting them to be accurate as possible. Henry found Anna beautiful in her portrait, and decided to marry her. It is widely believed that Henry originally spoke to Anna without her knowing who he was, and he became upset that she "regarded him little". Henry expressed disappointment with Anna, thinking that she was prettier in her portrait. It is unknown if this is an excuse to be angry with her, or if he was actually angry, because Anna was described to be beautiful by many.

The two still married, though Henry, at this point, was put off to the marriage and tried to find away to avoid it, though it was necessary for an alliance with the Germans. The two never consummated the marriage. On June 24, Anna was forced to leave the court, and on July 6 she was informed that Henry was reconsidering the marriage. Anna agreed to an annulment, and the marriage was formally ended because it wasn't consummated in time and because Anna was formerly engaged to Francis de Lorraine.

Henry and Anne became good friends. Henry left her with a very generous settlement, including Richmond Palace, which is referenced in *Get Down*. Anna lived a grand life, and when she began to get sick, she moved in with her sister Mary and wrote her last will. She died at Chelsea Old Manor on July 16, 1557, at forty-one years old. Even though Catherine Parr is known as the survivor, Anna outlived all of the queens, and Henry.

## In SIX

Anna knows she won't win the "who suffered most" contest, and she's fine with it. Instead, in her solo, *Get Down*, she basically brags about how great her life is without a man to tell her what to do. In *Six*, her ideal happy ending is moving to the Haus of Holbein and becoming a singer. She reprises *Get Down* in *Megasix*.

### Portrayal history

**Original Edinburgh and Cambridge production**

* Matilda Wickham

**Original Off-West End production**

* Genesis Lynea

**West End productions**

* Alexia McIntosh (First and second West End productions)
* Dionne Ward-Anderson (Third and fourth West End productions)

**UK tours**

* Alexia McIntosh (First UK tour)
* Shekinah McFarlane (Second and third UK tours)
* Aeisha Pease (Fourth UK tour)
* Jessica Niles (Fourth UK tour)

**Broadway productions**

* Brittney Mack (First Broadway production)
* Nasia Thomas (Second Broadway production)

**North American tours**

* Brittney Mack (First North American tour)
* Olivia Donalson (North American Aragon tour)
* Terica Marie (North American Boleyn tour)

**Bliss Cruise productions**

* Sophie Golden (First Bliss Cruise production)
* Scarlet Gabriel (Second Bliss Cruise production)
* Maya Christian (Third Bliss Cruise production)
* Sasha Renae Brown (Fourth Bliss Cruise production)
* Reca Oakley (Fifth Bliss Cruise production)

**Breakaway Cruise productions**

* Jessica Niles (First and second Breakaway Cruise productions)
* Kennedy Carstens (Third Breakaway Cruise production)
* Janice Rijssel (Fourth Breakaway Cruise production)

**Australia/New Zealand tours**

* Kiana Daniele (First and second AUSNZ tours)

**South Korean productions**

* Lexie Jisun Kim (First South Korean production)
* Choi Hyun-sun (First South Korean production)
* Jessica Niles (First South Korean production)

## Trivia

* In the musical, Anna's "queenspirations" are Rihanna and Nicki Minaj.
* In an Instagram story, Toby Marlow stated that if Six were to be made into a movie, he would like either Lizzo or Cardi B to play Anna.
* She was friends with Catherine Howard.