9 July 1540 – The King is at liberty to marry another woman

On 9th July 1540, convocation ruled that Henry VIII’s marriage to his fourth wife Anne of Cleves was null and void and that “the King is at liberty to marry another woman, and likewise the lady Anne free to marry.” The marriage was annulled “by reason of a precontract between lady Anne and the marquis of Lorraine, that it was unwillingly entered into and never consummated.”

You can read more about the annulment in my article 9 July 1540 The End of Henry VIII’s marriage to Anne of Cleves.

Trivia: Did you know that it was rumoured in 1541 that Anne of Cleves had given birth to a child fathered by Henry VIII? Click here for more information.