Anna of Cleves, 1st Duchess of Exeter (Blooming Roses)

Anna of Cleves, 1st Duchess of Exeter (12 June 1541 - 12 November 1609) was the youngest sister of Isabella of Cleves, Queen of Edward VI. She had an elder twin sister, Sophia of Cleves that died in childhood. She was the only other child of Sophia of Guelders to survive childhood.

Early Life
Like her three elder sisters, Anna of Cleves was raised in England after her mother died, months after the birth of her and her elder twin sister. From birth, it was clear that she was the more robust of the two. As a young child, she and Sophia were inseparable, and when Sophia fell ill at the age of 12, Anna had to be restrained from entering the sick room. Sophia died months later, from what appears to be tuberculosis and Anna fell in a deep depression. She was treated with regular bleeding, but she could not shake the depression. In 1554, she was sent to an asylum under the name Anne Exeter. Like her sister, Isabella, she was tutored by Lady Cromwell,

Life in the Asylum
Anna spent her teenage years in the asylum, but after a year, it was clear that Anna was not mad. Her aunt, Anne of Cleves, sent her tutor to the asylum so that she could still finish her education, however,Lady Cromwell had always disliked Anna, so she did not report Anna's condition to Lady Anne. Her education was finished after two years, and Anna volunteered to help care for the mentally ill. Her life throughout this period is largely undocumented until she is visited by Isabella, after her sister had become Queen of England. In 1562, she was officially introduced to the court.

Court Life
Anna arrived to court at the height of Marie de Meluen's power. She was a moderating influence at court to counteract the heavy-handed approach of Ruth Howard. Edward had strong affection for his sister-in-law because of her flattering ability and created her the Duchess of Exeter in her own right, making her the only woman to be created a Duchess and the second woman to be raised to the peerage, after Anne Boleyn. She was betrothed to George Veldon in late 1562 and after he was raised to an earldom, she married him.