Queen: Anne of Bohemia

Foreign brides faced an uphill battle with their husband's subjects.  They were expected to learn the customs of their new country and preside over court life while winning the hearts and minds of their new people, often while facing suspicion and disdain for being foreign.  Many of these women succeeded in their quest to win the respect and affection of their subjects, even if their husbands did not.

Anne of Bohemia (1366-1394) was born in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia, now Czech Republic.  Her father was the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV.  For many people, marriage with a daughter of such a powerful ruler would seem like a great prize, but the English were less than impressed when she was sought as a bride for the young king Richard II (1367-1400).  Her father's domains were too far away from England to make Bohemia a viable trading partner and Anne did not come with a dowry of money or land.  In fact, her father required Richard to pay for the honor of marrying her.  When Anne arrived in December, 1381, she was viewed with outright distaste by many contemporary chroniclers, one calling her a 'tiny scrap of humanity'.  She and Richard were married in Westminster Abbey in 1382, one of the last royal weddings to be held there for centuries, in part because it was seen as an ill-omened place to be married. 

Despite the misgivings, Richard and Anne fell in love with one another and were devoted to each others.  Prague was a fashionable place, at the height of a style of art and architecture known now as International Gothic.  Richard was known as a patron of the arts, including literature and architecture, and some of this influence may have been due to Anne.  They were married for 12 years before Anne's death at Sheen Palace in June, 1394.  During that time, Anne had become "good Queen Anne" to her subjects because of her frequent intercession with the King for criminals sentenced to do death for various offenses.  Only rarely was she refused when she interceded, often publicly, for someone's life.  She was also known for her charity to the poor, particularly pregnant women, since she apparently couldn't have children of her own for reasons unknown now.  Much of the troubles of Richard's reign happened after her death, indicating that she may have been a stabilizing influence on her husband.  He would marry again, but in 1400, when Richard died, he was buried next to Anne, their effigies carved so as to appear to be holding hands. 

A number of royal women are credited with bringing sidesaddle riding into England, including Katherine of Aragon, herself a Plantagenet descendant.  Anne is also believed to have introduced the practice of sidesaddle, or pillion riding into the country.  She also started a craze for the pointed hats that became a staple of storybook princesses everywhere, and to have introduced a type of carriage into England that was more comfortable for riding.  Artifacts connected with her include a crown now in the possession of the Wittelsbach family of Bavaria, and a wooden head that was part of her effigy during her funeral.