BIRTH OF SIBYLLE OF CLEVES

BIRTH OF SIBYLLE OF CLEVES

Sibylle of Cleves was the eldest child of John III~Duke of Cleves and Maria Duchess of Jülich-Berg.
She was the elder sister of Amalia and Anne ~ the future wife of Henry VIII.
She also had a brother William, who took over the duchy of Cleves after their father died.

Sibylle was born on 17th January 1512 in Düsseldorf.
The three sister’s had an old-fashioned and limited education.
Needlework and housekeeping were emphasized, to equip the daughters for their roles as wives and consorts to princes.
Music and playing instruments were not considered appropriate teachings, so the girls had little to no musical knowledge.
Their clothing was somewhat dated, as the small German court did not follow the Italian fashions of the time.

However, Sibylle was known as a great beauty, as can be seen from her engagement portrait by Lucas Cranach the Elder from 1526
Sibylle likely plucked back her hairline, as was fashionable in the period.
A high forehead showed that a woman was of noble bearing, and intelligent.

In September 1526, Sibylle was betrothed to Electoral Prince John Frederick of Saxony.
The lavish wedding ceremony took place in Torgau, on the banks of the River Elbe in Germany, on 9th February 1527.
Sibylle enjoyed a fruitful marriage with John, and they had four sons.

After the death of his father in 1532, John Friedrick became the elector of Saxony, and Sibylle the electress.
Sibylle’s court included a massive library, possibly the largest in Germany at the time.
As a reformist, Sibylle energetically supported her husband’s political actions.
Sibylle also corresponded with Martin Luther, and appears to have supported her husband’s radical actions to reform the church.

When the Schmalkaldic War broke out in 1546, John was at the head of his troops.
The Battle of Mühlberg on 24th April 1547, went against him, and he received a slashing wound to the left side of his face.
This left him with a disfiguring scar from his lower eye socket down his cheek.
He was taken prisoner by Charles V and sent into exile.
Sibylle and her husband wrote frequently to each other, during his captivity.
The correspondence shows them as a devoted and intimate couple.

During the siege of Wittenberg, Sibylle protected the city in her husband’s absence.
To save his wife and sons, and to prevent Wittenberg from being destroyed, John Frederick conceded and resigned the government of his country.

In 1552, after five years of captivity, the deposed John Frederick was finally reunited with his family.
However, the reunion was short-lived.
Sibylle died on 21st February 1554, aged 42
John Frederick followed his wife to the grave shortly after, dying on 3rd March 1554, aged 50.

They were both buried in the City Church of Weimar, Germany.