The New Murrey and Blue blog

Did Anne of Bohemia die of leprosy…?

, , , ,
, , , , , , , , , , ,
Anne of Bohemia's funeral procession
Anne of Bohemia’s funeral procession

Well, we are accustomed to incorrect reports about historic events, such as Richard III’s remains being tossed into the River Soar, and Henry “Tudor” being both “the Lancastrian heir” and “Earl of Richmond”. And that Richard III “poisoned” his queen, Anne Neville.

Tradition abounds with these things, but today I came upon one I hadn’t heard before: that another Queen Anne—of Bohemia—wife of another Richard—Richard II—died of leprosy. Eh? If anything it was the plague, surely? And very sudden. If Anne had leprosy I’m sure it would have been evident for some time, and certainly wouldn’t have caused sudden death. Would it?

Another suggestion is that Anne died of an ectopic pregnancy. Until recently it was generally thought that this particular royal marriage was chaste, but now a letter from Anne to her brother Wenceslaus reveals that she had just miscarried. How many miscarriages might she have had? See here. So yes, an ectopic pregnancy might indeed have been the cause of her death. Or indeed, so might anything to do with pregnancy.

But leprosy…? Somehow I think not.

Subscribe to my newsletter

  1. David Santiuste Avatar
    David Santiuste

    Agreed – her death was clearly very sudden, as you say. I’ve just looked at Nigel Saul’s piece on Anne in the ODNB – he also suggests plague as a possible cause.

    Like

    Reply
  2. The first “red carpet” in England….? | murreyandblue

    […] from the reign of Richard II – concerning the death, on 7th June 1394, of his much loved wife, Anne of Bohemia. This shows only that the artist decided to furnish her bedchamber with a patterned red carpet. […]

    Like

    Reply
  3. Epiphany – medieval and now…. | murreyandblue

    […] and his much loved queen Anne of Bohemia would eventually be laid to rest together close to the Confessor. In the latter part of his reign, […]

    Like

    Reply
  4. Eleanor of Aquitaine, the “mother-in-law from hell”….? – murreyandblue

    […] England whose marriages are always called into question: Richard I and Berengaria of Navarre, and Richard II and Anne of Bohemia. Richard II’s sexuality is cited as the reason he and Anne had no children. Either he was […]

    Like

    Reply
  5. Pandemics through history…. – murreyandblue

    […] way back in the 14th century, Richard II’s beloved queen, Anne of Bohemia, was a victim of the plague, and died suddenly. Richard was completely devastated, because from all […]

    Like

    Reply
  6. The Strange Reluctance to Accept Facts – murreyandblue

    […] case is the peculiar belief held in some quarters that the marriage between Richard II and Anne of Bohemia was ‘chaste’. (Presumably, because they had no children, and this can only be because […]

    Like

    Reply
  7. The Tomb at King’s Langley – murreyandblue

    […] and Isabelle of Castile are buried was intended originally for Richard II and was reallocated after Anne of Bohemia died and Richard decided to commission the well-known joint tomb at […]

    Like

    Reply
  8. The Appellant Arundel died of unspecified causes….? – murreyandblue

    […] man. He’d clambered up Richard’s royal nose once too often, including refusing the late Queen Anne’s pleas for the life of Sir Simon Burley, and then not only being late for Anne’s funeral but […]

    Like

    Reply
  9. Exchanged treasures at celebrations of Richard II’s second marriage…. – murreyandblue

    […] Richard II of England married for the second time. His first marriage had been a love match. He and Anne of Bohemia had adored each other and he’d been devastated by her sudden death, possibly of the plague. He […]

    Like

    Reply
  10. Joan/Joanne/Joanna Holland, Duchess of York – murreyandblue

    […] this time Joan was the first-ranking lady in England, having become so on Anne of Bohemia‘s death, and remaining so until the elevation of Katherine de Roet-Swynford to Duchess of […]

    Like

    Reply
  11. A review of Westminster Abbey: Behind Closed Doors…. – murreyandblue

    […] subjected to the light. I recognised an illustration of Richard II, whose tomb (with his queen, Anne of Bohemia) lies directly below the room where the book is displayed. The Liber Regalis is the coronation […]

    Like

    Reply
  12. Two tragic kings called Richard…. – murreyandblue

    […] than sail across the Channel to raise merry hell. Richard II too lost the queen he clearly adored. Anne of Bohemia was everything to him, and theirs became a true love match, but the plague took her from him. […]

    Like

    Reply
  13. Richard II had an ostrich…. – murreyandblue

    […] the ostrich was a badge of Richard II’s beloved queen, Anne of Bohemia, as is mentioned here Apologies for the small print. […]

    Like

    Reply
  14. A woman friend of King Richard II. – murreyandblue

    […] origins are uncertain, it is probable that she was one of the Bohemians who came to England with Queen Anne. She married Sir Nicholas Sarnesfield in 1389 and was widowed in 1394 – by coincidence, the […]

    Like

    Reply
  15. The royal palace of Plantagenet kings…oh, and of some bloated monstrosity called Henry VIII…. – murreyandblue

    […] Edward III’s unfortunate grandson Richard II was buried at King’s Langley because his murdering usurping cousin Henry IV didn’t dare inter him at Westminster. Henry feared a cult around the king he’d disposed of terminally and whose throne he’d stolen the throne. So Richard’s remains were banished to King’s Langley Priory instead. It was the usurper’s son, Henry V, who had conscience enough to bring Richard to Westminster Abbey, to join so many of his predecessors, among whom was Richard’s beloved queen, Anne of Bohemia. […]

    Like

    Reply
  16. Harbingers – murreyandblue

    […] daughter, Perrine, was one of Anne of Bohemia‘s ladies and his son-in-law, Sir Thomas Clanvowe, was one of Richard II‘s knights. This […]

    Like

    Reply
  17. A BOOK ON PLANTAGENET QUEENS-BUT WHERE IS ANNE? – murreyandblue

    […] Edward I’s wives, Eleanor of Castile, and Marguerite of France, Richard II’s wife Anne of Bohemia and…Anne Neville, consort of Richard III. This omission surprised me, as both Elizabeth […]

    Like

    Reply
  18. The de Courcy Matter Part I: According to English records…. – murreyandblue

    […] will begin with Richard’s obligation to remarry after the death of Anne of Bohemia, with whom he had been deeply in love, and she with him. I don’t think anyone would deny their […]

    Like

    Reply
  19. For the love of pearls in jewellery…. – murreyandblue

    […] is the exquisite crown of Anne of Bohemia, consort of Richard II of England. Made circa 1370-80, its use of pearls is lavish. It is the […]

    Like

    Reply
  20. Pink or lilac robes today, Your Majesty….? – murreyandblue

    […] fondest thoughts of Leeds Castle would probably be of the winter of 1381, because his bride Anne of Bohemia stayed there for Christmas on her way to marry him. The young couple fell deeply in love and he […]

    Like

    Reply
  21. Who wrote the inscription on the tomb of Richard II….? – murreyandblue

    […] tomb of Richard II and Anne of Bohemia in Westminster Abbey is very well known and recognised. The effigies once held hands but the hands […]

    Like

    Reply
  22. The treasure roll of Richard II’s jewels and goodies…. – murreyandblue

    […] own sex than the opposite sex, and his marriage was chaste. But this isn’t so. See my post https://murreyandblue.org/2019/01/06/did-anne-of-bohemia-die-of-leprosy/. He’d been faithful to her and was lost when she’d gone. His bed must have been a […]

    Like

    Reply

Leave a reply to Pandemics through history…. – murreyandblue Cancel reply