Sibylle of Cleves | |
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Sibylle of Cleves at the time of her betrothal to Electoral Prince John Frederick, by Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1526.
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Born |
Düsseldorf |
17 January 1512
Died | 21 February 1554 Weimar |
(aged 42)
Burial | St. Peter und Paul, Weimar |
Spouse | Johann Friedrich I, Elector of Saxony |
Issue |
Johann Friedrich II, Duke of Saxony Johann Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Weimar Prince John Ernest of Saxony John Frederick III the Younger, Duke of Saxony |
House | La Marck |
Father | Johann III, Duke of Cleves |
Mother | Maria of Jülich-Berg |
Sibylle of Cleves (German: Sibylle von Jülich-Kleve-Berg) (17 January 1512 – 21 February 1554) was Electress consort of Saxony.
Born in Düsseldorf, she was the eldest daughter of Johann III of the House of La Marck, Duke of Jülich jure uxoris, Cleves, Berg jure uxoris, Count of Mark, also known as de la Marck and Ravensberg jure uxoris (often referred to as Duke of Cleves) who died in 1538, and his wife Maria, Duchess of Julich-Berg (1491–1543). Her younger siblings were two sisters, Anna (later Queen of England) and Amalia, and a brother, Wilhelm, who became in Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg, bearing the promising epithet "The Rich".
In September 1526, Sibylle was betrothed to Electoral Prince Johann Friedrich of Saxony in the Schloss Burg an der Wupper. After lengthy negotiations about the dowry, the lavish wedding ceremony, preceded by an elaborate procession, took place in Torgau on 9 February 1527. They had four sons:
After the death of his father in 1532, Johann Friedrich became Elector of Saxony and Sibylle the Electress consort.
The correspondence between Sibylle and her husband during his captivity as consequence of the Schmalkaldic War, showed a devoted and intimate couple. In the meanwhile, during the siege of Wittenberg, the Electress protected the city in her husband's absence. To save his wife and sons, and to prevent Wittenberg from being destroyed, Johann Friedrich conceded the Capitulation of Wittenberg, and resigned the government of his country in favour of Maurice of Saxony.