Anne of Bohemia

1366-94

Queen of England, first consort of Richard II.

Anne was the eldest daughter of the Emperor Charles IV and his fourth wife, Elizabeth of Pomerania. She was born at Prague on 11 May 1366. Her marriage to the king of England was arranged by Pope Urban VI.

Richard and Anne regularly went on tours of the country together. In 1382 they went to the south-west, in 1383 to East Anglia and 1387 to the midlands and the north.
They visited Norwich in 1383.

An image of Detail of Eagle Ward ceiling, St Helen's Church, Norwich — Detail of Eagle Ward ceiling, St Helen’s Church, Norwich.

An image of Arms of Anne of Bohemia — Arms of Anne of Bohemia

The chancel ceiling of St Helen’s (The Great Hospital), Norwich is painted with an eagle motif. The painting of which is said to commemorate the visit to Norwich of King Richard II and his wife Anne of Bohemia. However Anne’s arms showed an eagle with two heads, and the ceiling is painted with single-headed eagles.

Anne died, possibly of the plague, at Sheen on 7 June 1394, following her death Richard, ordered the palace to be destroyed.