Marriage To James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell
Anna was married to Bothwell, by handfasting, while he was doing business in Denmark. The marriage was considered legitimate under Dano-Norwegian law, but was, and is still, treated as dubious or invalid, by English and Scots historians. For this reason, most English books refer to her, incorrectly, as a "mistress", or jilted lover. Anna's later Bergen lawsuit against Bothwell (ca. 1570), which held him to account for wrongful behaviour as a husband, as well as writings of the Scots Earl of Moray, lend credence to the fact that a marriage did transpire.
A notorious scoundrel, Bothwell married another woman in France, shortly after marrying her, and soon set his eyes on the Queen, Mary Stuart. While in Scotland, Anna was frustrated and unhappy. She was rumored to have borne a child, possibly being William, the only son of Bothwell. In the mid-1560s, she left Scotland to return to her family; her mother and siblings had returned to Norway on her father's death. Shortly thereafter, Bothwell proceeded to marry Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, after having allegedly murdered her husband, Darnley.
Bothwell met his demise through a chance reunion with Anna in Bergen, Norway. He had left Scotland, fleeing the authorities seeking him on murder charges related to the death of Darnley, second husband of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots. He was detained in the port of Bergen, Norway for lack of proper exit papers. Anna was now living in Bergen, where she had family connections. Bothwell's administrative detainment turned to imprisonment in Rosenkrantz Tower on the order of Anna's cousin, Danish Viceroy Erik Rosenkratz, on the basis of Anna's legal complaint against him for his use of her as his wife, and demand for restitution of her sizable dowry. A court case ensued, whereby she gave testimony putting forth that he had "three wives alive" including herself.
Bothwell settled with Anna out of court, offering her as restitution one of his ships and promising her an additional annuity which he never was able to pay, as he never regained his freedom. The King of Denmark had taken notice of him as a political pawn. Elizabeth I was calling for Bothwell's extradition back to Scotland to stand trial for the murder of Darnley, Elizabeth's cousin. Rather than turn him over to England, the Danish King transferred Bothwell to Dragsholm Castle where he died after many years.
Read more about this topic: Anna Throndsen
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