John III the Peaceful, Duke

Duke

A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...

 of Cleves

Duchy of Cleves

The Duchy of Cleves was a State of the Holy Roman Empire. It was situated in the northern Rhineland on both sides of the Lower Rhine, around its capital Cleves and the town of Wesel, bordering the lands of the Prince-Bishopric of Münster in the east and the Duchy of Brabant in the west...

 and Count of Mark (John III, Duke of Cleves; John I, Duke of Jülich-Berg; ; 10 November 1490 – 6 February 1538/9) was a son of John II, Duke of Cleves

John II, Duke of Cleves

John II, "The Pious" or "The Babymaker", Duke of Cleves, Count of Mark, was a son of John I, Duke of Cleves and Elizabeth of Nevers. He ruled Cleves from 1481 to his death in 1521...

 and Matilda of Hesse, daughter of Henry III, Landgrave of Upper Hesse

Henry III, Landgrave of Upper Hesse

Henry III, Landgrave of Upper Hesse, called "the Rich" was the second son of Louis I of Hesse and his wife Anna of Saxony....

.

John III became Regent of the United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg in 1521, and Lord of Ravensberg in 1528.

John represented a compensatory attitude, which strove for a , a middle way, between the two confessions during the Protestant Reformation

Protestant Reformation

The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...

. Despite what others may have thought, not all Germanic princely homes were Lutheran Protestant. In fact the real influence at the court of Cleves was Erasmus. Many of men were friends and followers of this well-educated Dutch scholar and theologian. When Duke John decided to write up a list of church regulations, Erasmus was the first person the Duke went to personally for consultation and approval.

Duke John had an instinct for balance as was shown when he married his eldest daughter Sybille

Sybille of Cleves

Sybille of Cleves was Electress consort of Saxony.She was the eldest daughter of John III, Duke of Cleves, and a sister of Anne of Cleves and Amalia of Cleves. Sybille's mother was Maria of Jülich-Berg .In September, 1526 Sybille married John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony...

 to John Frederick of Saxony

John Frederick, Elector of Saxony

John Frederick I of Saxony , called John the Magnanimous, was Elector of Saxony and Head of the Protestant Confederation of Germany , "Champion of the Reformation".-Early years:...

. John Frederick would go on to later head the Schmalkaldic League

Schmalkaldic League

The Schmalkaldic League was a defensive alliance of Lutheran princes within the Holy Roman Empire during the mid-16th century. Although originally started for religious motives soon after the start of the Protestant Reformation, its members eventually intended for the League to replace the Holy...

. In many ways John of Cleves' court was ideal for raising a Queen. It was fundamentally liberal, but serious-minded, theologically inclined, profoundly Erasmian; as the court of Catherine of Aragon

Catherine of Aragon

Catherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...

 had once been. It was from this court that his daughter Anne

Anne of Cleves

Anne of Cleves was a German noblewoman and the fourth wife of Henry VIII of England and as such she was Queen of England from 6 January 1540 to 9 July 1540. The marriage was never consummated, and she was not crowned queen consort...

 would be raised. Anne would go on to marry King Henry VIII of England as his fourth wife.

Family

In 1509, he married Maria of Jülich-Berg

Maria of Jülich-Berg

Maria of Jülich-Berg was born in Jülich, the daughter of Wilhelm IV, Duke of Jülich-Berg and Sibylle of Brandenburg....

, daughter of Duke William IV of Jülich-Berg and Sybilla of Brandenburg, who became heiress to her father's estates Jülich

Duchy of Jülich

The Duchy of Jülich comprised a state within the Holy Roman Empire from the 11th to the 18th centuries. The duchy lay left of the Rhine river between the Electorate of Cologne in the east and the Duchy of Limburg in the west. It had territories on both sides of the river Rur, around its capital...

, Berg

Berg (state)

Berg was a state – originally a county, later a duchy – in the Rhineland of Germany. Its capital was Düsseldorf. It existed from the early 12th to the 19th centuries.-Ascent:...

 and Ravensberg. They had the following children:

1. Sybille
   Sybille of Cleves
   Sybille of Cleves was Electress consort of Saxony.She was the eldest daughter of John III, Duke of Cleves, and a sister of Anne of Cleves and Amalia of Cleves. Sybille's mother was Maria of Jülich-Berg .In September, 1526 Sybille married John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony...
   
    (17 January 1512 – 21 February 1554), married John Frederick, Elector of Saxony
   John Frederick, Elector of Saxony
   John Frederick I of Saxony , called John the Magnanimous, was Elector of Saxony and Head of the Protestant Confederation of Germany , "Champion of the Reformation".-Early years:...
   
   , head of the Protestant Confederation of Germany, "Champion of the Reformation
   Protestant Reformation
   The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
   
   ". Had issue.
2. Anne
   Anne of Cleves
   Anne of Cleves was a German noblewoman and the fourth wife of Henry VIII of England and as such she was Queen of England from 6 January 1540 to 9 July 1540. The marriage was never consummated, and she was not crowned queen consort...
   
    (22 September 1515 – 16 July 1557), who was briefly married to Henry VIII, King of England
   Henry VIII of England
   Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
   
   , as his fourth wife. No issue.
3. Wilhelm, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg
   Wilhelm, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg
   William of Jülich-Cleves-Berg was a Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg .William was born in and died in Düsseldorf. He was the only son of John III, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg, and Maria, Duchess of Jülich-Berg. William took over rule of his father's estates upon his death in 1539...
   
    (28 July 1516 – 5 January 1592), married Maria, Archduchess of Austria, daughter of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
   Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
   Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
   
   . Had issue.
4. Amalia of Cleves
   Amalia of Cleves
   Amalia of Cleves was a princess from the house of Von der Mark...
   
   (17 October 1517 – 1 March 1586), died unmarried.