Sibylle of Cleves

Sibylle of Cleves
Sibylle of Cleves by Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1526.
Spouse	John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony
Issue
John Frederick II, Duke of Saxony John William, Duke of Saxe-Weimar Prince John Ernst of Saxony Duke John Frederick III of Saxony
House	House of Wettin House of La Marck
Father	John III, Duke of Cleves
Mother	Maria of Jülich-Berg
Born	(1512-01-17)17 January 1512 Düsseldorf
Died	21 February 1554(1554-02-21) (aged 42) Weimar
Burial	Katholische Hofkirche

Sibylle of Cleves (German: Sibylle von Jülich-Kleve-Berg) (17 January 1512 – 21 February 1554) 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. Sibylle's mother was Maria of Jülich-Berg (1491–1543).

In September, 1526 Sibylle married John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony. She had four sons with her husband:

• John Frederick II, Duke of Saxony (b. Torgau, 8 January 1529 – d. as imperial prisoner at Schloss Steyr, Upper Austria, 19 May 1595);
• John William, Duke of Saxe-Weimar (b. Torgau, 11 March 1530 – d. Weimar, 2 March 1573);
• John Ernest (b. Weimar, 5 January 1535 – d. Weimar, 11 January 1535);
• Duke John Frederick III of Saxony (1554–1565) (b. Torgau, 16 January 1538 – d. Jena, 31 October 1565).

During the siege of Wittenberg, Sibylle protected the city in her husband's absence. To save his wife and sons, and to prevent Wittenberg from being destroyed, John Frederick conceded the Capitulation of Wittenberg, and resigned the government of his country in favour of Maurice of Saxony.

Portrait of Sibylle of Cleves, painted by Lucas Cranach c. 1531

This article incorporates information from the revision as of 4 December 2006 of the equivalent article on the German Wikipedia.