Anne of Cleves: Fourth Wife of Henry VIII

Many possible brides were hesitant to marry Henry VIII, a man notorious for his treatment of previous wives. Because no woman emerged as the obvious choice, Thomas Cromwell's assessment of the religious and political pressures of the late 1530s led him to suggest one of the two daughters of the safely Protestant Duke of Cleves as a prospective bride. Anne was chosen, largely on the basis of her portrait, and traveled quickly to England to be Henry's new queen. The marriage, like Henry's others, was not a success and after a brief reign of just six months, Anne was 'a queen unqueened'. However she was still alive, divorced and wealthy and, unlike other portraits, this book covers her many succeeding years of independence. This is the fascinating story of one of the most powerful women in 16th Century Europe, and also an intriguing portrait of a loveless marriage.