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My Lady of Cleves: A Novel of Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves

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My Lady of Cleves covers the life of Anne of Cleves from right before her marriage to Henry VIII until his death in 1547. The story opens with an agitated King Henry VIII, talking with his ministers about his need for a new wife after the death of his third wife, Jane Seymour in childbed. Among the candidates are the Duchess of Milan and the Cleves Princesses. The Duchess of Milan has already replied with "Only if I had two heads"! Smart girl!

Hans Holbein is sent to Cleves to paint both Anne and her sister, Amelia. Once there he becomes quite smitten with Anne and they begin a friendship. He paints a flattering picture of her because that is the way he sees her. Unfortunately, Henry does not see the same way and is almost instantly put off by Anne's looks and hard mannerisms. Henry likes the petite type (go figure!).

We follow Anne through her short marriage to Henry, her annulment, "retirement" to Richmond Palace, Henry's next marriage to Katherine Howard and her eventual downfall. Anne even plays a part in the infamous scene where Katherine is desperate to talk to Henry and goes screaming for him through the halls of the Palace.

Anne seems to resign herself to her fate; after all she still has her head! She genuinely enjoys the life of a Princess of England; she can come and go as she pleases and has no husband or man to answer to. In seeing the freedom that Anne as a "woman" had, that had to have been a big impact on Elizabeth I, who always said she would never have a master.

My Lady of Cleves was an interesting look into a woman that survived marriage to Henry VIII. Anne is very likeable and I think she would have made a wonderful Queen, had she been given the chance. I wish the story was longer and covered the time during Mary's rule as Queen - I would have liked to have heard Anne's thoughts on "Bloody Mary".

Margaret Campbell Barnes is also the author of Brief, Gaudy Hour, a novel on Anne Boleyn.

Note: Anne of Cleves died at Hever Castle on July 16, 1557. She lived 10 years past Henry. Her tomb is in a "hard to find place" in Westminster Abbey.

Anne of Cleves is often remembered as the least interesting of Henry VIII's six wives, repudiated for her lack of beauty, passively accepting a spinster's life. Personally, I've always liked her, ever since reading Anne Merton Abbey's _Kathryn_ in my teen years (if you can find it, buy it!). In that book, Anne was cleverer than she seemed, playing along with Henry's wishes in order to gain her freedom and a life on her own terms. And in this novel, I have found another such reading of her.

Anne, in this book, is a shy German lady, brought up in austerity, unused to dancing and flashy dresses. It is her lack of what Henry thinks of as "culture", not her actual looks, that turn him off. He sees her as awkward and prim, and besides, he has already fallen in heat with Anne's cute teenage lady-in-waiting, Catherine Howard. The author's treatment of Catherine is another delight. ... Catherine is a naive adolescent, maneuvered into the King's path by her scheming relatives, then abandoned by those relatives when she was no longer in favor. Her affair with Culpepper is touching, and the unlikely friendship that grows between her and Anne is even more so. We may never know exactly what sort of women Anne and Catherine really were, but one can dream that Barnes's wonderful characters were close to the truth.

Anne outlives Catherine, Henry, and the painter Holbein, with whom she has a fascinating platonic romance, and in the end finds herself more loved than she had ever imagined. Barnes has done a great job of fleshing out this obscure lady and bringing her to life.

After the death of Jane Seymour, Henry VIII was convinced by his advisors to seek another wife. Edward's health was precarious and a second son would be of great benefit to stability within England. Hoping to secure the Protestant faith's footing in England, Lord Chancellor Thomas Cromwell suggested an alliance with the Duchy of Cleves, a Lutheran stronghold. Henry provisionally agreed and commissioned court painter Hans Holbein to paint miniatures of both Anne and Amelia, the princesses of Cleves. Amelia was on the surface the more attractive sister, but Holbien saw Anne's inner beauty and captured this in her portrait, in turn capturing the King's eye.

Unfortunately for Anne's happiness, she was not the King's preferred version of beauty, being neither petite nor slender. Her height, large-boned frame and buxomness prompted the King to refer to her as a "Flanders mare." She possessed few of the accomplishments common for women of the Tudor court, being more adept at managing a royal household. While they were duly married and Anne quickly won the heart of the people, the King's eye had already strayed to young Katherine Howard.

Anne of Cleves is rare not only for surviving her marriage to King Henry VIII, being one of only two of his wives to outlive him-but for speaking her mind to him. Heeding the counsel of her advisors, she agreed to an annulment on the grounds of non-consummation and in return gained her own household and continued access to Princesses Mary and Elizabeth and Prince Edward, his children by his previous three wives. In My Lady of Cleves, Barnes tells the story of an unusual woman who discovers herself and finds true freedom only by giving up everything and holding herself apart from the politics consuming his court.

What is intriguing about this novel is the fascinating portrait of Princess Mary. Unlike many novels of the Tudor court which show her as a bitter and unhappy woman, Mary is here portrayed with a nurturing and mothering nature toward Edward and warm emotions toward Anne.

Armchair Interviews says: Originally published in 1946, My Lady of Cleves stands the test of time, introducing Henry VIII's enigmatic fourth wife to a new generation of readers.

After I read this author's terrific book on Anne Boleyn, "Brief Gaudy Hour", I knew that I would read more by this excellent author. I was delighted to discover that she had also written a book about another woman who had married King Henry VIII, Anne of Cleves, wife number four. I was fortunate enough to have been able to find a copy of this long out of print book, and I was not disappointed.

This is a wonderful work of historical fiction of one of the lesser known wives of King Henry VIII, Anne of Cleves, who was a young Flemish princess of the Duchy of Cleves. When Jane Seymour, wife number three, died shortly after giving birth to the future King Edward VI of England, counselors to King Henry VIII urged him to marry again for reasons of state. As this vain monarch was by this time a bit of a hard sell, given the fact that his first three wives had died unhappy deaths and he was no longer young, fit and handsome, pickings were slim. His Lord Chancellor, Thomas Cromwell, urged upon him an alliance of political expediency between Cleves and England, in hopes of buttressing England's new found Protestantism, as Cleves was a Lutheran stronghold.

King Henry VIII provisionally agreed, provided that one of the two princesses of Cleves, Anne or Amelia, was to his liking. So, he commissioned renowned court painter, Hans Holbein, to go to Cleves and paint miniatures of these two princesses of Cleves. When Han Holbein arrived in Cleves, he painted miniature portraits of both Anne and Amelia. While Amelia was the more superficially attractive one, Hans Holbein saw something in Anne that transcended physical beauty, and, being the artist that he was, his vision transposed itself onto the miniature portrait that he painted of Anne, creating a portrait of exquisite sweetness. When King Henry VIII saw it, there was no question but that Anne of Cleves would be his fourth wife.

Unfortunately, when they met, Anne did not live up to his expectations, referring to her in pejorative terms as a great "Flanders mare". Anne was on the tall side, a large-boned and buxom woman, while King Henry VIII had a penchant for petite, slender women. Moreover, coming from a strict Lutheran duchy, Anne had none of the expected accomplishments that were de rigueur for the Tudor Court. Anne could not sing, dance, or play a musical instrument, nor was she particularly well educated in scholarly pursuits. Her education had been of a more pedestrian nature and geared to more housewifely pursuits such as the running of a household.

Consequently, Henry and Anne were like oil and vinegar, never really able to come together as one. From then on, Anne's life as Queen of England was to be one of humiliation. Henry made no secret of his dissatisfaction and worked to disengage himself from this marriage, as he liked her not. Although Henry looked to cast Anne aside and had already set his sights on wife number five, the beautiful teenager, Catherine Howard, who was one of Anne's own ladies-in-waiting, Anne continued about her business with dignity. Henry's children loved her, as did many who would come in contact with her, as she had none of the affectations or grasping and jaded behavior associated with those who populated the Tudor Court. She was a straightforward, intelligent, and kindly woman who was not given to being anything other than what she was.

When the issue of divorce reared its ugly head, Anne, ever practical, reluctantly agreed and in return received several estates and palaces, a handsome pension, and the dubious distinction of ever more being known as the King's sister, taking precedence over all except for the King and the King's children, and any future Queen. She would go on to live her own life. Of course, the author gives this story a fresh spin, weaving in a secret attachment that Anne of Cleves and Han Holbein shared for each other. It is this deep and abiding platonic love that would sustain Anne through her deepest and darkest hours in England. The author also gives an eye-opening twist on the post-divorce relationship of Anne and Henry.

This is simply yet another terrific work of historical fiction by this author. She expertly weaves a colorful tapestry of fact and fiction against the backdrop of the splendor of the magnificent Tudor Court, creating a three dimensional story around some of the most interesting personages in history. This book takes the reader on a spellbinding journey through the life of Anne of Cleves. It continues her story through two more wives, Catherine Howard and Katherine Parr, and the death of King Henry VIII, whom Anne herself would outlive by about ten years. This is a book that will thoroughly engage and entertain the reader. It is of particular interest since there is a paucity of books on the story of Anne of Cleves. Bravo!

My Lady of Cleves was published in 1946; it contains a dedication to "the women who lost the men they loved in the fight for freedom." For a sixty-year-old historical novel, it's held up remarkably well. Barnes's prose is uncluttered and easy to read, nothing purple or fusty about it.

Barnes's characterization of Anne of Cleves is interesting and refreshing. Though there doesn't seem to be much reason, historically, to take Henry VIII at his word in describing her as a "Flanders mare," she's often treated as such by novelists. Here, Anne is attractive, though not in the style that appeals to Henry, and she's even given romantic yearnings for none other than Hans Holbein. How accurate this is I have no idea, but as the relationship isn't depicted as having an effect on history or as giving rise to any offspring, I can live with it. Anne's a capable woman who longs for children of her own and who satisfies her maternal instincts by mothering Henry's brood. At the same time, she's no saint; her motives aren't always pure and her actions sometimes impulsive.

My Lady of Cleves is an appealing story of a woman who makes the best of a bad situation. Pick a copy up if you're a fan of Henry VIII and his womenfolk.

Lately, there has been a feeding frenzy in the publishing and video world on that most infamous of kings, Henry VIII of England. There are miniseries and movies, and publishing houses are eagerly digging into their backlists and resurrecting novels that have anything to do with the Tudors and bringing them back into the hands of eager readers.

One of the better forays has been the novels of the late Margaret Campbell Barnes, who wrote quite a few historical novels based on English monarchy. Quite possibly her best one was this, My Lady of Cleves, centered around the life of the woman who was probably the luckiest of Henry's wives, and who managed to escape him reasonably unscathed.

The novel opens after the death of Queen Jane Seymour, who has died giving birth to the son that Henry VIII so desperately craves. Now his councilors are suggesting that he marry, this time to a foreign princess who will bring a powerful alliance with a continental power. But the king isn't so certain, he wants a biddable, buxom Englishwoman for a wife, and bluntly says so. But his chief minister, Thomas Cromwell, is pushing for one of the princesses of a little duchy in the Netherlands, called Cleves. There are two sisters, but no one can really remember if they are attractive enough or not. To solve this problem, the court painter, Hans Holbein is sent on a tour of Europe, as it were, to paint the likenesses of several candidates for Henry's next wife. When Holbein arrives in Cleves, he discovers an affinity with the elder of the two girls, Anne.

Compared to her vivacious sister, Amelia, Anne is nearly unnoticeable. She is more interested in making sure that the ducal household is running smoothly, than in having any sort of the courtly arts that Henry VIII enjoys so much. She finds in the artist someone that she can talk to frankly and honestly. After Holbein sends the completed portraits to England, it is Anne who is chosen to be Henry's bride.

For Anne, she is continually worried about thoughts that she is not nearly good enough to be Henry's queen. Her clothing is dowdy and too German, she doesn't have any musical skills, nor can she dance and flirt. Her English ladies in waiting seem to be quietly laughing at her, and then there's the fact that her skill at speaking English is still very weak. To top it all off, the king seems to be very unhappy with her, but no one will tell her why. Still, she manages to behave with plenty of regal style, bearing her suffering with stoicism and dignity.

And she does make friends. One of them is a young lady-in-waiting, Catherine Howard, a pert, lively girl that Anne likes. And a young man named Thomas Culpepper, who is attracted to Catherine, but never seems to make a move to make her his own. As to Anne's marriage, it only lasts six months, and Anne is terrified that she'll either end up on the executioner's scaffold, or sent back to Cleves in disgrace...

History shows that Anne made the best of a bad situation by quickly agreeing to Henry's demands when he wanted to annul their marriage. For her reward, she received several homes, and a generous stipend, along with the title of 'The King's Sister.' What makes Barnes' novel so interesting is that she continues the story after Anne ceases being a queen -- we get to see the unhappy story of Catherine Howard played out, Hans Holbein's career in England, and some terrific insights into the life of the Tudor court in the latter portion of Henry VIII's reign.

The storytelling is smart, believable and moves at a steady pace throughout. Everyone in this novel is played out as a sympathetic character, each having their own motivations to play out. What I really did like was that all of the characters are given not just motivations, but purposes, some tragic, some happy, and Anne herself is a very likeable person, working at making her life in England a success, and managing to be that rarity -- a queen of Henry's that perhaps had the happiest fate of all. She was a favourite of all three of Henry's children, providing a safe, accepting environment that simply let them be children.

Despite being published in 1946, this is a very readable work and didn't feel at all dated in style. This new edition has a list of reader group questions, written by Barnes great-granddaughter, Elizabeth R. Blaufox. The trade paperback edition is rather handsome and includes a genealogy chart showing the links between the Tudor and Howard families.

Margaret Campbell Barnes was born in 1891 to 1962. She wrote nearly a dozen historical novels, all of which sold well. I first encountered her novels as teenager and enjoyed them immensely, and I hope that more of her work will be reprinted in the future.

I remember really loving this book as a kid, along with "Brief Gaudy Hour," so grabbed both as soon as they were re-released. On revisiting it years later, I found "My Lady of Cleves" to be a lovely and undemanding read. The characterisation of Anne as a resourceful, intelligent, charming woman is a refreshing change from the stolid, unwashed "Flanders Mare" myth that surfaces too often in fiction. Her romance with Hans Holbein is beautifully drawn.

It is, however, obviously dated, with some anachronisms and inaccuracies: for example, references to John Dudley as Duke of Northumberland more than ten years before he actually was; Culpeper and Katherine Howard appear a bit too idealised; and Anne's interaction with Henry's children came across as a bit over-familiar and very 20th century. It was also a bit hard to get past the notion of Henry VIII randomly turning up to Richmond for a taste of Anne's home cooking and a tour of the kitchens post-divorce! That said, it was pleasing to see Henry portrayed as human, rather than a tyrannical Bluebeard type.

Overall, an engaging and well-crafted novel about this often overlooked Queen. 3.5 stars

I didn't know much about Anne of Cleves going into My Lady of Cleves. I know the "gossip" - that she was ugly, fat, and that she smelled. And I have read Philippa Gregory's The Boleyn Inheritance, which included a section on Anne of Cleves. When Danielle at Sourcebooks, Inc. asked if I would be interested in reviewing this novel, I jumped at the chance. I was really interested in learning more about Anne of Cleves.

One thing I didn't realize is that the book is a republished novel - it was originally published in 1946. On one hand, this didn't surprise me, knowing that Sourcebooks, Inc. is responsible for republishing Georgette Heyer's novels. But on the other hand, there was nothing in the book to indicate that it was written over 60 years ago. I believe that this is a testament to the quality of the writing and the immersive nature of the story.

I found the novel ultimately captivating. I appreciated the portrayal of Anne of Cleves as an intelligent and resourceful woman who picks her battles very carefully. She was very honest with herself and recognized her strengths and failures clearly. I enjoyed reading about how she used her major talent to her own advantage: the ability to run a home. I also liked the way that Henry was portrayed. At the beginning, he is indeed the boorish monster that Anne sees, but slowly, the reader begins to see another side of him; while he cannot truly redeem himself, it is a softer portrait of his later years than readers usually receive.

In terms of historical accuracy, I am aware that the basic events of Anne's life are portrayed as accurate. But towards the end of the book, certain events take place that Anne plays a part in. I wonder if her presence is fact, or if it is creatively interpreted by the author. (My inclination is towards the latter).

Barnes took great pain to ensure that her physical descriptions of Anne were correct: she based it on actual comments made about Anne by historical figures. She was not fat, or necessarily ugly; in fact, according to Barnes, her portrait is the most attractive of any of Henry's wives (by modern standards, of course). It definitely leads the reader to wonder what Anne was really like.

I really liked My Lady of Cleves; it was well-written, fast-paced and very enjoyable. I would recommend it to any fans of historical fiction; it is well worth reading this novel on an underappreciated queen.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

After I read this author's terrific book on Anne Boleyn, "Brief Gaudy Hour", I knew that I would read more by this excellent author. I was delighted to discover that she had also written a book about another woman who had married King Henry VIII, Anne of Cleves, wife number four. I was fortunate enough to have been able to find a copy of this long out of print book, and I was not disappointed.

This is a wonderful work of historical fiction of one of the lesser known wives of King Henry VIII, Anne of Cleves, who was a young Flemish princess of the Duchy of Cleves. When Jane Seymour, wife number three, died shortly after giving birth to the future King Edward VI of England, counselors to King Henry VIII urged him to marry again for reasons of state. As this vain monarch was by this time a bit of a hard sell, given the fact that his first three wives had died unhappy deaths and he was no longer young, fit and handsome, pickings were slim. His Lord Chancellor, Thomas Cromwell, urged upon him an alliance of political expediency between Cleves and England, in hopes of buttressing England's new found Protestantism, as Cleves was a Lutheran stronghold.

King Henry VIII provisionally agreed, provided that one of the two princesses of Cleves, Anne or Amelia, was to his liking. So, he commissioned renowned court painter, Hans Holbein, to go to Cleves and paint miniatures of these two princesses of Cleves. When Han Holbein arrived in Cleves, he painted miniature portraits of both Anne and Amelia. While Amelia was the more superficially attractive one, Hans Holbein saw something in Anne that transcended physical beauty, and, being the artist that he was, his vision transposed itself onto the miniature portrait that he painted of Anne, creating a portrait of exquisite sweetness. When King Henry VIII saw it, there was no question but that Anne of Cleves would be his fourth wife.

Unfortunately, when they met, Anne did not live up to his expectations, referring to her in pejorative terms as a great "Flanders mare". Anne was on the tall side, a large-boned and buxom woman, while King Henry VIII had a penchant for petite, slender women. Moreover, coming from a strict Lutheran duchy, Anne had none of the expected accomplishments that were de rigueur for the Tudor Court. Anne could not sing, dance, or play a musical instrument, nor was she particularly well educated in scholarly pursuits. Her education had been of a more pedestrian nature and geared to more housewifely pursuits such as the running of a household.

Consequently, Henry and Anne were like oil and vinegar, never really able to come together as one. From then on, Anne's life as Queen of England was to be one of humiliation. Henry made no secret of his dissatisfaction and worked to disengage himself from this marriage, as he liked her not. Although Henry looked to cast Anne aside and had already set his sights on wife number five, the beautiful teenager, Catherine Howard, who was one of Anne's own ladies-in-waiting, Anne continued about her business with dignity. Henry's children loved her, as did many who would come in contact with her, as she had none of the affectations or grasping and jaded behavior associated with those who populated the Tudor Court. She was a straightforward, intelligent, and kindly woman who was not given to being anything other than what she was.

When the issue of divorce reared its ugly head, Anne, ever practical, reluctantly agreed and in return received several estates and palaces, a handsome pension, and the dubious distinction of ever more being known as the King's sister, taking precedence over all except for the King and the King's children, and any future Queen. She would go on to live her own life. Of course, the author gives this story a fresh spin, weaving in a secret attachment that Anne of Cleves and Han Holbein shared for each other. It is this deep and abiding platonic love that would sustain Anne through her deepest and darkest hours in England. The author also gives an eye-opening twist on the post-divorce relationship of Anne and Henry.

This is simply yet another terrific work of historical fiction by this author. She expertly weaves a colorful tapestry of fact and fiction against the backdrop of the splendor of the magnificent Tudor Court, creating a three dimensional story around some of the most interesting personages in history. This book takes the reader on a spellbinding journey through the life of Anne of Cleves. It continues her story through two more wives, Catherine Howard and Katherine Parr, and the death of King Henry VIII, whom Anne herself would outlive by about ten years. This is a book that will thoroughly engage and entertain the reader. It is of particular interest since there is a paucity of books on the story of Anne of Cleves. Bravo!

Anne of Cleves has always been my favorite of Henry VIII's wives. She may not have the sultry, raw sex appeal of Anne Boleyn, or the quiet obedience of Jane Seymour, nor does she have the youthful vitality of little Katherine Howard, but she was still an amazing woman in her own right. Anna of Cleves was plucked from her homeland, and thrust into the court of the most notorious monarch in English history, and she didn't even speak his language. She was an incredibly smart and generous woman who learned all she needed to get by rather quickly so as to please her soon-to-be husband, yet Henry cast her off based on their first unsuccessful meeting...a meeting in which he caught her COMPLETELY off guard, and put her at a huge disadvantage.

While this book does have it's slow moments, it was a great read nonetheless. Anne of Cleves won the hearts of not only England, but MANY of the courtiers of the day. Everyone but Henry seemed to notice what a rare jewel she was, and what a perfect Queen she made for England, yet by the time Henry came to appreciate her, it was too late. He's already made a huge mess of things and would have looked like a fool taking her back and admitting he'd made a mistake. I really liked the outlook Ms. Barnes gave on Anne's life. It never would have occured to me to suggest a love interest between Anne and Hans Holbein (the painter sent to Cleves to paint her for Henry), but once I read it, it made perfect sense, even though there's nothing in history to suggest such a relationship took place.

Overall, if you're interested in reading this, I absolutely recommend it. In so many Tudor novels, Anne tends to get passed over rather quickly since she was married to Henry for such a short time, but what people don't realize is, she had a life after Henry! She lived as 'His Majesty's Sister' for seven years after their annulment, and she lived for another 10 years after Henry died in 1547. She never had children of her own, but she took in orphans and loved Mary and Elizabeth, Henry's daughters, as though they were her own. She was completely selfless, and cared so much for the welfare of others...from the richest to the poorest, it didn't matter to her. It's such a shame Henry didn't give her time to make her mark as Queen of Englend because she would have done a supurb job if given half a chance.