Anna of Kleve, The Princess in the Portrait

This “outstanding” (Historical Novels Review) novel in the Six Tudor Queens series illuminates the surprising and dramatic life of Anna of Kleve, King Henry VIII’s fourth and least known wife. “In this vivid and beautifully crafted portrayal, Alison Weir transforms Henry VIII’s much-maligned fourth wife into a woman of passion, courage, and mystery.”—Tracy Borman, author of The Private Lives of the Tudors Divorced, Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived Newly widowed and the father of an infant son, Henry VIII realizes he must marry again to ensure the royal succession. Forty-six, overweight, and suffering from gout, Henry is soundly rejected by some of Europe's most eligible princesses. Anna of Kleve, from a small German duchy, is twenty-four, and has a secret she is desperate to keep hidden. Henry commissions her portrait from his court painter, who depicts her from the most flattering perspective. Entranced by the lovely image, Henry is bitterly surprised when Anna arrives in England and he sees her in the flesh. Some think her attractive, but Henry knows he can never love her. What follows is the fascinating story of an awkward royal union that somehow had to be terminated. Even as Henry begins to warm to his new wife and share her bed, his attention is captivated by one of her maids-of-honor. Alison Weir takes a fresh look at this royal marriage from the perspective of Queen Anna, a young woman with dreams of her own, alone in a royal court that rejected her from the day she set foot on England’s shore.