When we think about the wives of Henry VIII, we often think about the ones who made an impact. Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Catherine Howard, and Kathryn Parr all left their own distinguished marks on the Tudor court. But there was one more bride of Henry VIII who didn’t make the greatest first impression, yet she is the one who outlived Henry VIII and the other brides. She was a foreign princess whose marriage did not work out, but was able to create a life for herself in England. Her name was Anne of Cleves, and her story is told in the biography, “Anne of Cleves: Henry VIII’s Discarded Bride” by Elizabeth Norton.

I have enjoyed learning about Anne of Cleves ever since I read Heather R. Darsie’s debut book about her, “Anna, Duchess of Cleves: The King’s Beloved Sister,”  a few years ago. When I heard that Elizabeth Norton had written a biography about Anne of Cleves, I was excited to see what new information she would provide.

Anne of Cleves was the daughter of John III, Duke of Cleves, and Maria of Juliers. Before she was destined to be the wife of King Henry VIII, she was briefly engaged to Francis I, Duke of Lorraine, to align Lorraine with Cleves for the Schmalkaldic League, but the marriage alliance did not pan out. Meanwhile in England, Henry VIII was mourning the death of Jane Seymour, who gave him his long-sought-after male heir in the future Edward VI. His councillors believed that he needed to marry again, so the search began for a new bride. Unfortunately, every other eligible bride pick chose to reject him completely, so they had no other choice but to select a bride from Cleves, which was Anne. Norton goes into great detail about Anne’s trip to England, her first meeting with Henry VIII, their brief marriage, and the annulment, which happened in quick succession. Finally, we get to see what happened to Anne of Cleves during the reigns of Edward VI and Mary I, until she died in 1557.

I enjoyed this bite-sized biography of  Anne of Cleves. It was very informative, and Norton’s writing style is easy to follow. If you want to read a very good biography about Henry VIII’s fourth wife, I recommend you read “Anne of Cleves: Henry VIII’s Discarded Bride” by Elizabeth Norton.