My Lady of Cleves by Margaret Campbell Barnes
Posted By Claire on February 15, 2011
This book review is by Anne Boleyn Files regular visitor, Niki Incorvia – thanks so much, Niki!
My Lady of Cleves by Margaret Campbell Barnes
By Niki A. Incorvia, M.A.
My Lady of Cleves by Margaret Campbell Barnes chronicles the story of King Henry VIII’s fourth wife, Anne of Cleves. Barnes bases descriptions of Anne and events of her time through accounts by individuals who knew and interacted with the Flemish princess. While Anne’s actual physical appearance and character still remain a mystery, there are inaccurate portraits of Anne and testimonies of those at court that were in her company during her short reign as Queen of England. Barnes utilizes this surviving information to provide reliable accounts for this book.
The marriage of Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves was a foreign alliance between England and the Protestant league. Anne was the successor to Henry’s third wife, Jane Seymour, who died shortly after giving birth to Henry’s only surviving son, Edward. Barnes does an exceptional job of detailing Henry’s grief over Jane’s death and his genuine reluctance to mention his second wife, Anne Boleyn, by name. “No one present has the temerity to mention that Anne Boleyn has not been a success or to gall his recent bereavement by referring to the fact that Jane Seymour has died in childbirth.”
Anne of Cleves entered the Tudor family with a sense of longing for personal acceptance and love as these attributes were neglected most of her life. She had lived under the protection of her brother William, a cold and turbulent man, controlling much of Anne’s and her sister Amelia’s lives. Barnes portrays Anne of Cleves as a nurturer, always caring and looking out for others, often before her own happiness, consistent with many historical accounts of her character.
Her life began to change when the court painter, Hans Holbein, was sent to paint her portrait to help Henry select his new queen. This book alludes to a romantic relationship between Holbein and Anne. Barnes tells the story of Anne’s infamous portrait as an example of creative license on Holbein’s part rather than the influence of Thomas Cromwell’s instructions as many historians depict. Holbein is described as painting Anne in her “fair gentleness” as she showed much hospitality and warmth which the painter depicted in the miniatures of her and her sister that were sent back to the King.
According to Barnes, Holbein was immediately attracted to Anne when he first met her; they bonded over their backgrounds, with Holbein being of German descent, and the two shared similar sentiments towards Flemish culture and language. According to this book, Holbein wanted Anne to be chosen by Henry so she could live as Queen of England, which he felt she was destined to be. As the book progresses, Holbein remains a loyal and intimate friend to Anne throughout her public humiliation and rejection, although a physical relationship is never confirmed.
Anne is described as eager to travel to England after being chosen by Henry to be his new queen. Although Barnes does descriptively illustrate Anne’s anxieties over English customs and her hesitation in being able satisfy Henry as his wife, she was well aware of her predecessors’ fates and cautious as to her own future. On arriving at Rochester for her first night in the kingdom of England, Anne was berated by Lady Jane Rochford and the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, both of whom were related to the late Anne Boleyn. In this novel, Lady Rochford and the Duchess of Norfolk are depicted as cruel and manipulative towards the Flemish princess, making fun of her clothes, the color of her hair, and her accent. In one of her conversations with Lady Rochford, Anne says, “And you think the King won’t like me in such bright colors [clothes]? My mother chose them because we’ve always heard he dresses so sumptuously.” Rochford answered cunningly, “It’s not so much the color of your dresses as the color of your hair.” Lady Rochford and the Dowager Duchess give Anne a blonde wig which she wore when she met Henry for the first time, forever cementing his distorted image of her.
Henry is described as having an immediate dissatisfaction with his new bride to be. There is little known as to what Anne of Cleves felt when Henry called her a “Flanders mare.” According to this book, that insult stayed with Anne for the rest of her life damaging her confidence as a woman. She always looked at Henry resentfully for her disgrace and rather awkward status in his kingdom after their divorce.
The novel re-tells the story of Henry’s reign beginning with the search for a fourth wife after Jane Seymour’s death. Anne maintains her relationship with Henry’s daughters after the divorce and often has sympathetic conversations with Henry’s first child with Catherine of Aragon, the Lady Mary. Barnes gives Lady Mary a vivacious personality, speaking openly of her father’s “tempestuous” behavior, bearing her own violent rejection during the rise of Anne Boleyn, and attending the former queen’s execution, all in a cynical tone and with lively wit.
Another interesting dynamic in this book is the budding relationship between Anne and the young Katherine Howard. Upon the immediate mocking and cruelty by Lady Rochford and the Dowager Duchess towards Anne, Katherine Howard, then a lady in waiting to the new Queen, shows compassion and sympathy beyond her years. Barnes also mentions that Katherine admits to Anne she is having an affair with the King’s groomsmen, Thomas Culpepper.
As described in the novel, Henry himself went to notify Anne that he intended to marry Katherine Howard within a week after their divorce. At first, Anne was taken aback by the announcement, but soon reconciled herself to her new status as sister to the king. Later, Anne appreciates her position in the kingdom, thinking herself fortunate to have escaped the fate of her predecessors and later her successor, as Katherine Howard met the same doom as Anne Boleyn. After Katherine’s execution, there was some murmur of Henry remarrying Anne; as the book progresses Henry begins to develop a fondness for his discarded fourth wife, recognizing the compassionate woman she was. Those rumors were promptly put to rest when Henry wed a wealthy, well-read widow, Katherine Parr.
Not knowing much about Anne of Cleves myself, it was interesting to read about the events of Henry VIII’s reign from her point of view. Anne eventually fills an important void in the lives of all the Tudors; she is adored by his children and occasionally acts as Henry’s confidant. This book is well written, easy to read, and provides a fresh insight into the psyche of Henry VIII.
Details
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (Sept 2008)
Pages: 352
ISBN 10: 1402214316
ISBN-13: 978-1402214318
Click here to order from Amazon US or here to order from Amazon UK.
Thanks so much for this review Niki. I’ve been wondering about this book for a while – I’ve never read any historical fiction solely on Anne before – and now I think I may just have to get it!
Bella, you are quite welcome. I had never read a book solely on Anne of Cleves either which is why this piqued my interest. Enjoy!