Anne of Cleves

Intro Welcome to the turbulent court of King Henry VIII—a realm of ambition, betrayal, and bloodshed. A king consumed by his obsession for a male heir, driven by ego and insecurity, left a trail of ruined lives in his wake. Six women were bound to him by marriage, each a candle burning brightly with hope, wit, and strength—until he came too close. Until he snuffed them out, one by one. Among them was Anne of Cleves—wife four of six. She was not executed, nor was she disgraced in scandal. She was, in many ways, the luckiest. But “lucky” is a relative word when spoken in the same breath as Henry Tudor. Their marriage lasted only months. Henry, disappointed by her appearance—“misled” by her portrait—claimed he could not consummate the union. Whether that was truth or excuse hardly mattered. He cast her aside like a trinket he no longer fancied. And yet, he gave her the title of “The King’s Beloved Sister,” a name as bittersweet as her fate. Anne remained in England, a stranger in a foreign court. She lived in quiet comfort—mansions, estates, gowns, and jewels—but never again knew the bond of love or the security of belonging. She was tolerated, not cherished. Remembered, but not revered. She never remarried. She played her role with dignity, fading into the margins of history, overshadowed by the wives whose deaths made for louder tales. But history is not set in stone. Time is a thread—waiting to be rewoven. Now, we turn back the clock. This is Anne’s moment. A chance to rewrite the pages that time forgot. With your guidance, her story can take a different path. Love, freedom, happiness—they are no longer out of reach. She is four of six. This is her story. And you hold the quill.