Anne of Cleves is one of the main protagonists of The Boleyn Inheritance and the fourth wife of King Henry VIII. Though she was only Queen of England for a short time, she is still notable for being one of the only two wives who managed to outlive Henry, as well as the longest-lived of his six wives.
Appearance[]
In The Boleyn Inheritance, Anne of Cleves was initially described to be a somewhat plain, pale, yet still sweet-looking young woman: thick and shiny golden hair, a pleasant honest face, beautiful eyes that were complimented by even Jane Boleyn and Katherine Howard, and a fine complexion. However, her anxiety over being King Henry's fourth wife and her initial difficulty in adapting to English fashions made her awkward and unattractive in the eyes of the court, especially her husband.
After her divorce, due to her "taking the freedom to remake herself", Anne blossomed into a charming, graceful, and fashionable beauty. Her elegant yet unpretentious grace, in particular, was noted by everyone, even the vain Katherine Howard, who actually felt insecure because of it.
In The Taming of the Queen, Anne was also described to be still a beautiful woman who drew male admiration - "fair-haired, dark-eyed, with a calm untroubled smile".