This follows the death of Jane Seymour after childbirth.
Episode 5 continues this by detailing the oddities inthe courtship between Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves.
This is a slight comedown fromWolf Hallsprevious episode which hadCromwell haunted by Anne Boleyns death.
This is their historical marriage explained.
Having an heir and a spare was common practice at a time with a high infant mortality rate.
However, it was not just this that drove Henry to marry again he needed allies.
Anne was the daughter of a prominent German duke William, Duke of Julich-Cleves-Berge (perEnglish Heritage).
He was an influential nobleman with lands north of Dusseldorf.
Germany would have been a prudent ally choice at the time.
Wolf Hall is a historical drama series starring Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell. Set in the early 16th century, it chronicles Cromwell’s rise to power in the court of King Henry VIII, played by Damian Lewis. The series is an adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s novels “Wolf Hall” and “Bring Up the Bodies,” depicting the political maneuvers and personal drama of the Tudor era.
However, Henry was too impatient to wait that long.
Henry, having a traditional view of monarchy, played into courtly love traditions often… For example, Arthurian myths featured disguises as part of their chivalric romance, which Henry always idolized.
The Tudor period saw a major revival of these sensibilities (On the Tudor Trail).
This added to Henrys embarrassment, since he was trying to inject some charm into their diplomatic arrangement.
In addition, he found her body undesirable.
He summed up his opinion of Anne withI like her not.
However, it is unlikely that he was rude to her face.
Anne described him as a kind husband.
According toTudor Times,Anne of Cleves accepted the news of her and Henrys annulmentwithout alteration of countenance.
She said in a dictated letter that she was comforted by Henrys intent to treat her like a sister.
Compared to Henrys other wives,Wolf Halls Anne of Cleves had a good lot in the end.
Herpatience under afflictionwas admired by her contemporaries.
