Anne of Cleves was Henry's fourth wife. She was a member of the German royal house of Cleves, and married Henry for political reasons. The marriage, which took place in the year 1540, lasted for only a few months.
Anne was a moderately attractive German princess in her mid-twenties when she came to England. She was reportedly kind, generous and intelligent. She was not, however, musically or artistically gifted, or highly educated beyond the domestic arts.
King Henry chose to marry Anne of Cleves sight unseen. He did see her portrait, which he liked. When Anne arrived in England, Henry was disappointed in his bride's physical attributes, and the marriage was never consummated. For reasons of state, he went ahead with the marriage, but was soon looking for a way out of the union. This was tricky, as Henry did not want to alienate the German states. Anne, however, was agreeable to a divorce. She wasn't particularly thrilled with the marriage herself.
Henry was delighted that Anne was so agreeable in this matter. To show his appreciation, and to keep the German alliance in place, he let Anne stay in England, and supported her in grand style. He even made her his honorary "sister". Everyone was happy with the arrangement, and Anne lived a content life on her country estate.
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