Book Review: My Lady Of Cleves by Margaret Campbell Barnes

Written by world-reknowned historical novelist Margaret Campbell Barnes, My Lady of Cleves gives readers an intimate portrait of the warm, unpretentious princess who never expected to become Queen of England. Knowing the king's ravenous desire for a son, and aware of the disastrous consequences of not bearing an heir, Anne of Cleves bravely took on the duty of weathering the Tudor King's temper, whims, arrogance, and irresponsible passions--and won the hearts of his subjects in the process.

A treat for readers of Tudor fiction and those fascinated by the complex relationships of Henry VIII and his wives, My Lady of Cleves leads readers into a world of high drama and courtly elegance.

My Review:
I actually have the different older styled cover on a mass market paperback version of the book which doesn't fit with the rest of the modern cover larger size paperbacks of her other books which I have. So now I've read and liked this, I'm buying this version to fit on my shelves better!

Anna lives with her family on their estate, the middle daughter, helping her brother to run things and doing everything she can to help the people of the area, making her very popular. Attention has mainly been on her prettier sisters so when Cromwell persuades Henry VIII to take a Cleves bride for political reasons, everyone expects Amelia to be chosen. Henry sends trusted Court painter Hans Holbein to do portaits of the sisters and an unexpected meeting with Anna convinces Hans that she would be the better choice than her vain giddy sister, and does a portrait designed to win her the prize. However, once in England, factions opposed to this political marriage are determined to put an end to it and Anna finds herself as a discarded and unwanted bride.

I loved the portrayal of Anne of Cleves in this book. She is presented as a happy and cheerful young woman, happy to help run the estate and look after the people. She is without vanity or ambition, aware that she lacks beauty and content at the prospect of a good marriage and children, and the chance to run her own estate if she has to leave her family behind. Being suddenly chosen to be Henry's next Queen is a bit of a shock and she is determined to rise to the challenge and be a good wife, mother and Queen. In spite of all the cruelty the Court inflicts on her, she faces it all with dignity and a smile, trying everything she can to change Henry's mind about her yet being sensible enough to accept when it is over and accept a good divorce deal. Without the stress of being married to Henry, Anne embraces her popularity at Court and her freedom, while lamenting the loss of being able to marry and have children. She is a good person and I felt sorry for her throughout the book.

Henry falls in love with the flattering portrait by Holbein and rushes to meet Anne when she arrives in England, taking her by surprise. This novel has the Duchess of Norfolk and Lady Rochford ensuring that Anne looks her very worst for the meeting with Henry which happens a day earlier than she expects. Being taken by surprise, Anne is flustered and forgets her charm and humour, not impressing Henry at all and he rages at Cromwell to get him out of the betrothal. Henry and those around him all find that they like Anne as a person but Henry is not attracted to her and wants to marry Katherine Howard instead so a divorce must be found. I found the various aspects of Henry's relationship with Anne interesting-the cold indifference, the grudging respect and the way he starts to see the great qualities that Holbein did but only after it was too late for things to work between them. I loved seeing these complex aspects written about in detail and I enjoyed all the twists and turns.

The other interesting aspect of the book is having Anne and Holbein feeling a shared attraction throughout the book but it is never able to progress beyond words due to circumstances. Anne shares her thoughts and fears with Holbein who tries to guide her through all the problems of Court, trying to translate for her and warn her about Court politics. He seems to really care for her and there is an opportunity for them to sleep together in Calais but it does not happen because Anne is on her way to marry Henry. They keep a close friendship and at times is the one bright spot in her life. But are they doomed to forever have circumstances keep them apart? I liked seeing more of the much loved Holbein who is often mentioned in Tudor novels but never takes a starring role. It was fun to have him as a main character for once.

I also enjoyed seeing the relationships that Anne cultivated with others at Court. Her discussions with Cranmer were interesting as he tries to advise her on winning Henry back from Katherine in order to save his friend Cromwell from execution, as well as ensure her own future. I liked the friendship that Anne has with Katherine despite the younger girl 'stealing' her husband. This book explores Anne knowing that Katherine is cheating on Henry with Thomas Culpepper and finding herself getting involved in the deception. This was another interesting plot choice and I enjoyed seeing how it all developed. Thomas confides in Anne who is alarmed at what will happen if Henry finds out and feels sympathy for the young lovers unable to be together because of the ambition of the Duke of Norfolk. Anne is a character that others feel comfortable confiding in so there are lots of interesting conversations.

The book also covers the relationships that Anne has with Henry's children and the realisation that with the terms of the divorce, she will never have her own kids. Being close to the Catholic Mary is a challenge because of religious differences but Anne has real empathy for everything Mary has suffered. Her relationship with Elizabeth is also close, trying to be a substitute mother to the young girl. 

When I was first told about the Tudor books written by authors in the forties and fifties, I figured they would be dull and over-descriptive. However, instead I found that both Jean Plaidy and Margaret Campbell Barnes are great at writing characters you care about and really making the reader feel that they are there at the Tudor Court. Barnes takes the lesser known characters from the Tudor world and brings them to the fore, and gives a whole new look at the ones we know well. She really brings the Court to life. I've enjoyed all the books of hers that I've read and look forward to reading the rest.

Read August 2019.
4 stars.