Anna of Kleve, The Princess in the Portrait

by Alison Weir Narrated by Rosalyn Landor

Overview

The surprising and dramatic life of the least known of King Henry VIII's wives is illuminated in the fourth volume in the Six Tudor Queens series-for fans of Philippa Gregory, Hilary Mantel, and The Crown. Newly widowed and the father of an infant son, Henry VIII realizes he must marry again to ensure the royal succession. Forty-six, overweight, and suffering from gout, Henry is soundly rejected by some of Europe's most eligible princesses. Anna of Kleve, from a small German duchy, is twenty-four, and has a secret she is desperate to keep hidden. Henry requests her portrait from his court painter, who portrays her from the most flattering perspective. Henry is entranced by the lovely image, only to be bitterly surprised when Anna arrives in England and he sees her in the flesh. Some think her attractive, but Henry knows he can never love her. What follows is the fascinating story of an awkward royal union that had somehow to be terminated. Even as Henry begins to warm to his new wife and share her bed, his attention is captivated by one of her maids-of-honor. Will he accuse Anna of adultery as he did Queen Anne Boleyn, and send her to the scaffold? Or will he divorce her and send her home in disgrace? Alison Weir takes a fresh and astonishing look at this remarkable royal marriage by describing it from the point of view of Queen Anna, a young woman with hopes and dreams of her own, alone and fearing for her life in a royal court that rejected her almost from the day she set foot on England's shore.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Praise for Jane Seymour, The Haunted Queen

“Bestselling [Alison] Weir’s impressive novel shows why Jane deserves renewed attention. Without any dull moments, Weir illustrates Jane’s unlikely journey from country knight’s daughter to queen of England. . . . From the richly appointed decor to the religious tenor of the time, the historical ambience is first-rate. With her standout novel in the crowded Tudor-fiction field, Weir keeps the tension high, breathing new life into a familiar tale and making us wish for a different ending.”—Booklist (starred review)

“A sumptuous historical novel anchored by its excellent depiction of Jane Seymour, Henry VIII’s third queen. . . . A must for all fans of Tudor fiction and history.”—Publishers Weekly

“Highly recommended for fans of the period . . . As with the earlier novels in the Six Tudor Queens series . . . Weir focuses tightly on the sole perspective of her protagonist, thereby finding enough relatively fresh territory to keep even die-hard Tudor buffs interested. A fascinating afterword sheds light on Weir’s departures from the confirmed historical record and on the additional research she did for this novel, including an investigation of how exactly Jane died.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“Deft, authoritative biographical fiction . . . Weir offers a dramatic and empathic portrait of Jane Seymour.”—Kirkus Reviews

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170852567
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	05/14/2019
Series:	Six Tudor Queens Series , #4
Edition description:	Unabridged

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