Too Ugly for Henry VIII? Facial Re-Creations & History Revealed.
Narration & Art: Becca Segovia
Writing, Editing & Music Direction: Andre Segovia
Ugliest wife, or luckiest wife?
Anne of Cleves is known to history as being the “ugly” fourth wife of King Henry VIII, but we have reasons to believe this is not true. Anne of Cleves was sent at the age of 24, only speaking German and not familiar with English customs, to be the fourth wife of King Henry VIII. After an awkward first meeting between the two, Henry shunned her, saying she was not nearly as beautiful as everyone described. Today, we'll interweave her history with information about her appearance using contemporary accounts. After that, I'll reveal my re-creations of Anne of Cleves from two different portraits.
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CHAPTERS:
0:00 Introduction
0:31 Young Life
2:10 A Bride for the King
8:42 What did Anne Look Like?
13:14 Annulment & Later Years
16:52 Re-creations Revealed
Calling her ugly is like calling Henry a good husband..
He was the absolute worst! So, the fact she never bad-mouthed him is simply remarkable, but also she didn't want to lose her head, I suppose.
Shes beautiful
simp
on a contrary
@@cowdaddy4595 "when his wives behaved" 🤮 sounds like some shit tate would say, And also he was cheating on his wives all the time that's why some of them did the same to him
Based on the renderings of Henry the 8th appearance, he definitely was in no position to call anyone ugly.
That's usually the case of the ones that do
He was in a position of power and in those days nobel women were not allowed to pick their husbands.
He was actually very good looking & athletic until he became immobile and unable to exercise. plus the severe depression from every son he had dying of young age or stillbirth. not to mention, we dont know how Anne looked like. Despite him finding her unattractive, Henry took care of her for the remainder of her life and treated her like a younger sister. I am sure he made the painters not make her look ugly, you have to be pretty ignorant to think she looked like her portrait.
He was known for his good looks when he was young. He was also in a position that allowed him to choose.
women are attracted to money and power, men are attracted to physical appearance. being king made him the hottest guy in the country.
She was raised only to be a wife and then ended up a wife for only 6 months of her life. She was smart. Because she ended up living as a wealthy single woman in a time where women had little freedom or agency. She truly was the best player of the game.
She tried to remarry him after Katherine Howard was beheaded, but Henry said no. She had a life of luxury without any close relationships because she still belonged to the king. It's kind of sad.
You do know wealthy women of her day actually had a plenty of freedom and agency, quite far more than any common people.
God knows her purpose very well. Her family raised her just to be a marriage doll but I think she is more than that, she is pretty trustworthy of some of properties of King Henry as well and can manage to be intelligent enough to owe those big properties such as palace and mansions :)
She was NOT oppressed for crying out loud. Women of her power could have people killed if they wanted. She had servants galore. It would be rare to even interact with her husband if she didn't want to. Try thinking of the peasantry who had no freedom or agency no matter which of the two genders they happened to be.... hmmmm?
Most women still have that view now. Just looking for the right man
She had the best ending compared to the other wives, she was given a home all to herself, wealth, and she even remained on friendly terms with her Henry. If there was ever a show made about her I’d watch it her story would be so interesting to tell ❤
Being a “wealthy, single woman” in that time period sounds like a best case scenario to me.
Same! I think there’s a reason she never remarried :)
Still is!
@@milivanili2603 True 😂
Exactly!
@@RoyaltyNowStudios She was smart 🤗
I think the most telling thing about Anne is that when she died, her servants remembered her as being sweet and kind.
Oh yes it's always nice when you're servants think that you're kind LOL what are human beings even doing with servants is the real f****** question
After their divorce, chroniclers record that Henry occasionally liked to visit Anne and play cards with her. He enjoyed her company and conversation.
Very nice
@@kristincusick1342 i'm pretty sure cleves bowed down to howard the day she was crowned
and she gave birth to the future Queen Elizabeth I ... my impression of Anne was that she was a GOoD WOmaN and everyone loved her so naturally, Henry didn't have her be-headed as she was GOoD to HIM too! She was jealous of his affairs and in fact, didn't she and his 5th wife get along splendidly? She sounds like she was the 'unheard of' perfect ex-wife. lol More 'power' to her, I would have curse that fig pig King and told the entire Kingdom what a big fat dolt he had become from lust of all the forbidden fruit for HIM to eat as if he were JC HIMself! A God in the flesh and blood of the KING of KINGS$
I dare say she outclassed her husband in the looks department.
Of course . She was German .
@@brooksequine7621 may be Austrian. Germans are meh mostly
She seemed lovely both inside and out. Her kindness and lack of backstabbing Henry served her well.
Henry called her ugly, ruined her image and divorced her, just because she was frightened when he tried to pose as a peasant is such a r/niceguys move.
Totally agree! The classic “I didn’t want you anyway”
I find her to be very beautiful in the paintings and recreations, but if King Henry did not find her attractive he was probably just using this as an excuse. If he did think she was attractive I doubt it would have mattered.
@@faulltw and hello look at him he is no oil painting even in oil paintings
@@sueb6662 🤣😅...
She had a good life after the annulment. Clever lady.
TBH, Anne's front-facing portrait is the best one out of all the known portraits of the six wives. She looks like a real human being.
and Holbein's portrait is astonishingly beautiful - he captures her tiny waist and the detail on her headcovering is out of this world. As an art historian who works on this period I can say that it is absolutely top-of-the-line work. This video undersells Holbein as an artist to a degree.
@LondonLite02 100% agreed. Holbein is one of my absolute faves. As an art and dress historian, the detail he applies to dress is second to none. So much so that people have been able to accurately recreate the blackwork pattern on Jane Seymour's cuff ruffles. It's insane!
@@LondonLite02thank you! Holbein is legendary for a reason. None of these Tudor “stans” or accounts that do facial recreations would have a single thing to work off of, if we didn’t have Holbein’s portraits. His attention to detail, color and depth is unmatched. I think people need to understand that what little we know of Henry’s spouses and their fashion relies mostly on hans Holbein’s portraits. We even only have a 3D view of certain hoods and headdresses only bc of his sketches
She weren’t ugly she’s pretty actually
She looked like a solid 6/10
I love how, in an age before photography, the king actually sent a renowned painter to capture an image of Anne!!
I always thought her portrait illustrated a woman who was warm and smarter than the language barrier allowed for. She was a clever enough woman to be a very savvy card player. I also feel like she was aware that her gentleness probably saved her life.
Even considering Holbein's portrait stressed flattery, Anne could not be called ugly, not by our standards. It does seem, however, that her looks helped to save her life.
@Esphaeras Praestans I thought so too!
She honestly looks like someone I know today and she looks pretty/normal
Well, actually the portrait was fixed by the painter... when Henry asked for a portrait of Anne, the painter did some "photoshop" (if we can call it that way) because anne had had smallpox before, so her face was stained and had scars; the painter made some fixes to make anne look more attractive. Henry was quite disappointed when he met anne and realized she didn't look like the woman from the painting
Maybe not. Execution for treason might have been more complicated for such a foreigner with political ramifications. Maybe it was the political aspect that limited the psychopathic narcissist Henry's options so he didn't want that
Random thought but when I usually think of “Holbein” I think of the Korean art brand
When I learnt in school about Henry rejecting her as being ugly, I wondered how she felt about him being so murder-y.
🤣🥹🤣
🤣She was probably appalled, considering how she was raised.
He wasn't much of a looker either haha
Didn't he literally have a leaking gang green smelling leg? Yeah.......
I Learned*
"If i had two heads, i would happily put one at the disposal of the King of England."....Honestly Christina of Denmark was a Rockstar!!! 🤘😂 I love her for that sentence alone! ❤
Amen!! Tell it!!
A M E N
A M E N
I've always thought she was lovely to look at but obviously read that the portrait had been painted 'kindly' and Henry was repulsed by her in the flesh. It's clearly not that way at all, thank you for this eye opening look at the lucky queen (as was Catherine Parr) who survived him. I had forgotten that he referred to her as his sister later on, she must have been a wise woman not to upset any of the Tudors!
more as Merkel i tought, but red hair....
She was the smartest wife by far. Gave him the requested divorce immediately, which I think genuinely earned his affection. He referred to her as "our dear sister," gave her a palace and a generous financial settlement.
I feel like Catherine of Aragon could have had this outcome as well
Katherine of Aragon was way too proud/arrogant, she could have had a great settlement. Henry needed a male prince as aire to the kingdom.
She became an honorary Tudor as a result of playing her cards well. Both knew it wasn't going to work out.
@Legion ... I'm confused as to why you said this, as if it undoes the murders and every other messed up thing he did. 😂
@@wellwellwellhowinteresting technically the King cannot murder anyone. Before you come down on Henry too hard remember to take into account things were a lot different in the 1500s. The Pope had a lot of blood on this hands. Charles V even more and we won't even discuss the French. Henry wasn't a Saint, but he was an effective king. The middle-class started to bloom under Henry (thanks to Cromwell). Henry had a temper to be sure, in part his health issue are not known to help with that.
I have always felt an immense amount of sympathy for Anne. Totally out of her element, scared out of her mind and extremely homesick, she got completely smeared by Henry and that smear continues to this day. I am sure that she felt an immense amount of relief when she was divorced and managed to keep her head, unlike her predecessor and successor.
She did an amazing job navigating the situation, that’s for sure!
She knew what she was dealing with and used it to her advantage. She would have been faced with an ageing obese, opinionated narcissist who couldn't see what he was becoming. Remind you of anybody?
She may have had her feelings hurt a bit by the “Flanders Mare” comment but I think understood her situation, was compensated very well, and got along very well as Henry’s “sister.”
@@dominaevillae28 No doubt. Out of all of Henry's wives, Anne of Cleves did the best. She only had to tolerate him for 6 months and then got to live the life she wanted. She got around a lot of hassles by having been as amenable as she was to Henry when it came to the divorce. That she went quietly, gracefully with out slamming Henry is an accomplishment in itself. She was a very shrewd court player and she played the game extremely well.
She out lived most if not All of her potential killers (I regret until lately I have been ignorant of her life just following the propaganda put out)I would have loved to be in her inner circle at her court
I wish people made moves about Anne of Cleves like they make about Anne Boleyn. She must have been such an interesting character
Even though your videos are short and focus on portraits, you give more helpful historical context than many documentaries that are hours long. Well done and thank you for your work.
She wasn’t ugly. She was disgusted by him and he was too arrogant to let anyone know that that was the real reason the marriage fell through so quickly. According to contemporary sources: she was horrified when she saw him in person for the first time and the whole situation was very awkward
I heard that too. I believe from the KZhead channel Reading the Past…
Lol he must be the one so ugly 😂
I found the way in which the series The Tudors dealt with Ann was interesting.
And his ulcer leg stinked Yuck and a little Wacker 😷
@@michaelstusiak5902 yeah me too. they probably didn’t go this route most likely bc they had Johnathan Rhys Meyers playing Henry who he looked nothing like during this point in Henry’s life. Maybe didn’t think it would be as beliable to audience? idk tho.
Henry's rejection of Anne was the best thing that could have happened to her. She was out of his firing line, didn't have to put up with him in bed, became super-wealthy and eventually became a confidant and adviser to him. She was trusted and loved by him and from what I have gathered from various history books over the years she loved him too, just not in a carnal sense. Thank you for a fascinating twenty minutes, especially the recreations at the end. One of the few history documentaries I wish had been longer.
Henry is the original r/niceguy! He was self conscious and so said she was the ugly one. And I completely agree him divorcing her was the best thing to ever happen to her! Her whole life she was under the thumb of her parents and then her crazy husband but she became independently wealthy and was able to be free! Extremely rare for any woman in that time period and decide how to live her life herself! I think it's telling she never married although she could have! I'm sure her fortune and favor with the King on top of her looks was very attractive to many men.
I'm so glad you said that!! I have read several different books that talked about her as a common sense, quiet and caring person, who was the only wife of Henry's that came out BETTER OFF after she married him. She was smart enough to instantly agree to EVERYTHING laid out before her and publicly declare that she was forever grateful to the "great king" for giving her such attention and kindness. She did end up being a true friend to the end, never once complaining, always grateful, and helpful when asked, which thrilled Henry enough that he rained favors down on her, and she, as you said, seemed to be always warm and comforting as a friend, a novelty for the king, who was used to fawning, flattering courtiers wanting more and more...
Her brother sounded like such a jerk. Being free of him, Henry too, turned out well for her. Good!
She was one quiet little smart cookie!
@@christineparis5607 She had nothing to complain about although he found her unattractive besides that he gave her everything
I have found your channel an hour ago and I cannot stop watching, this absolutely amazing, thank you for sharing your knowledge and talent and making history so incredibly relatable...wow
I honestly find her really beautiful. Maybe it´s just me, but I find her the most human like and most beautiful from all Henry´s wives. She´s beautiful
Her eyes are so gentle in all of the portraits. I feel like there is this quiet intelligence slumbering just beneath her gentle gaze. I find her ability to not only survive being Henry’s wife but come out of it as one of the most respected women in England regardless of Henry’s slander is both inspiring and gratifying. I love the quote about the two heads as well. Anne Boleyn deserved so much better.
Beautiful comment 🌷
*Anna of Cleves
@I am sovereign You'd probably like Queen Adelaide too. She was kind to her husband's "illegitimate" children.
You should be an author. Your literary skills are to be commended!
Winter: I wonder, why you use quote marks around the word illegitimate for children? Do you mean to say they were not illegitimate in some way? If the father is not married to the mother, if the father has a previous wife still living, the children are by definition illegitimately conceived. Please tell me more.
I'd love to see a video titled, "The Ugliest King." Too often, women are judged or known for their physical traits rather than who they are as a person.
I can absolutely appreciate that! Also if you want to know the answer to who the ugliest King was it was Charles II of Spain bar none.
@@RoyaltyNowStudios I looked up Charles II, the poor guy exhibited some very bad genetics.
Very much so :(
We all already know who "the ugliest king" is though without the aid of such a title.
The inbreeding is really in Charles the 2
Wow!!! The recreations are GORGEOUS you a WILDLY amazing job
Henry called her horsefaced and ugly because she almost matched him in height. Despite him saying awful things about her, Anne from Holbein’s perspective was beautiful, she and Henry actually had a great relationship until he died.
I agree that of all Henry's wives, her portrait is the most attractive. The front-facing portrait is very beautiful.
Handsdown
Holbein would have 'adapted' his interpretation to the ideal of beauty of the day.
It's not her true appearance though.
@@Rome274 Exactly. Her true appearance included a lot of pox/scarring and other skin flaws. Back then, it was customary for a medieval photoshop to be done by not including flaws in portrait paintings. It was so drastic that Henry IIX was quite distressed when he saw her in real life, but he also took great pity on her for this reason.
@@unicornglitterfart5201 only if the person they were painting was paying for it. In this case it was not worth Holbien losing his head to fool Henry. Henry was offended and had a tempertantrum calling her ugly when she wasn't suitably impressed by him. He only looked favorably on her when she was compliant, because again he was a spoiled brat
I love the line from Six. "The savy, educated, young princess deemed repulsive by a wheezing, wrinkled, ulcer-riddled man 24 years her senior!" I've always thought lot of the criticism was from Henry's inability to cope with not being the attractive young man he once was. They also came from completely different cultures and upbringings.
this line reminds me to Leonardo De Carpio for some reason
@@lizzie.136 heard his new gf is 19 🐥
Well, Anne wasn't well-educated or worldly. But I find it hilarious that Old King Hank here was a gross, middle-aged fatty with a big, festering, reeking ulcer on his leg... but had the gall to call a 24-year-old lady with some pockmarks and a big nose ugly.
The last thing I’d expect is a girl that looks like uh… you, to like a line about insulting someone’s appearance.
@PKMNTrainer Christy bruh the person probably came with a bad intent but seriously, if you're fat then don't call out fat lifestyles. Unless it's health issues ofc. That's hypocritical. The intent wasn't the best but isn't it obvious why they said so
This was seriously amazing. I'm blown away by the modern images of her you made, it makes me feel so much closer to someone who lived hundreds of years ago. Wow! 🤍🩶🖤
How lucky we are to have your channel . This is s beautifully done and absolutely enthralling. Thank you. From New Zealand 🇳🇿
The fact that Henry embraced n kissed her when he first saw her is the solid prove that she was not ugly at all.
True
She was probably actually a man. Just saying. Henry probably figured that out later.
@@NuckinFuts2215 Dude what are you on?
I think he didn't like that she didn't fall head over hills and swoon for him when he kissed her
@@clairefordzetterstrom9973 I’m not on anything, unlike Henry. Lol! I don’t even take ibuprofen or Tylenol. So there’s that.
I think she was the wisest of Henry's wives. She figured out how to handle him, eventually creating a genuine friendship. And outliving all of them. I also think the recreations of how she may have looked in life are very flattering, by no means an ugly woman. In fact, I think she is very pretty.
Yep, she knew when to not make a fuss and when not too demand too much. Although arguably Katherine Parr also knew how to deal with him.
So, not gorgeous but far from ugly, smart too. Thank you.
She is not ugly at all. I think he needed some new glasses. He married an intelligent woman And didn't know how to deal with it; his loss her gain.
And Yet Parr was the one that survived, Cleves outlived Henry and even kept in contact, she was also one of his only wives that wasn't enprisoned
She was pretty..I'm sure Henry figured that he needed and deserved Better.. Kings have big egos because of the people they surround themselves with. He needed a friend who he wouldn't execute to tell him The Truth. Hey, Henry..if you don't want to marry or bed down with Anne, there's plenty of deserving men who would. I do love intelligent women especially if they beautiful.
I love that these recreations allow me to picture what they look like, I've never been able to turn those paintings into a mental image of what they could've actually looked like so this is amazing!
This is so fascinating! Thank you for the storytelling and recreation of Anne
I always thought she was the luckiest woman in history, but she definitely wasn't ugly, especially compared to her husband! Great report!
Indeed, she got to be the fortunate one!
I wonder how she would have fared with Queen Anne as a Lady in Waiting or The Favourite. She could have been good friends with Queen Victoria.
She is a natural beauty
Real stretch on the ‘luckiest woman in history’ 🥴
@@Emanuela9 Who? Cleeves was 400 years before Queen Vic.
To me, Anne was the ultimate survivor of Henry's reign. Unwittingly bruising his massive ego may have even saved her life. Holbein's portrait of her has always been a favorite. She has such a pleasing and symmetrical face. Your recreations of her are lovely!
I think that's going a wee bit too far. She definitely wasn't a looker. Likely Jewish 😆
I think you're right that it may have saved her life, as never remarrying meant that she escaped childbirth, which killed one in four women at the time. Probably the reason why she was the longest lived of the six, dying of the then ripe old age of 42
@@yeetnama9094 What? How does being Jewish affect anything and she wasn’t Jewish because she wouldn’t be a marriage option then
@@yeetnama9094 oh vey!
@@yeetnama9094 Erm...what??? That's a very weird and unkind thing to say.
I love that you did an interpretation of her in English style. I was hoping to see that! Your work is stunningly beautiful. Ty. 👑❤👑
I find her striking actually. There is a sense of strength and compassion in her front portrait. One that showed immense pride rather than vanity.
She was smart enough not to seek power, fame or influence. Her quiet, self-assured, humble demeanor let her keep head, the friendship of many, and the wealth which allowed her to live as she chose.
Yea, she lived as "perfect protestant"....
@@martinplojhar There is no such thing!!
@@puttytat007 OK , small correction: "Perfect Protestant Bride"...
You are so correct. I personally think she was beautiful, but she was also really smart and a survivor.I would rather be smart any day of the week.
“Smarter enough not to seek power, fame, or influence“. If Anne Boleyn had practiced that, she might’ve stepped over the bodies of her enemies and survived.
I find it interesting that when Henry came to see her with his identity undisclosed, Ann behaved as a loyal, virtuous, and betrothed woman should. She didn’t flirt and wasn’t swept up by the attentions of a man for whom she wasn’t engaged to. Perhaps if Henry wasn’t so insecure he could’ve seen that.
She wasn't into him based on the accounts. He reversed this as him not being into her and just like that he wanted out. This explains why nothing happened to Hans Holbein. If Holbein had really exaggerated her looks, Henry would have had his head for sure. The fact that he didn't execute Holbein tells me the portrait was accurate and Henry's ego got wounded by her reaction to him....
Exactly, he threw a man-baby tantrum because "she didn't immediately recognize him as her true love." Spare me, this is the only thing he's remembered for, his kingdom revolved around the stirs in his cod piece and his fragile ego. On paper, she is his ideal woman, gentle, virtuous, gracious, kind, amiable and intelligent but "stayed in her lane." She deserved better than to be considered the "ugly one" considering she was basically bartered off to petulant man-child whose tantrums and pride almost completely tore his country apart and caused so much ruin.
@ChadiusMaximus196 that's a very good point.
I agree. From the sounds of it, she was polite, didn’t freak out but also didn’t encourage further actions from him.
Also, Henry was upset that she didn't fawn over his looks (making him feel ugly) so he says SHE'S the ugly one 🙄
Loved this episode, it’s my fav so far, such an interesting rendering about the role of this too unknown woman in the face of what seems to be the textbook narc king of all
What a great video! Very insightful and interesting and well produced! The narration was great! Anne really seemed to work it out to her advantage. Good for her!!!
I always find it fascinating that what Henry did to his wives WASN'T considered acceptable behavior even back then. The fact that everyone in Europe was wary of him seeking a wife, knowing that she could be exiled or lose her head...
Agreed. I think Henry is the worst example of Kings. Why his behaviour became acceptable implies the thought processes of people during this period.
It wasn't the killing that shocked them, it was the fact that it was being done as a conienent form of divorce.
@mundy No it was not. Lutherism allready had a hold in Northern Europe at the time. In fact the pope had given Henry a special title due to his opposition of Luther.
True. The French ambassador reportedly said "What sort of man is the king? How many wives will he have?" on hearing of his marriage to Katherine Howard, which indicates that Henry was raising eyebrows even then. And Christina of Milan's sick burn "If I had two heads, I should consent to wed his gracious majesty; but alas, having but one, I dare not" was EPIC 🤣
@@kristincusick1342 That is because they knew the annullments were contrived, something literally no one else could get away with.
Henry did the Tudor equivalent of “yeah well you’re ugly anyway” when a guy is rejected. Some things never change
Yep.
Precisely, and he never got reality checked because of his spoilt and privileged position as it is with so many even now.
@@rustyhowe3907 He would be total incel material nowadays. Everything is all women's fault to him, and they're disposable baby making machines. Typical. 🙄
Thank you for the great video. Great summary and explanation of her life's history. Anne's portrait is the loveliest out of all Henry's wives to me🤩. A lot is due to Holbein's mastery, but even compared to Jane Seymour's portrait, Anne appears more charming to my eyes. But perhaps that is also due to your masterful story telling. 🙂
Perfect narration, you have such a calm and pleasing voice!
I have always thought Anne was treated unfairly by history. Thank you for treating her in a most kind light.
Everyone who's not on the 'right' side is treated unfairly by history. Imagine a politician who doesn't serve the West poisoning an entire country with agent orange, like JFK did in Vietnam. How would they be considered today if they were on the zionist-inspired 'axis of evil'?
I didn't know much about her❤
A remarkable woman at the way she behaved. Wise. Not so sure, how she could have done it. But on the other hand, she must have been detached and wasn't affected by Henry’s remarks as devastating they were. He was a widower too. She must have known. Nonetheless, After Catherin of Aragon. I think many women would have being on red alert about him. I think Ann learnt what not to do from Catherine of Aragon., or even Anne Boleyn too. Maybe, what was ugly to Henry vIII. Was the blessing in this failed marriage ❤
Thanks ❤️
Are you a relative ?
Anne looked exactly as Holbein masterfully depicted her. To deny this would be to deny that Henry VIII did not resemble Holbein's famous portrait of him. There is another reason behind this controversy. At this stage in his life, Henry was obese and had leg ulcers that were so fetid that you could smell him approaching. That Anne failed to notice him, or was put off by the odors were a fatal wound to Henry's ego, and thus he rejected her.
Luckily, not a fatal wound to Anne!
Very interesting.
Must have had diabetes ..
@@rebaeasler certainly possible, given his extreme obesity, his diet and unhealed wounds.
A typical narc ploy... someone else is repulsed by them, they see that, it wounds their extremely fragile ego, they have to be the first to react aggressively. I didn’t want you anyway, you’re ugly. Classic projection.
I was blown away by how you recreated her face. amazing!
I enjoyed this clip and thought it was well done but what I find puzzling was how the focus was on whether or not Anne was ugly when every single man that was shown including Henry the VIII was exceptionally ugly. Interesting how the pressure is always on the woman to be beautiful.
yep, men walking around looking ugly as f*** and women are the one who get ridiculed
Not thought much about history?
In the past it was. But now both men and women are under pressure to look beautiful
Some things never change....
@@sarithajagajith6568 Women are actually under more pressure than ever to be beautiful. Don’t be fooled by the body positivity movement, the beauty standard is narrower than ever with beauty oversaturation, filters, instagram and photoshopped bodies. When you see only attractive people on your phone everyday, normal people become ugly due to your warped perception. Now ladies are expected to have big eyes, a symmetrical and slim face, a small chin, a tiny nose, and big lips regardless of race. In addition to big boobs, hips and butt with no hip dips and flawless skin along with narrow shoulders and a microscopic waist. The beauty standard was always meant to be unattainable, however thanks to modern day fakery, we’re now convinced that it is closer than ever.
I love that Henry and Anne were BFFs after the divorce. They would even play games of strategy together, usually only played by men at court. It is also rumored that she was more intelligent than the king, and that he turned to her often for advice.
He did not deserve her friendship though
@@mara3572 true. But he also didn't have her killed....
@@wickedkat5061 hee? Was he suppose too? Should we be grateful for that? Lol
@@mara3572 Henry the 8th had all of his wives killed unless they died on their own, the only 2 exceptions were his first wife Catherine, and Anne of Cleves.
@@mara3572 He had his wives killed when he was done with them.
I love this channel. Great history background, great re-creations, and your voice and articulation is very pleasing. You could narrate a law book to me, and I would listen to every word.
Wonderful recreation! Thanks for the history, too. Fabulous!
Anne of Cleves is officially my favourite historical character now. I'm so impressed by her calmness and the grace she had in so many difficult situations.
She's always been my favorite of all his wives.
She outlived Henry, as I recall.
Have you read the book: The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir? She is the best biographer of the Tudors I have ever read. Her research is amazing and this video could have come from this book.
@@dawnlockaby7737 Ah I haven't read it, but thanks so much for the recommendation!!! I'm adding this to my tbr list. Thanks so much 🙏🏻
Exactly! She might be my favorite too, she didn’t do anything to hurt the king even when he was unfair to her. Just all grace and calmness and patience.
I'm 76, an English and history major, and retired banker. I've never enjoyed anything more than your beautifully narrated and illustrated presentation about Anne of Cleves. I'm now an eager subscriber and will search out as many other works of yours as I can find. Thank you for bringing me such a classy, satisfying, and fulfilling evening...especially appreciated now that I, too, am old and fat.
I recently discovered that "old" means exactly 10 years older than whatever age I am now, and that "fat" is 10lbs heavier than whatever I weigh. This knowledge has dramatically improved my happiness levels.
😂
Jim Koeniger, i enjoyed your post almost as much as i enjoyed this well done video! I wish you many more healthy, fun, happy and joyful years. God bless you sir! 😘. k.
Your comment made me smile , a dismal mood Thanks!
Hey Jim, I'm almost 39 and I too am fat and old. Move over, there's not gonna be enough room for all of us! 😄
Nicely done video and recreation of her portrait!
Amazing work!! Thank you so much for what you do!!🙏🏼❤️
She was an intelligent and pragmatic woman who saw things as they actually were. She made the best of a bad situation and she SURVIVED.
She Thrived.
catherine parr survived, anne LIVED
@@FranziskaVonProdigySlaysagreed
She wasn't ugly at all but the fact that Henry thought she was ugly was a blessing.
She was ugly compared to his other options. A man with the power and wealth as a literal king can pick from the top 0.0001% of women. Anne may not have been ugly in the conventional sense, but she is definitely not up to Henry's caliber.
@@TeemoTemosson It's not like the king was good looking himself when I see his portrait
@@FLiPModeAriaO5 A man back then was tested on his valor and character than his looks.
@@kennymichaelalanya7134doesn’t change what she said lol
@@FLiPModeAriaO5 He was apparently handsome and well fit until his jousting accident. He couldn't be active like he used too and didn't change his eating habits which made him fat.
Awesome, amazing recreation! Well done!
So this is my first video from ur channel today Tbh i guess this channel is gonna be a great discovery for me in KZhead . Thank you very much
Her original portrait is gorgeous. The modern recreation is just as gorgeous. She got lucky and had the best outcome of all his wives.
Not ugly? Agreed. 'Gorgeous'? Uhh... nah.
@@Veritas.0 beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I find her gorgeous you do not, simple as that.
@@heatherpettigrew1615 Yea, but you're just engaging in that feminine activity of mindless positivity; "Oh my gosh your hair looks AMAZING!!" right after the stylist butchered her hair.
@@Veritas.0 no I'm not, I personally find her gorgeous, nothing more to it. It's not "feminist positivity" it's my personal opinion. And honestly I'm the first person to tell someone if their hair is butchered.
@@heatherpettigrew1615 'Feminine' not feminist. There's a window into your mind you left open.
I've always been so impressed by Anna Von Kleve, despite not even knowing the language when she arrived and being smeared by the King she managed to make friends and allies, navigate Henry's temper and emerge from her cloistered upbringing into an adulthood of freedom and confidence. History likes to paint her as 'the rejected wife', but to me it seems like she did better out of her arranged marriage than the vast majority of her contemporaries.
YES!
She was actually very intelligent.
Very beautifully scripted and wonderful animation. I really enjoyed this!
this was very beautifully done and Narration was really was another level
Many years ago, I visited her house, where I first learned much of this about Anne. I immediately became an admirer of her. Her undeserved reputation is incredibly unfair. She was a clever, kind, astute, and talented woman.
She was also a very important influence on Elizabeth, who became the greatest monarch of England between Henry V and Victoria.
@qwerty ?? She had one 1/2 sister Mary, and one 1/2 brother Edward. She killed neither of them. If you are referring to Mary Stuart, Mary plotted to have Elizabeth killed and steal her throne(Mary had been deposed is Scotland). This was when Elizabeth was shielding Mary from her enemies in Scotland. Elizabeth was actually quite pretty in her youth.
@@GG-yr5ix Indeed. In a world ruled and run by men, she was a woman centuries ahead of her time.
thank you David.
@@GG-yr5ix I don't think Elizabeth was one of the "greatest" monarchs... She kick-started slavery in England and also I can't imagine that the native Americans had a high opinion of the person who's subjects were invading their land and killing their people with her blessing. She was brutal and had a short temper like her father, but she confined her anger to the court it seems unlike him. There are only a few great things about her reign that I can think of. A, she defeated the Spanish armada with the help of the French, although accounts at the time suggest that it was luck because of the bad weather. B, the culture and art of England thrived during her reign, but I don't think that was because of her, as all culture and art was thriving at the time in Europe, no matter where you went. It was the renaissance after all. She was a patron though. And C, she was a Protestant, but not as extreme as her brother had been. By her time, most of the country had gotten used to Anglican ways (at least in the South. The majority of the population lived in the south and the north was quite empty at the time, and the further north you went, the more traditional and catholic people you got). Unlike her brother and sister, Elizabeth was far more liberal when it came to religion, but still quite strict. Many Catholics were killed (I think about 600) and they had to keep their practices behind closed doors so they wouldn't get found out. Edward wanted everyone to be a Protestant, so he was far more forceful. Same with Mary, only she was Catholic. But by Elizabeth's time, the religious turmoil within England had calmed down a little. It was still raging, but it wasn't as bad as before. People were starting to warm up to the new ways, as they called it. So I think the reason why Elizabeth is regarded as "great" was because her reign was largely seemingly peaceful compared to the reigns of her predecessors. The later parts of her reign were the most peaceful times.
She was clever. Brilliant. She doesn't looked after a throne, she was not ambitious. She played with male rules, she kept her calm and patient, she was smart. She never had to suffer a disgusting violent ugly narcissistic husband as Henry the VIII was. She was wealthy, single and free, living on her own. She kept her head, LITERALLY. She was the luckiest and happiest woman on a king's life just because that king was never interested on her. Perfectly brilliant, as I said.
Agree
I subconsciously burst out laughter when you said she kept her head literally 🤣🤣🤣
Yeah she definitely dodged a bullet.
"Saved by the bell", as some would say
Feminism should take more cues from Anne of Cleves, as opposed to the largely toxic movement that the fourth wave is.
Soon, you are going to add voices based on many factors and eventually you will be the lead in a historical drama with the actual people based on your stuff. I think your art is brilliant. The way you do these just makes me think, I know him or Ive seenher before. I live your work.
I really loved this video ❤ Thank you so much!
I think she was lovely. A great part of beauty is the personality that shines through. I think Henry preferred very petite women and Anne was described as "stately" which in this case meant taller and not fine boned. The fact that she didn't fall at his feet upon meeting him was more than his fragile ego could bear. She has always been my favorite of his wives as she managed to outlast him.
her being too "ugly" did play out to her benefit for sure. she not only kept her head but made out like a bandit. 🙏😊
Probably a smart lesbian who knew how to work it
So did #6, and she had to deal with him much more closely.
I think she was quite a lovely lady
@@swish3432 No.
Rather than feel sorry for her I admire her for making lemonade when life gave her lemons. I credit her for being the most intelligent (in terms of common sense) of Henry's wives. Not only was she able to escape a miserable marriage but she actually was given property, an income and other benefits simply by giving him what he wanted. I think she glad to have escaped having to sleep with him. And like Henry said after their wedding night "There's something old and fat and smelly and not a virgin in here" and he was right but it wasn't Anne of Cleves.
I think Anne Boleyn was also extremley intelligent, but she unfortunately couldn't escape like Anne of Cleeves
Maybe he was describing himself, when he said “there’s something old and fat and smelly and not a virgin in here”.
She was described as quite thin, so I doubt that was a fair assessment by him.
I agree. She's not ugly lol. He just said it since she bruised his ego. While Anne Boleyn is extremely intelligent as well, (I wasn't able to read enough so correct me if I'm wrong) she's indeed beautiful, bold and savage but I think she's blindsided by the fact that losing her head is possible since she was once adored by the king while on the other hand, Anne of Cleves already knew the options that if her marriage will fail, it's either she will get a divorce or lose her head and by these possibilities she already have a plan. She's armed and prepared this woman played him like a damn chess piece lol and the fact that she's foreign and still learning the language, think they underestimated her intelligence to pick up things but this lady is sharp. as gentle as a dove but as wise as a serpent. I mean come on! She's foreign to the country and do you think she just stepped to the land that she's unfamiliar with unprepared? I don't think so. 😂
@@stuffwithsoph8264 Yeah, I personally respect and relate to all of Boleyn's decisions, and Don't Lose Ur Head is catchy lol
I love British Royal history and your narrative and voice tone is excellent. My daughter and I love your channel. Greetings from Lewes, Sussex, UK, actually, we live 200 mts from Cleves House
Wonderful presentation. Thank you so very much!!
I always thought Anne's portraits were the most naturally beautiful of any of Henry's wives, I never understood how anyone could have called her ugly! Anne of Cleves looked kind as well as naturally pretty. And when I saw those modern recreations of her portraits, it almost felt like I was looking at someone with whom I''ve been best friends. 💕And there's no doubt that of all 6 wives, she came out with the best fortune. 🍀
From a letter in the Royal archives that Henry wrote, expressing his dissatisfaction with Anne, he didn't like her full bosom. He preferred small breasts. The love letters he wrote to Ann Boleyn go on at length about her small breasts or "sweet little duckies" to use his expression!
This was long ago in the 60 s but we had a teacher who told us that king Henry rejected Anne of Cleves because she was above average height and ungainly...awkward and shy. She also said Henry was angry that holbein painted a portrait of Anne that was a little too flattering....he banished the painter. I always felt sympathy for Anne and when I grew to 5 foot 11 I began to realize that some men just don't like a tall woman....
@@sherryglisson4885 the tide has begun to turn my friend
I agree. I think she`s cute, her nose is charming and adds character.
He divorced her because the portraits were fake. She didn't look like that lmao
as someone with a very german nose much like anne’s, the re-creations really made me smile. i’ve always been so self conscious of my nose and thin lips, but find anne to be so pretty. i’m so glad to have stumbled across this video!
My Oma calls her's a "schnozz" and claims she can charm geese out of the sky when she blows it. A bold German nose is a glorious thing! May you be surrounded by smitten geese and smile at your own pretty reflection 💖🐥
@@MrQueerDuck that's so sweet
same I can see my own features in her face
Ay me too
Anne was beautiful and I am sure you are too. There is beauty in all cultures, shades and shapes. We need to get away from what television, movies, music videos and magazines say is beautiful as that is always changing and fleeting.
This is such a cool channel. I love history and these recreations.
I came back after a year. To marvel at this magic and genius. I am still amazed and in awe over this sublime transformation. And moderne too ! Nothing like this compares . I studied Art History at University, but never have I seen an oil come to vivid life. Extraordinary.
I’ve always found her extremely beautiful, especially her nose, she has such a „soft“ face somehow, almost fairy-like in a way, it’s hard to explain. She is one of my favorite characters from history and I was always confused as to why she would be considered „ugly“ at all, I always found her to be by far the prettiest of Henry’s wives
Completely agree, she's gorgeous
Agree!
she was average
I know. She is pretty. She has an inteeligent, kind face. I feel a of warmth of character coming from her eyes.
Look at other paintings than Holbein's and try and find a description of her that was an independent observer from that time.
In another documentary film they mentioned that Anne of Cleves had very large natural breasts and at that time the fashion preferred small breasts. The king thought her breasts were "too large". It's amazing how fashion can change over the centuries.
I definitely wouldnt call body types “fashion”
@@einhorntaschentuch9404 It is fashion. During the era of Henry the Eight big boobs were not fashionable those documentaries confirm this idea. Even during the seventies very large breasts were not number one on the list I remember this in person because I was there and I felt ugly because my body parts are large. Now I'm happy.
@@einhorntaschentuch9404 It's certainly fashion! Remember the "does this make my butt look big?" jokes of the 2000s? Now it's certainly considered something that's valued 😄
@@nickidaisydandelion4044 right phrase is beauty standards. but I get what u mean
@@shrutiiyer9531 What is fashion? Beauty standard. And that can shift any time.
Wonderful documentary…well done!
Incredible those recreations… blows my mind.
She wasn't devastatingly gorgeous but her serene expression actually made her pretty. I think her being a genuinely good and sweet person was what Holbein was trying to convey in his paintings of her.
She had cute large eyes and a cute smiling looking small mouth she didn't fit the standards of back then but that was it today she would be a little above average but not a lot she would be a 7.5
Holbein was limited by some of the fashion of the day. Also the standards of beauty changes significantly between 1500s and now.
Then there’s me who clicks on the vid bc I’m thinking “Wow! She’s gorgeous” lol
@@BlueMax507 I wouldn't do this to my close ones since it can come off as rude and superficial, but I think rating celebs and historical figures is alright since they gave up most of their privacy out of free will.
I think what ultimately saved Anne from Henry's machinations was that she had no machinations at all. It seems like she interacted with everyone according to her courteous nature, and not their fame or reputation. Her decision to keep her distance from the disguised Henry, for example, somewhat supports that. And he, seeing that she did not have the exciting personality of his previous wives, must have had no idea what to do with her. In the end, Henry could find no fault with her character and managed to let go of any grudges he had against her.
Very true indeed! If anything Henry should have been pleased from the start that Anne didn't flirt or do any of the sort to entertain the disguised Henry. But of course at the time he was going with the whole "true love will recognize" gig 😒. I think people nowadays would probably disguise themselves or ask a friend to approach their significant other to see if they remain faithful to them or not 😅. Overall Anne of Cleves made out like a bandit, literally kept her head on her shoulders, and outlived the other wives to boot! Not bad at all Cleves not bad at all 💅👏👍!
I wonder if part of Henry's belated admiration of Anne of Cleves could have been that he finally decided "the exciting personality of his previous wives" was a deceitful game to manipulate him, and Anne's gentle, intelligent, composed outlook suddenly became a lot more attractive.
Nailed it!
This is my first time seeing this show and I found it to be fascinating.i got so much information. Will keep my eye out for it in the future.
This is absolutely amazing! 😲😍😍
I feel like his reaction to her looks stemmed from her initial rejection of him. It's like when you ignore a guy who tries hitting on you and responds with "you're ugly anyway."
Lol pretty much 😂 - his ego was bruised so he needed to put her down. It seems like men haven’t change one slight bit.
Yes, this! such a strange thing, lol.
Somewhere there's probably undiscovered letters where he accuses her of being a lesbian.
Yes absolutely 💯 🙌 and the nerve of him, he is certainly NOT attractive at all.
Anne sounded like a very intelligent woman maybe even a deep thinker. One of those people that you should never take for granted. She understood the subtle nuance of what to say and when to say it and that is genius
Imagine she is replying to you from the past with deep and meaningful : "Lmao"
Small minded and so typical
@@brandontodd3799 People can't make jokes at you? You need special treatment?
@@ScarletEdge small minded
Wonderful video in all aspects, specially about the history facts about this unique lady.
What an interesting story , what an amazing woman Anne of Cleves was, and definitely not ugly . Thankyou for bringing her to life 😊
The fact that we are living in an age, where we can not only recreate a face of people who are dead, but also can show the REAL, MOVING image of a Queen who is been dead for half a millenia is amazing
And the painting is made to make the woman fit the beauty standards of the day/ look better ... don't believe these are real images of the people
@@jennifermoriarty2188The incest ones are real no one wants that face
AND ........... *Thanks to the UK's Channel 5 TV station, we even know what Anne Bolyne's last words were* : . . . . It cuz I bleck innit?
@Legion no shit
@@babboon5764 🤣
Anne Of Cleves was only about 25 at the time she came to court, and she wasn't ugly; She was supposed to have had a pleasing personality, was intelligent, kind and was very well liked by everyone at Court. Henry said she had evil smells about her, but she was known to have said that Henry's ulcer on his leg smelt vile and it put her off.
Yeah, I thought Henry said "Oh, she's ugly! She's much too ugly for me!" because she bruised his ego and he went sour grapes about it.
@@UrpleSquirrel That's exactly what it was. She hurt his poor little feelings. If he was so unattracted to her why would he sweep her into his arms and kiss her? xD
@@UrpleSquirrel 🎯
Henry was a narcissistic nightmare. I feel bad for the women who had to deal with him.
Of course she was. A virgo/Libra . Kind,gentle funny,never lazy and attractive.
Beautiful job and music perfect.❤❤
You have such a lovely voice, soothing one
wow, the final interpretation of Anne is gorgeous, no way on Earth is she ugly or plain looking, in my humble opinion.
This leaves me very curious about Anne of Cleves. Considering Henry’s capricious discarding of other wives, Anne of Cleves must have been intensely clever to end up in such a comfortable life.
I mean she is called anne of cleve(r)s, well I am gonna go home now, good night everybody!
And with her head! Good for her.
@@ulvha lmao
Yes I assumed she had gone back to Germany. Had no idea she’d stayed in England and got such an enormous financial settlement! Perhaps the alliance with the Protestants in Germany meant he couldn’t discard her in the usual ways, without risking war or deep insult to his new allies in Europe. I like to think Anne had her own advisers around her sent from her parents and sisters, looking out for her. Sounds like her older sister made a strong match, it’s nice to think of all the sisters keeping in touch.
Despite being homesick she did not want to return. Her home life was not a happy one. Had she returned she would have been subject to her families will and would have once again been sold off to the highest bidder.
Very good made summary. Thank you very much.❤
Excellent presentation and graphics 👏👏👏
I always thought poor Anne got a bad rap being labeled Ugly! She was not a Striking beauty but you captured the essence of the Pretty Women she was! Her story always seems to fascinate and you can see just how Intelligent she was in handling a very precarious situation! Her good Nature of not retaliating but of making peace toward all saved her and endeared her to everyone! Thank you for sharing her with us! Well Done! Brava! 👏🏻😍♥️