Renaissance English History Podcast: A Show About The Tudors

Anne of Cleves is always called the lucky one. She survived Henry VIII, kept her head, and walked away with Hever Castle and a generous income. But in July 1540 she actually had legal grounds to contest the annulment, a brother with diplomatic leverage, and Katherine of Aragon's playbook sitting right in front of her. So why did she say yes? And was it luck, or was it strategy? This week I'm looking at the decision Anne faced, what refusing might actually have cost her, and the moment after Katherine Howard's execution when Anne apparently decided she wanted back in after all. She wasn't the lucky one. She was the smart one. And I think we've been underselling her for about 500 years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices