January 6, 1540: Henry VIII Marries Fourth Wife, Anne of Cleves

On Jan. 6, 1540, Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves got married. It took place just days after their first meeting and was doomed from the start.

You all know that this was Henry VIII's fourth and shortest marriage. It was only after it was annulled that the two were able to strike up a friendship and an understanding. But what about the start of their relationship? How much do you know about their wedding?

Anne of Cleves has often gone down in history as Henry's ugliest wife. There have been portraits that show her as an overweight, undignified woman, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Okay, maybe she wasn't supermodel thin, but she wouldn't have been as overweight and definitely not as undignified.

This was a princess in Germany. She had been raised as a woman suitable for marriage. So, why would Henry VIII immediately not like her?

Read more: Henry VIII Marries Anne Boleyn

Well, let's start with the fact that he wasn't really ready for this marriage. Jane Seymour had died three years earlier and Henry had struggled immensely with grief. He'd been pushed back into marriage because of the kingdom's need for a "spare heir." One son wasn't enough.

Henry also needed new allies. France and Spain were allying together and that meant a threat against England. Germany was an ally he needed at the time, but not a permanent need.

Then there was the fact that Henry had surprised Anne of Cleves on their first meeting. Just off a rough voyage from Germany and unsure of who the king was, Anne wasn't ready for visitors. Henry was immediately put off by this, angry that his new bride didn't even curtsey to him. In all honestly, how was she to know she was meant to curtsey to this man who she'd never met and hadn't been announced to her?

It also didn't help that Hans Holbein had "Photoshopped" his portrait of her. Henry received a portrait of a delicate woman with flawless features. The woman in front of him was taller than his other wives and her face was covered in smallpox marks. It may have been standard for the time but nothing that Henry expected.

The marriage had to go ahead, though. That threat of Spain and France against England was too much and Henry wasn't going to risk his father's legacy and his country's independence. So, he married her.

And only until something better came along...