Anne of Cleves (1515-1557) was Henry VIII’s 4th wife. Sort of. The marriage was never consummated. According to Henry (who at the time had a leg ulcer that smelled so foul it could clear out a castle) said that he was so repulsed by her “evil smells” and appearance, that he couldn’t “get it up.”
She was then crowned “Queen Consort” and given a fabulous castle and settlement upon their annulment. That castle was Hever Castle- the home of Henry’s former in-laws, the Boleyns.
If you ask me, she was the winner here- not only did she get to keep her head (unlike poor Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard) she didn’t have to actually sleep with that giant, fowl-smelling glutton of a man. She outlived Henry and all of his wives and is the only one of his women to be buried in Westminster Abbey.
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