The Six Wives of Henry VIII (2001)

Jane Seymore and Anne of Cleves (1x3)

:

Waiting in the wings when Anne died was Jane Seymour, a submissive woman of noble birth who seemed the perfect Tudor wife. Moreover, she was a devout Catholic, and the king's advisors hoped her religious beliefs would bring Henry back to his original religion. Jane was active in politics, and went so far as to question her husband's authority and nearly accuse him of treason. But her efforts to restore Catholicism failed. Meanwhile, Henry's adoration of Jane remained strong. In 1537, Jane gave birth to a long-awaited son - an heir, Edward. Just 12 days later, she died from complications, leaving Henry beside himself. Hoping to allay his pain, and concerned that Edward would not survive long enough to inherit the throne, Henry sent his advisors out in search of yet another wife. Henry's advisor Thomas Cromwell thought the West German princess Anne of Cleves was an excellent candidate because of her religious connections and prestigious family. Since Henry refused to commit himself without seeing what the princess looked like, Cromwell commissioned artist Hans Holbein to capture her beauty on canvas, which he did, in a most flattering manner. Henry was drawn to the portrait, but when he met the young woman in person, he found her completely unattractive and realized that Cromwell had manipulated reality for political purposes. Cromwell convinced the king that for the sake of the country, Anne was still a good choice, and the two were discreetly married. But Henry found his new wife so repugnant that lovemaking was impossible. Instead, he focused his affections on one of her ladies-in-waiting, the very young, very vivacious Katherine Howard. The court decreed that Henry and Anne had never consummated their marriage, and Anne was asked to leave the palace.