Wolf Hall restores dignity to Anne of Cleves by flipping the script on Henry VIII in vital way

Of the unfortunate bunch, none has been given less respect than fourth wife Anne of Cleves, whose brief marriage to the monstrous monarch is often boiled down to "she was too ugly for him".

This narrative was first put forward by Henry himself and later repeated by men throughout history, including the charming Gilbert Burnet, Bishop of Salisbury, who dubbed Anne as almost indistinguishable from a "Flanders mare" in 1679.

It's quite the PR victory that Henry and his cronies managed to convince a nation that a gracious 25-year-old woman was the problem in a blind marriage to a man double her age, who suffered from morbid obesity, a rancid leg wound, gout and boils.

Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light goes some way to correcting the record in its fifth episode, which recounts the stranger-than-fiction story of Anne and Henry's first meeting, flipping the script on a man whose glass house shattered many years earlier.

Stunningly, it is true that the king discarded carefully laid plans for Anne's ceremonial introduction to London, by instead riding out to meet her en route – and even donning a disguise in a deranged attempt at a grand romantic gesture.

As depicted in Wolf Hall, it is a matter of historical record that this ploy initially went over Anne's head; she largely ignored the strange fellow who wandered into her temporary accommodation to deliver a gift "from the King".

When it turned out that this man was, in fact, her husband-to-be, she was certainly surprised – success! – but also struggled to hide her repulsion from an ailing King who was, to put it politely, "not as reported".

The problematic notion of "conventional beauty" notwithstanding, Anne clearly wasn't the grotesque figure that Henry's complaints make her out to be, with the pride lost during this catastrophic first meeting potentially colouring his view.

In fact, Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light begs the question of how different the marriage might have been if Thomas Cromwell's initial arrangements had been followed, giving Anne sufficient time to master a look of feigned admiration for her groom.

Of course, that's secondary to the overdue restoration of dignity and agency that Hilary Mantel's historical saga affords Anne, depicting her as an intelligent, respectful and level-headed woman, albeit one from an especially sheltered upbringing.

This is far from fan fiction too, with the obvious indicator of Anne's affable personality being how she remained a welcome presence at the Royal Court long after her marriage to Henry was annulled.

Clearly not thrilled with her experience on the original Married at First Sight, she accepted the dissolution of their partnership with no protest and was rewarded handsomely with land and property.

Anne of Cleves was subsequently referred to as the "King's Beloved Sister" and attended events alongside Henry, his children, and his fifth wife Catherine Howard, becoming a close friend of then-Princess Elizabeth.

Alas, this eventually landed her in some hot water during the reign of Queen Mary I, but nevertheless, she outlived all of Henry's other wives and did so comfortably for the most part – until succumbing to an unknown illness in her final year.

Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light doesn't have time to delve into the full story of Anne of Cleves, but even from this brief fragment, it's clear that her legacy should not be the dismissive, misogynistic "ugly wife" insults passed down through history.

It's quite remarkable that, in a period of such regular, ongoing upheaval, a woman arrived from a remote land without fluent English to wed a mad and ghastly monarch with a penchant for beheadings – and made it work for her!

She was quite clearly a gregarious and amiable diplomat, with an ability to charm almost everyone, from her ex-husband (in a strictly platonic sense) to the servants of her household, who praised her for being a kind and generous boss.

If the Tudors are to remain a cornerstone of our school curriculum here in the UK, let it take a cue from Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light in re-contextualising Anne of Cleves; no longer the "ugly wife", but the immigrant Queen who survived – and thrived!

Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light continues Sundays on BBC One and iPlayer. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.