Quote #12
To us she appears inconsistent - religious yet aggressive, calculating yet emotional, with the light touch of the courtier yet the strong grip of the politician : A woman in her own right - taken on her own terms in a man's world; a woman who mobilized her education, her style and her presence to outweigh the disadvantages of her sex; of only moderate good looks, but taking a court and a king by storm. Perhaps, in the end, it is Thomas Cromwell's assessment that comes nearest: intelligence, spirit and courage. - Eric Ives (1986)