I'm watching the Tudors and Henry seems really upset with Anne. He says she "looks like a horse", has "unpleasant airs about her" and from what I could see, did not "perform" well in bed. She seemed to be very off put by his leg wound and his attitude. But how much of this is true? The painting I've seen of Anne wasn't of an ugly woman. Thanks!
Henry and Anne met for the first time at a castle in Rochester. Henry was a big believer in romanticized love, especially when it came to him - that is, he believed that his fiancé (who had never seen him) would know by instinct who he was and be swept off her feet by his beauty and charm. He enjoyed being in disguise and having people fawn on him, then "being surprised" to learn it was actually him. So he approached her without introduction and kissed her, thinking she would just know their love was fated and be so enamored by him that she'd be delighted.
Well, Anne didn't know who this man was, and she had been raised in a very strict Lutheran home, so she basically rejected him. Very soon her error was indicated to her and she became instantly apologetic and accommodating to him as possible, but the damage had been done. She had wounded his ego. He refers to her as "a Flanders mare" (i.e. she looks like a horse) and claims he is so physically repulsed by her that he cannot perform his kingly duties to make an heir.
My own opinion is that he made these claims about her offensive airs and repulsive body because that would be considered an acceptable reason why he couldn't/wouldn't consummate their marriage - but this is only conjecture. But he had initially thought she was beautiful when he saw her portrait done by Hans Holbein, who was well-respected in his time.
As for Anne's personal disgust for Henry's leg, that's not recorded, but it's quite likely given his health: by now Henry had a putrid wound from a jousting accident that frequently had to be drained of pus. It was said you could smell the king before you saw him coming.