Jane Seymour
Posted By Claire on May 30, 2009
Today, the 30th May, is Henry VIII’s wedding anniversary – well, ONE of his wedding anniversaries! On this day in 1536, just 11 days after the execution of his second wife, Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII married Jane Seymour.
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Now, Anne Boleyn was a woman of mystery, but what do we know about Jane Seymour? Here is some information on the woman who became Henry VIII’s third wife, the woman he called his “true” queen and love, and the only queen who provided Henry VIII with a son.
Jane Seymour – Beginnings
It is thought that Jane Seymour was born around 1508 or 1509, although some believe that her birth date was as early as 1504. It is reported that at her funeral 29 women walked in succession, one for each year of her birth, so that puts her birth date at 1508. Jane was one of the eight (some say nine) children of Margery Wentworth and Sir John Seymour, a courtier who had served Henry VIII in Tournai (1513) and had accompanied the King to the Field of the Cloth of Gold in 1520. The family home was Wulfhall (Wolf Hall) in Wiltshire.
Unlike Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour was not highly educated, and could actually only read and write her name. Like many women of her time, she was taught household management, needlework and other such skills, it was the men of the household who were formally educated. It is thought that she became a maid-of-honour (lady in waiting) to Catherine of Aragon in 1532 and then became one of Anne Boleyn’s ladies when she took over from Catherine as Queen. Jane Seymour was not an evangelical like Anne Boleyn, she was from the “old faith”, a Catholic.
Jane Catches the King’s Eye
King Henry VIII visited the Seymour family home in September 1535, during his Royal progress, but it is not known whether Jane caught his eye then or whether it was later at Court. By February of 1536, just after Anne’s second miscarriage, gossip about the King’s attraction to Jane was rife amongst foreign ambassadors. It was also around this time that Jane’s brothers began to rise at court, just as the Boleyns once had.
Mystery surrounds what Jane actually thought of the King’s advances and we cannot be sure of her role in the fall of Anne Boleyn. Was Jane simply an instrument of her family, Cromwell and the Catholic faction, or did she know what she was doing and encourage the King’s advances, flirting openly with him? Was she a cunning woman who saw her opportunity or was she an innocent young woman who had fear for her future? There is no definitive answer to these questions but Jane probably did not have any choice in the matter anyway. She had caught the King’s attention, Anne was on the way out and Jane was the chosen replacement.
Happiness and Sadness
On 20th May, the day after Anne Boleyn’s execution, Henry VIII became betrothed to Jane Seymour and preparations were made for the Royal wedding, which took place ten days later at Whitehall Palace. Unlike, Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, Jane was never actually crowned Queen. Opinions are divided on this, with some believing that Henry wanted Jane to give him a son first, to prove herself to him, and others believing that her coronation was postponed due to a plague in London.
In May of 1537, it was announced that Jane Seymour was pregnant and Henry was ecstatic, ordering bonfires to be lit in celebration and showering his Queen with gifts and affection. It is said that Jane had a pregnancy craving for quail, so the King ordered the very best quail for her from Flanders and Calais.
On the 12th of October, after a long and difficult labour, Jane gave birth to Henry’s longed for son, a boy named Edward, at Hampton Court Palace. Although it was rumoured that Edward was born by an emergency Caesarean (c-section), this would have taken the life of Jane and we know that she was present at his christening on 15th of October. It is likely that she died of puerperal fever which turned into sepsis. Jane Seymour died at Hampton Court on 24th October 1537 and was buried at Windsor Castle, in St George’s Chapel, in a tomb that Henry had been building for himself. Henry VIII joined Jane in this tomb when he died ten years later.
Whatever our thoughts on Jane and her predecessor, Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII obviously took Jane’s death hard. It is said that he wore black for three months and, although Cromwell started looking straight away for a new wife for the King, Henry did not remarry until 1540, when he married Anne of Cleves.
Although Jane Seymour was only queen for such a short time, she used her position as Henry’s wife and queen to try and reconcile Henry VIII with both his daughters, Mary and Elizabeth. She invited Mary to court and pushed for Henry to recognise her claim to the throne, and then she invited Elizabeth to Edward’s christening. Mary was also made Edward’s godmother and was the chief mourner at Jane Seymour’s state funeral.
Find Out More
An interesting article entitled “The Death of Jane Seymour: A Midwife’s View” can be found at http://tudorstuff.wordpress.com/2009/03/21/the-death-of-jane-seymour-a-midwifes-view/ – it’s a great article and reminds me of my eldest son’s birth. After 24 hours of labour, I was given an emergency caesarean because my son was stuck and had been in an awkward position in the birth canal. I’m sure that if I had been in Tudor Engand, we both would have died.
If you’re interested in finding out more about Jane Seymour, historian Elizabeth Norton’s book “Jane Seymour: Henry VIII’s True Love” can be pre-ordered – click here
Hi Claire
Jane Seymour was not who she appeared to be. Jane was a very deceitful and sneaky woman. Jane was not the little mouse that people assumed her to be. Even though Jane was not well educated or intellectual like Katharine and Anne she was ambitious. Jane was dull and boring but at the same time dangerous.
Jane wanted what Anne had. Its a shame that she had no strategy of her own in which to catch Henry. Jane used Anne’s strategy but implemented the fact of her innocence (she looked the part ). Henry would of become bored with her if she hadn’t died. Jane was like milk toast, if you had to have that every day, day in day out you would become thorougly disenchanted with it.
She did not have the fire and passion or intellect that both Katharine and Anne had.
I have never cared for Jane and considered her a usurper, which I never considered Anne to be. As I look back at history, Jane was in my eyes the “evil” Queen. I credit Jane and her supporters for Anne’s downfall. I also feel that Jane lacked any remorse, sympathy or empathy for anyone.
Jane’s family was also morally corrupt as her father had an affair with his daughter-in-law who bore him several children. So, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
The historians have done a great injustice to Anne when they claim that she was the “evil” Queen and Jane the innocent. It was the other way around.
I guess you can probably tell that I am no fan of Jane Seymour’s and think that she received karma when she suffered and died after the birth of Edward.
Hi Sherri,
Thanks for taking the time to comment. I think I’m going to get the Jane Seymour book and dig a bit deeper into her character. Like you, I do kind of feel that she probably wasn’t as meek, mild and innocent as she made out, but I could be wrong! How awful to be preparing for your wedding and having secret assignations with a man who is framing his wife and planning her execution! And to get married so soon after Anne’s death – disgraceful and unfeeling.
Yes, I’d read about Jane’s father and his daughter-in-law – the things those Tudors got up to!!
Thanks again for your comment and it was great to hear your opinion.
Claire x
I don’t think she was soo innocent either… She may have complied with Henry, but it was all a game. She knew what she was doing when he started to court her. She knew that he was married. She did exactly what Anne did, but decided to play the innocent church mouse instead of a strong, independent woman.
Her family didn’t care about what it meant for her, just that they would finally rise in the peerage.
Edward Seymour kinda disgusts me after what he did to his nephew. Thomas, well we all know about him. They didn’t care when she died, I don’t think they even greived for her. All they were concerned with was themselves… With all the manipulation and cunning in her family, I doubt she was oblivious to it all…
I agree that Jane wasn’t as meek and mild as some believe her to have been. She was a devout Catholic who wanted the church restored to prominence. Her family sought to become the pre-eminant family in England over the Boleyns. She was coached by them as to how best to catch Henry’s attention. By being the opposite of Anne, she was able to do so.
She was however, kind to Mary Tudor and I believe she brought Elizabeth to court as well.
I believe that Henry would have tired of Jane after a short while had she not died after giving birth to Edward. There wasn’t the same passion that he shared with Anne and knowing Henry, he would have gone looking for that somewhere else. He probably would have retired Jane to the country and gone his merry way…
I believe that Anne was Henry’s true love, not Jane…
Yes, she was kind to Mary because she had loved and respected Catherine of Aragon. Elizabeth Norton makes out that Jane actually had little contact with Elizabeth but I’m not sure how true this is.
I agree I don’t think Janey was so meek & innocent either.
But there’s one point that’s confused me. Jane’s always described as a staunch Catholic. At what point did her brothers Thomas & Edward turn Protestant? They definitely seemed to be on that side of the fence by the time Henry died.
Hi Kelly,
Yes, the whole Seymour family were originally part of the Catholic faction that plotted with Cromwell over Anne Boleyn’s fall. Changing “faith” was to many a political decision, rather than one of the heart, and the brothers must have changed their allegiance at some point for their own gain. I’m not sure when this happened but by the time Edward VI took the throne they were staunch protestants and rivals. Thomas Seymour rose high as a result of his sister’s marriage to Henry but it was Edward Seymour who became Lord Protector of Edward VI and was responsible for Edward’s protestant rule. Thomas Seymour married Catherine Parr shortly after the King’s death.
I’m not sure when they changed from Catholicism to Protestantism but, as you say, it does seem strange when they were pro-Catholic during the fall of Anne Boleyn and the rise of Jane seymour. There was a period of 11 years between the fall of Anne Boleyn and the King’s death and a lot can happen in that time.
We think of the worst ravages of the English reformation being the result of Henry’s rule, but in fact the time of Edward VI – which means the rule of his uncle Edward Seymour – was in some respects equally as bad, if not worse. So much of the rich artistic heritage of the old Church was wiped out during this time. And of course lots of lands were confiscated and given to political favourites. Henry died basically still a Catholic. The Seymours and their boy King died fervent Reformists – and a lot of what they did was not pretty.
There seems to be a lot of misconceptions about Jane and the Seymours in general. I’d like to state ahead of time that I mean only to bring other information to this conversation and that though my opinions and studies differ greatly from others, I respect everyone’s views and input no matter how we may differ.
Let’s start with Jane’s image, truly her innocent and obedient figure gets most of it’s backing from Henry and Edward VI. It was Henry who made Anne Boleyn be remembered as a “harlot”, and it would be Henry, who instilled in Edward, the “saintly” image of Jane. As such history has determined a role and image of each figure, i.e. Protestant propagandists and the image of “Bloody” Mary or the Catholic supporters and the image of “the six fingered” Anne Boleyn.
Jane started off at the hilt and has now fallen on the blade of this highly judgmental sword. Just as AB has gone from “whore” to “martyr”, Jane has gone from “saint” to “villainess”. Bare in mind these images, and notice how often history has failed to realize that while some figures certainly fall under the category of “good” or “bad”, (i.e. Good: Mother Teresa versus Bad: Adolf Hitler) most people in history fall in-between, as a human being with good intentions but flawed just as the other beside them.
Jane was the oldest daughter of a family with fairly modest court standing, her father John was well liked by both Henry VII & Henry VIII, and he was known for his military antics. Jane’s mother, Margery Wentworth, was a beauty who was shy and demure, in other words, she did not flaunt or seek attention.
Jane, characteristically, was like her brother Edward (Somerset), whom she reportedly favored. Now, Edward has always been depicted as cruel and ambitious man. Edward was ambitious no doubt, but he was very intelligent and some what distant, hence his coming off as “cold” or “cruel”. And Edward was a popular man among the people, unpopular among those seeking Edward VI’s favor. Somerset’s end would upon trumped charges of treason, which, with persuasion from Northumberland and Cranmer, Edward VI would change the sentencing from imprisonment to execution. Mary Tudor remarked that Somerset’s execution had more to do with court politics than actual crimes against the King.
Back to Jane, while it is popularly believed Jane was unintelligent and could do no more than write her name, Jane actually was educated. Granted it was not the education of an Infanta or noblemen’s daughter in Europe’s most illustrious courts, it was an education that consisted of basic reading and writing, and also a simple knowledge of Latin.
As to Jane’s faith, Jane was most famously called by reformer Martin Luther as “Enemy of the Gospel”. Jane was a traditional Catholic, as raised by her mother and within the family church. When Jane became queen, she would request her family’s priests as opposed to the Henrician priests provided by her husband. Jane’s free thinking brothers went with Henrician to Protestant to keep with the changing tides of court.
Jane’s most notable mark as consort was when she pleaded with Henry on behalf to the Pilgrimage of Grace. She was rebuked for her interference and dropped the subject when reminded of her predecessors.
This is key in Jane’s character, often thought of as a “doormat”, Jane stepping back and not pushing her luck is a sign of a intelligent woman. This is something Anne never learned, she didn’t drop things, and as such it only soured her relationship with Henry, Jane, by doing the opposite was not only pleasing Henry, but strengthening her own position by remaining favor.
Another point to Jane as consort was her concern with the lady Mary. Even before Jane had wed Henry she brought up the importance of Mary and within the regards of securing Henry’s kingdom and also doing service to her faith. Jane was called a “fool” in regards to this by Henry, but she didn’t stop, after becoming queen, Jane again pushed for Mary’s cause, it came to fruition when Mary realized she needed to reconcile with her father and that her father’s new wife supported her. It would be only two months after Jane became queen that Mary would be welcomed back to court.
Jane’s personality: I believe some have used the term “milk toast” to describe her, some even mark her off as very unremarkable, Jane wasn’t as “loud” as her predecessor, but she certainly wasn’t a “church mouse”. Jane was described as “haughty” by Chapyus and nothing less than demanding within her duties as queen.
The French influence that flourished under Anne was to be utterly wiped out; Jane preferred everything to be “English”: fashions, manners, colors, everything. Jane went about creating a small resurgence of the Gable hood, only after her death would the French hood return to English courts, and even at that it would eventually modified into a English-French hybrid: the Flat hood. Jane also preferred the traditional English dress styles, as opposed to the “revealing” French styles.
The “Plain” standard does not suite Jane in regards to fashions and accessories, in fact Jane was very fashion forward, however her preference of conservative styles have often left her to be overlooked and thought of as “dowdy”.
Jane had a preference toward rich and colorful fabrics, heavy with brocade and jewels, and her favorite item: pearls. As opposed to her predecessor, Anne Boleyn, who favored dark fabrics and subtle colors, Jane enjoyed vibrant and catching colors, red, the English standard, in particular.
Her headwear, the gable hood, was always heavily jeweled, either pearls or rubies or in her Holbein painting, both. She had a great affinity for pearls, every depiction, whether sketch or portrait, Jane is wearing a great number of pearls. Records report Jane had about 24 monogram/love-knot rings: I or J for Jane or I entwined with H for Henry.
Jane had in her collection a “UTIS” brooch, meaning “HIS” which was Greek for Christ; it may have originally belonged to Katharine of Aragon. Jane also had a jeweled Tau cross which she changed between a brooch and a necklace ornament. The Tau cross would be later worn by Catherine Parr.
Just in case anyone is curious to the sources of my information:
Pamela M. Gross
Antonia Fraser
Elizabeth Norton
William Seymour
and a bit of my own research
“This is key in Jane’s character, often thought of as a “doormat”, Jane stepping back and not pushing her luck is a sign of a intelligent woman. This is something Anne never learned, she didn’t drop things, and as such it only soured her relationship with Henry, Jane, by doing the opposite was not only pleasing Henry, but strengthening her own position by remaining favor.”
I find it interesting that the sign of intelligence is to lay low and do exactly what all other women of the period were expected to do. Today we would call that uninspired, unintelligent, and cowardly. Traits that were the opposite of what Anne displayed during her rise and, more importantly, her fall.
If I have to choose between the two ladies – I’ll take Anne every time!
How Jane maintained her self and behavior was for survival, In that time women were treated as property or used for bartering and not aloud to have an opion (look what happened to AB). As now and in that era one thing has not changed whether roylaty or common man, men cheat. I give Jane props for reconizing the way to a man’s heart is through loyalty, not with sex. If that is what one believes they will be greatly disappointed every time as there is always someone waiting to do the “duty” with the king and do”it” better… But it takes brains to catch ‘em and keep ‘em. Granted Anne B. sounds like so was the “fun” queen but Jane was the one Henry wanted to be barried with. Jane played the dumb fox very well, she was able to get Henry to make changes by using sublty suggetion, I call that cunning. Rule one never let them see you coming, rule two you can get more by using a little finesse the by being a gorilla…..
@Pom
“I find it interesting that the sign of intelligence is to lay low and do exactly what all other women of the period were expected to do. Today we would call that uninspired, unintelligent, and cowardly. Traits that were the opposite of what Anne displayed during her rise and, more importantly, her fall.”
Jane didn’t always lay low, as just stated she spoke out on matters quite a bit before Henry told her to step back (that alone shows she wasn’t unispired)…and who wouldn’t? Henry, by that point, had shown that he could very easily do away with someone who angered him, even if he had to fabricate evidence to do so.
Jane was being very smart by stepping off of his buttons, especially after Henry reminded Jane of KoA & AB’s fate. I would argue it would’ve been very unintelligent to continue provoking Henry.
And by doing so, Jane was able to remain in favor and perhaps use her influence when she was more secure. It’s merely speculation, but had Jane survived after Edward’s birth, and judging by her actions, she very likely could’ve used her new found “Saintdom” (in Henry’s eyes at least) to play a more influential consort role.
(were staunch protestants), We were always Protestants to a point, but our roots where Jewish and Berber. the word “Maur “comes from the word Amour,Amur meaning God Moor-Mour-Moorish which is infact widely linked to Morocco and Algeria and the Berbers.the home’s in England are known as tudor home’s because there built in Moorish style as where the castle’s with the 5 arche’s and 3 teared gate houses.cross stitch is Berber in origin. Janes had all of her dresses made with this type of stitch sown in.. the tudors even hung beautiful carpets/ Tapestries as wall hangings that is the Berber Moorish in origin and style . a women would make a carpet explaining her life in great detail for her future husband or for the right suiter to marry so he would know everything about her.the colors red,white and green where widely used in the Berber carpets why before 1066 and the battle of hastings where the family of St Maur (Seymour) first joined in the invasion of England from Normandy and the hastings Tapestries. there truthful origin isn’t only France it gos back must futher then France.the Berber people where known as Sea People and Moors as in “Seamour”.
welll i need help with who was henry viii most importans wife :SSS heeelp pleaseeeeeee
Hi,
It depends in what sense. Henry VIII obviously saw Jane Seymour as his most important wife because she bore him a son, Edward VI, who was England’s first Protestant king, but Anne Boleyn helped bring in the English Reformation and it was Henry’s love for her that made him break with Rome plus she gave birth to Elizabeth I who is known for the Golden Age of her reign. Then there is Catherine of Aragon who was the mother of Mary I and helped defend England from the Scots when she was left Regent.
Hi there! I take pleasure in looking through your posts every single morning. It’s obvious that your thoughts reflect a lot of other people’s opinions too.