On Tuesday 30th May 1536, just eleven days after the execution of his second wife, Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII married Jane Seymour in the Queen’s Closet at York Place (Whitehall), the property renovated by himself and Anne.
Jane was officially proclaimed Queen at Greenwich Palace on the 4th June 1536, Whitsun. I wonder if either she or Henry VIII thought back to Whitsun 1533, the day of Anne Boleyn’s coronation.
You can read more about Henry and Jane in my article 30th May 1536 – Henry VIII Marries Jane Seymour
I know their those on this website who resent Queen Jane for whatever reasons.But to be honest i do not hate her, yes she did marry the king within a short period of Anne’s execution.In my opinion she thought she was doing the right thing. Her untimely death saved her from the humiliations experienced by the first 2 queens. If she had lived long she would have been a good queen consort.
Congregations Henry and Jane on your wedding and although it was very shortly after the execution of Anne, which was shocking even to some people at that time, you have to remember that Henry believed he was a bachelor. He also didn’t want to hang around as his time was moving on, so he thought to have children. He took the shortest number of days he could take and the Court to be fair rejoiced. I agree, Jane did the right thing, there wasn’t much else she could do, having agreed to become his wife, if Henry wanted the wedding now, Jane could hardly say no thanks. She had nothing to do with Anne’s downfall but she stepped into her shoes with a mission in mind. Jane tried to help Princess Mary but Henry insisted on his daughter making a full and unconditional submission, to accept that he and her own mother were not lawfully married and that he was head of the Church. It was Cromwell who helped her write to her father, although Jane wrote to Mary and it was Chapuys who brought her to sign the Articles Henry sent her. Henry used a variety of strong arm tactics, imprisoned and questioned her supporters and friends and Mary really had no other choice. Jane and Henry visited her and later she returned to Court with full honours. It’s totally unfair and unreasonable to blame or hate Jane and people are responding by how they feel about Anne Boleyn and not with historical knowledge. These events happened over 500 years ago and we have to remember the King had the power and the women only limited power. Anne wasn’t a twenty first century woman who could do as she pleased and that point wasn’t lost on her once she was Queen. Her role was quite different to that of a mistress and she just wasn’t submissive enough for Henry. Jane wasn’t a doormat, but she was much closer to the typical Tudor wife and submissive enough for the King. Her chief duty was to provide as many male heirs as possible; it was this failure which had left Katherine out in the cold and Anne vulnerable to to her enemies. A faction, made up mostly of those enemies had gathered behind Jane and her family and promoted her to the King as a potential new wife. Jane knew her duty and she was lucky enough to provide Henry with a son, although he didn’t depend on that fact anymore and prepared the Second Act of Succession 1536 to reflect the new reality. With both of his daughters now confirmed as illegitimate, Henry had three illegitimate children and made Henry Fitzroy his de facto heir in the event that Jane didn’t have male children either. Jane could do nothing about Anne’s arrest and execution, it wasn’t her place to in any event, that was all Henry and Cromwell. Jane said yes out of duty and affection and desire to bring peace to the household and the kingdom. She probably would have had more children. She certainly would have remained his consort for life, honoured as the mother of the heir to the throne.