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| Portrait by Hans Holbein the Younger (1537) |
- King Henry VIII of England and Ireland (m. 1536 - 1537)
- With King Henry VIII of England and Ireland
- King Edward VI of England and Ireland (1537 - 1553)
Appearance:
She is often described as being quite plain in appearance; very pale skin, with fair hair, and either blue, or grey eyes. Jane was of medium height and also described as having a large nose and small eyes.
She is described by the Spanish ambassador as being 'no great beauty.'
Character:
Jane's personality is often described as being as plain as her appearance. She was quite strict, favouring traditional English culture and fashion, and was more conservative in her views, and still followed the Catholic faith, despite England having now separated from Rome.
She was also gentle and rather passive, with her motto being 'bound to obey and serve'.
She received only a basic education, being more of a home-maker, and enjoying hobbies such as embroidery, which she was known to be very talented at.
Jane was also noted to be quiet and not politically astute, usually staying out of government matters.
However, she did fulfil the role of peacemaker within the English court, being a supportive step-mother, especially to the King's eldest daughter, and sought to reconcile her with her father and to the English succession. She also begged for the pardon of the participants of the Pilgrimage of Grace, a northern rebellion against the Protestant reformation, and the restoration of the abbeys. However, she was unsuccessful with this.
Biography:
Jane was born in Wiltshire, England, some time between 1504 and 1509, though 1508 is probably the most likely year of her birth. She was the eighth of ten children born to Sir John Seymour and his wife, Lady Margery Wentworth. She was a descendent of King Edward III of England, and both she and King Henry VIII of England were fifth cousins.
Not too much is known about Jane's early life, other than that her education was likely more basic compared to Henry VIII's first two wives. She grew up likely predominantly learning household management, and other skills typically associated with women. Jane especially became known for her talent with embroidery.
Some time between 1527 and 1532, Jane became a lady-in-waiting to the then Queen Consort, Katherine of Aragon. However, when Katherine's marriage to Henry VIII was annulled and she was banished from court, Jane then went on to serve the new queen, Anne Boleyn, instead. But the marriage between Anne and Henry VIII was becoming very rocky by 1536, and it was around this time that Henry began expressing interest in Jane, who was the polar opposite of Anne in every way. He began courting her, sending her gifts that she would return unopened, and she made it clear that she would not sleep with him unless they were married.
This tactic only spurred Henry on, and he began to show the Seymour family favour at court. Henry was desperate for a male heir since, so far, he and his queens had only been able to produce girls who survived infancy. It was likely around the time that Henry met Jane that he began plotting for ways to rid himself of Anne.
Anne Boleyn's downfall was swift, and she was imprisoned and charged with treason, adultery, and incest, alongside other male members of court. The Boleyn family completely fell from favour, and Anne was executed after her marriage to Henry was declared invalid. Elizabeth, Henry and Anne's daughter, was declared illegitimate, just like Katherine of Aragon's daughter before her.
Just one day after Anne's execution, both Henry and Jane were betrothed, and then they married just ten days later. However, unlike her predecessors, she was never formally crowned queen due to an outbreak of the Black Death occurring in London.
Jane immediately began establishing herself as a peacemaker within court, and sought to reconcile Henry with his eldest daughter, Mary. She also banned many of the lavish and French fashions that Anne Boleyn had introduced, favouring a much more conservative style. Her relationship with Mary became very close and loving, and Jane even hoped to restore Mary to the line of succession. Though she did not have as much to do with her other step-daughter, Elizabeth, she did treat her kindly.
Jane was also loyal to the Catholic Church, and even begged her husband to pardon those who had taken part in the Pilgrimage of Grace, an uprising that had occurred in the north of England. Despite her efforts, she was unsuccessful in reinstating Mary to the succession, and gaining a pardon for the rebels.
By early 1537, Jane became pregnant, and was noted to have had a craving for quail, and Henry would have them specially imported for her.
Later that year, Jane finally gave birth to Henry's long awaited male heir, who they would name Edward. However, the birth had been difficult, lasting just over two days. Though Jane appeared to have recovered afterwards, in the days ahead, she would become increasingly ill.
It's likely that she had developed an infection, and she would die just ten days after giving birth.
Rule:
Jane was a very demure consort, and often did not play an active role in politics. She mainly established her role as that of a peacemaker, encouraging Henry to reconcile with his eldest daughter, and attempted to intercede on the behalf of those who had angered her husband.
Though she managed to improve the relationship between Henry and his daughter, she was not able to restore her to the English succession, nor was she able to gain the pardon of the participants of the Pilgrimage of Grace, quickly backing down after Henry reminded her of the fate of Anne Boleyn after she meddled too much in his affairs.
Jane's main success in her reign was providing the Tudor dynasty with an heir, Edward.
Throughout the rest of his life, Henry would favour her as his queen and her legacy lived on in court paintings.
- She is often credited as being Henry VIII's favourite wife due to her having provided him with the son that he desperately wanted. When Henry died ten years later, he was buried beside her.
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