What exactly was it that attracted Henry VIII to Jane Seymour? Queen Catherine had been a strong, steadfast woman. Queen Anne had a hot temper and was full of passion. Queen Jane seemed to disappear into the crowd and was dutiful to the end. Perhaps that was exactly what drew the king to her in the first place.
Important Events of 1536
While it is not known when Henry’s affections turned to Jane, one of Queen Anne’s ladies, it is known that by early 1536 he was smitten. Conveniently for Henry, it was also in this year that Catherine passed away. Unfortunately for Anne, she miscarried once more. The situation in which Henry now found himself was such that he would be able to separate from Anne without running the risk of giving his first marriage to Catherine validity. He also had a third queen in mind.
A Gift of Gold
In mid-March 1536, Henry sent a gift of gold coinage to Jane. Flattered though she was, she returned the gift to the king (either on her own or under the direction of her advisors) with the message that she could not receive such a gift from a king until her marriage day. Having learned the lessons of Anne Boleyn, Jane discreetly informed Henry that he would have to marry her if he wanted her as more than just a subject. Naturally loving the chase, Henry fell more in love with her.
A Condemnation, Execution, Betrothal and A Marriage
On May 14, 1536 at 3:00 in the afternoon, Jane received word of Anne’s condemnation. A quick succession of important events followed. On the 17th of May, Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, declared Henry and Anne’s marriage null. On the 19th, Cranmer authorized Henry and Jane to marry and Anne Boleyn lost her head.
On the very day after the execution of the previous queen, Henry and Jane were betrothed. In an effort to appear more proper, the king decided to slow the breakneck speed of events down a bit and waited a mere ten days before they were married on May 30.
On June 4, Jane was proclaimed queen, but she was never to have a coronation.
The Dutiful Queen
The meek Queen Jane, whose motto was “Bound to obey and serve” and whose badge held the image of the phoenix, implying that through her sacrifice, the Tudor dynasty would be reborn, made her pregnancy known on May 23, 1537.
Henry cancelled the scheduled Progress north and doted on her. He was convinced that this marriage was his first true marriage and as such would yield a healthy son.
On September 16, Jane went into confinement and three weeks later, on October 11, entered into a very difficult labor. A son was born the next day: October 12, 1537. He was christened Prince Edward.
The birth was a joyous occasion. Jane’s brothers were both made earls and plans for her churching were almost immediately in the works. She appeared to be recovering well until she suddenly became ill on October 19. She passed away as a result of complications of childbirth on October 24.
Jane Seymour is buried next to Henry VIII and is the only wife to have received such honor. Although he was continually surrounded by women, Henry did not marry immediately. For the first time, Henry had lost a wife when she was still dear to him. Jane remained beloved by Henry for giving her life for his male heir.
Sources:
Starkey, David. Six Wives: the Queens of Henry VIII. New York: Harper Collins, 2003.
http://tudorhistory.org/seymour/
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