24 Oct: Mourning Jane Seymour
King Henry VIII’s third wife, Queen Consort Jane Seymour, died aged just 29 on 24th October, 1537 – 12 days after giving birth to their son, future King Edward VI. Her death was attributed to complications following a prolonged and challenging labour, though recently it has been speculated it was in fact a pulmonary embolism.
Despite her limited education, Jane’s gentle nature and domestic skills appealed to Henry, who was, perhaps, looking for a more ‘girl next door’-type following his disastrous marriage to Anne Boleyn, whom he had beheaded just ten days before marrying Jane.
In this episode, Arion, Olly and Rebecca weigh up Jane’s plain reputation with her latent plucky side and glitzy jewellery; consider Jane’s role in reconciling Henry with his daughter Mary, who had been declared a bastard; and delight in the discovery of black wax in Henry’s mourning court…
Further Reading:
• ‘Jane Seymour | Hampton Court Palace’ (Historic Royal Palaces): https://www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/history-and-stories/jane-seymour/#gs.71s7lp
• ‘Jane Seymour | Queen, Henry VIII’s Third Wife, Facts & Death’ (HistoryExtra, 2021): https://www.historyextra.com/period/tudor/kings-and-queens-in-profile-jane-seymour/
• ‘The HORRIFIC Death Of Jane Seymour – Henry VIII’s Third Wife’ (Her Remarkable History, 2023):