Jane Seymour’s Marriage To Henry VIII Explained

The highly anticipated second season of the historical drama Wolf Hall is set to explore the marriage of Henry VIII and his third wife, Jane Seymour. Adapted from the book series by Hillary Mantel, Wolf Hall is set in the 16th century, during the infamous reign of Henry VIII of England. It chronicles the life of his chief minister, Thomas Cromwell, from his time as a humble lawyer to becoming the king’s chief minister. The first season of Wolf Hall was released to critical acclaim, achieving a high score of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, and winning two BAFTA TV Awards in 2016, including for Best Drama Series. It has since been regarded as one of the best period dramas ever created.

Season 2 of Wolf Hall is adapted from Mantel’s final novel, The Mirror & The Light and is set to focus on Cromwell’s peak in power as court minister until his ultimate downfall from royal favor. One important aspect that impacted Cromwell’s time at court was King Henry VIII’s marriage to Jane Seymour, which pushed out his “illegitimate” child, Mary Tudor. Henry VIII’s third marriage proved to be important for both Cromwell’s power at court and the Tudor reign.

Henry VIII Courted Jane Seymour While Married To Anne Boleyn

His Courtship Of Jane Seymour Began in 1536

Throughout season 1 of Wolf Hall, Thomas Cromwell works closely with Henry VIII in matters that concern the kingdom of England. He is heavily involved in organizing the King’s marriage to Anne Boleyn and works on gaining acceptance from the public in terms of their new queen. In season 1, episode 5, Henry takes an interest in Jane Seymour, who serves as a lady-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn. After Anne’s pregnancy ends in a miscarriage, Henry turns to Cromwell and orders him to find a way to end his marriage to Anne so he can marry Jane, similar to how his marriage to his first wife, Katherine of Aragon, was dissolved in episode 3.

According to Hampton Court Palace, Jane Seymour first arrived at court in 1529 as a lady-in-waiting to Katherine of Aragon, but there is no evidence of Henry VIII taking notice of her until around the beginning of 1536. By 1536, Henry’s marriage to Anne Boleyn was falling apart as, despite his hopes for a son, they only had a daughter, Elizabeth. After Anne suffered a miscarriage in 1536, Henry began to look elsewhere for someone who could give him a legitimate heir.

It is said that Henry took an interest in Jane Seymour, because she presented herself as modest, meek and obedient, the opposite of the stubborn and headstrong Anne Boleyn. Jane Seymour also came from a large family, as the sixth of 10 children, which indicated that a Seymour had a better chance of giving birth to a son, than a Boleyn (via Tudors Dynasty). By March 1536, Henry had his eyes firmly set on Jane, and as depicted in Wolf Hall, relies on Cromwell to find a way to end his marriage to Anne.

Henry VIII and Jane Seymour Married 11 Days After Anne Boleyn’s Execution

Anne Boleyn Was Executed May 19, 1536

Season 2, episode 1 of Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light begins with Anne Boleyn being executed at the Tower of London after being accused of adultery, incest and treason. The episode offered a harrowing and historically accurate depiction of Anne Boleyn’s execution and viewers have described it as a shocking start to season 2. As episode 1 continues, Henry VIII marries Jane Seymour in a lavish ceremony organized by Cromwell, with their wedding taking place less than 2 weeks after the death of Anne Boleyn.

It is said that Cromwell played a large part in Anne’s demise, orchestrating the charges against her. On May 2, 1536, Anne was arrested and brought to the Tower of London. A trial found her guilty on all charges, and she was sentenced to death by beheading. As shown in Wolf Hall, Anne was executed on May 19, 1536; rather than an ax, she was granted the mercy of being beheaded with a sword (via Historical Royal Palaces). Henry VIII quickly became betrothed to Jane Seymour on May 20, a mere one day after the execution. Wedding preparations were quickly finalized and Henry VIII and Jane Seymour’s wedding took place on May 30, 1536, 11 days after Anne Boleyn’s execution.

Jane Seymour Died After Giving Birth To A Tudor Heir

She Gave Birth To The Future Edward VI of England

Throughout season 2 of Wolf Hall, Jane Seymour serves as the queen of England and works hard to reconcile the king with his estranged daughter, Mary, and return her to court. According to History Extra, Jane had strong religious beliefs, as in October 1536, she tried to negotiate with the King to seek a way to end the Pilgrimage of Grace; however, she was warned not to interfere and was reminded of Anne Boleyn’s demise “enough to frighten a woman who is not very secure“. As season 2 continues, Jane falls pregnant and, on October 12, 1537, she gave birth to a son who became Edward VI.

Related

The Tudors: 5 Things That Are Historically Accurate (And 5 Things That Are Aren’t)

The Tudors embellishes a bit of the history it’s based on to amp up the drama but there are a handful of storylines that are historically accurate.

Upon the birth of Edward, there was much celebration as Henry finally had his long-awaited heir to the throne. However, the celebration quickly turned to devastation as Jane fell seriously ill and died from childbirth complications on October 24, 1537. She was the only wife of Henry VIII to receive a queen’s funeral and was buried in St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle (via History Skills). Jane Seymour’s pregnancy and eventual death further impact the reign of Henry VIII and, as season 2 of Wolf Hall continues, will play a significant part in Thomas Cromwell’s power and position in the Tudor court.

Sources: Hampton Court Palace, Tudors Dynasty, Historical Royal Palaces, History Extra, Historic UK, History Skills

Wolf Hall is a historical drama series starring Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell. Set in the early 16th century, it chronicles Cromwell’s rise to power in the court of King Henry VIII, played by Damian Lewis. The series is an adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s novels “Wolf Hall” and “Bring Up the Bodies,” depicting the political maneuvers and personal drama of the Tudor era.

Cast

Mark Rylance , Damian Lewis , Claire Foy , Thomas Brodie-Sangster , Joss Porter

Release Date

January 21, 2015

Seasons

1

Creator(s)

Peter Straughan , Peter Kosminsky , Hilary Mantel